“The number of family caregivers is surging,” by Barbara Rodriguez, Michigan Advance
“A growing number of Americans — more than 63 million, or nearly 1 in 4 — have served as a family caregiver for a loved one in the past year. The figure is a jump of 20 million Americans compared to a decade ago, according to findings released Thursday by AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC).
“The surge is due to a confluence of factors, including Americans living longer but in some instances, in poorer health. That is requiring more people to engage in the work of family caregiving. There is also a growing recognition of who is a family caregiver — or a person providing care to an adult or child with a complex medical condition or disability, often without pay.”
LTC Comment, Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform:
The costs of caregiving can be many: emotional, physical, psychological, professional, financial and so on. Those who can afford to save, invest or insure for their own long-term care or for that of a loved one, have the opportunity to be a care manager instead of a care giver.