The importance of caregiving: Part 1
Joe Dorman
Clio is dedicated to alleviating social isolation and loneliness and building meaningful relationships. But many of our older adult participants also have family and friends who support and care for them. Some 4.1 million New Yorkers (New York Department of Aging) act as caregivers at some point each year.Those caring individuals also can benefit from support.
Many find themselves thrust into the role of caregiver to their parents or siblings or even friends or neighbors as part of a natural process as they age. In some cases, however, people end up as unexpected caregivers after illness or an accident that renders their loved one unable to care for themselves.
The roles those caregivers take on are as varied as the individuals themselves. It may be helping with transportation to someone who can no longer drive or take public transportation, helping with cooking and shopping, helping out with managing finances or, in some cases, providing a home or looking after their loved ones part or full time.
Children have taken on the care of their older parents for generations. However, society has changed a great deal in recent years and thrown up new obstacles to an age-old practice. Americans are far more mobile than at any time in the past. Adult children move from their place of origin and their parents in search of jobs or different lifestyles. And older adults often move as well in search of a warmer climate in which to spend their retirement years.
Where in the past, an adult child was living just around the corner or nearby in the same city when the need arose, now aging parents and their children may be separated by hundreds or thousands of miles, necessitating long-distance caring or the relocation of parent or child.
The aging of the baby boomer generation, born between 1946 and 1964, presents a huge challenge to America. There are roughly 73 million boomers alive today and by 2030 they will all have reached the age of 65. That has given rise to what is being called the “sandwich generation,” the children of the baby boomers who are now or will soon be taking care both of their aging parents and their own families. Many of them, both husband and wife, already work full time jobs in addition to raising their children.
Taking on the new role of caregiver is not simply a matter of finding the time or the resources to help one’s parents. It also means taking on new emotional stresses in addition to those faced at jobs and in taking care of one’s own kids.
Fortunately, there are a host of public and private organizations that have arisen to help provide resources, support and advice for caregivers. The New York Department of Aging offers a host of resources for caregivers. The Caregiver Action Network) offers stories of caregiving, instructional videos and access to forums where issues of caregiving can be discussed. The National Alliance for Caregiving is involved in both research and advocacy regarding caregiving and offers resources such as guides as well.
This post is part of a series that will look in-depth at the role of caregivers, explore counseling and support groups specifically for those in caregiver roles and look at a variety of respite services that offer caregivers a way to take a break from their often demanding role.