In 1963, President
John F. Kennedy began a new tradition by setting the month of
May to honor America's older adults. Every President since then
has continued the tradition. It is a time to bring attention to
the needs and accomplishments of elders and the programs available
to assist them. In recognition of aging as a "global" issue and
of our own nation's rapidly increasing multicultural and multigenerational
population, the theme chosen this year by the Administration on
Aging is "The Many Faces of Aging."
In honor of Older
Americans, I would like to continue the series I started last
month to promote the positive aspects of aging by acknowledging
the contributions and capabilities of older Americans and some
of the agencies that improve life throughout society. The following
are just two sets of 'volunteers' who mostly go unrecognized for
their contributions.
Since Mothers Day is
also in May it seems appropriate to honor the nation's caregivers:
the unacknowledged volunteers who make life bearable for many.
Informal caregivers provide more care in the home -- free of charge
-- than the federal government provides in all settings. According
to the most recent National Long Term Care Survey, more than seven
million persons are informal caregivers, providing unpaid help
to older persons who live in the community and have at least one
limitation on their activities of daily living. These caregivers
include spouses, adult children, and other relatives and friends.
According to a 1997 report by The National Alliance for Caregiving,
nearly 75 percent of informal caregivers of the elderly are women.
Due to longer lifespans, women in their 60's and 70's may be caring
for parents in their 80's and 90's. Many are also caring for their
spouses, siblings and friends. These unrecognized "volunteers"
give unselfishly of themselves to care for others.
Family caregiving has
been a budget-saver to governments faced annually with the challenge
of covering the health and long term care expenses of persons
who are ill and have chronic disabilities. If the work of caregivers
had to be replaced by paid home care staff, the estimated cost
would be $45-75 billion per year. Some estimates on the economic
value of caregiving go as high as $200 billion.
Along with honoring
the family caregivers of the elderly, we should also acknowledge
all of the grandparents raising grandchildren. In 1997 there were
3.9 million children living with grandparents. In the majority
of cases the grandparents are the primary caregivers. According
to the Administration on Aging, researchers report that in one
in ten grandparents raise a grandchild for at least six months
and typically much longer. Grandparents who are caregivers tend
to be women. Grandparents are raising grandchildren despite the
fact that it may be financially devastating (research shows they
are 60% more likely to live in poverty). The responsibility of
caring for grandchildren can cause physical and emotional stress
for these caregivers, of whom 67% are over the age of 50. What
would be the cost to society if these caring grandparents didn't
assume the care of their grandchildren? Are these grandparents
doing meaningful work? Yes, they are. They are contributing
both to their families and their communities.
We should also acknowledge
the grandparents who assist their children with part-time care
of their grandchildren. There is hardly a grandparent who does
not help care for a sick grandchild or pick him/her up after school
when the parents work late. Although labor statistics do not count
such care, it certainly benefits society and the children.
Again, I would like
to state that older Americans are an asset to their communities
in many ways that are not recognized. We need to share the stories
of their accomplishments. Only then will we end ageism in this
country.
In the next article
I will address the many agencies that would not be able to exist
if it were not for retirees volunteering and making their work
possible. I would also plan to do an article about women who retired
and then began another career.
If you have a favorite
organization or the story of a woman who began a second career
that you would like to share, please contact me at Milbet@aol.com
NOTE: To find out about
resources for grandparent caregivers, contact your local Agency
on Aging, listed in the government section of your telephone directory,
usually under aging, elderly, or senior services.
