The AARP and National Care Giving Alliance released a comprehensive overview of family caregiving titled Caregiving in the U.S. 2020. This study contains a wealth of information on caregivers and the challenges they face. Today, more than one in five Americans are caregivers, having provided care to an adult or child with special needs at some point in the past 12 months. 3 out of 5 caregivers are women. Family and friends comprise the most basic unit of any society, bringing joy accompanied by a strong sense of responsibility. 53% of caregivers feel that they had no choice. Across all demographics, there has been a noted increase in the number of persons providing care for their older friends or family members. These statistics also include parents or siblings who are caring for adult children with disabilities. 1 out of 10 caregivers have children under the age of 18 in their home. The AARP report found that these factors can account for the increase in the need for family caregiving.
• The increasingly aging baby boomer population requiring more care.
• Limitations or workforce shortages in health care or long-term services and supports (LTSS) formal care systems.
• Increased efforts by states to facilitate home- and community-based services.
• Increasing numbers of Americans who are self-identifying that their daily activities, in support of their family members and friends with health or functional limitations, are caregiving.
• Increased life expectancy, coupled with financial insecurity, means many seniors require family care.
• At the same time, millennials have children later than their baby boomer and Generation X parents, leading to more multi-generational households.
• The confluence of all of these trends.
Family caregivers provide support to their loved ones in a variety of ways. They include:
• Helping their family member perform average daily living tasks such as bathing, dressing, toileting, and feeding.
• Assisting in instrumental activities of daily living such as cleaning their home and doing laundry, meal preparation, shopping, and money management.
• Coordinating medical appointments and medications.
• Applying for benefits and understanding the insurances used by their loved one.
• Home cleaning and maintenance.
• Working through behavioral challenges.
• Providing transportation.
• Juggling the essential roles in their lives.
There are varying levels of difficulty in a caregiver’s role, but the research indicates that caregivers experience a high degree of physical and financial stress when providing this support. Imagine being in the place of a woman giving care to her parent while raising her children and maintaining employment. It sounds overwhelming.
Are you living in this sort of situation? I see you. I honor how difficult it can be and have an abiding respect for you. As a caregiver of an adult child, I know how emotionally fulfilling it can be to care for a loved one and the responsibilities that burden. I haven’t walked in your shoes, but I am going down the same road. The staff at arrangeCARE are here to help. We are care managers with over 50 years of experience among us. The family system is our client. arrangeCARE can help by finding you respite or the right daycare. We look to maximize any entitlements available to find the support you need, whether home care or adaptive equipment. We have participated as an advocate in special education school meetings and nursing home care plans. We are allies in this journey. Contact us for a free 15-minute consultation. We are here for you.
arrangeCARE Care Managers are among the most experienced in the Central Texas area. Our founder, Leah Cohen, was awarded the Social Worker of the Year in 2016 for the Austin, Texas area. Each of our Care Managers brings over 25 years of experience in the role. You and your loved one will benefit from more than 75 years worth of compassionate, knowledgeable services, focused on older adults and persons with disabilities. Give us a call at 512-814-3228.
