Caregiving: The Changing Roles for Parents and Children

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As I’ m sure some of you know November is National Family Caregivers Month.  To bring this to important segment of of life to more people’s attention, more than  42 million people in the U.S. are caring for an older relative or friend. AARP and the Ad Council have just launched new public service advertisements (PSAs) that illustrate how the changing roles of parents and children can really impact your life.  I do want to give you a heads up- these ads are bitter sweet.  The message is clear, roles change as families change, but it can also be a bit depressing as well.  Seeing the inevitable can be scary.  But with AARP and the Ad council at the helm, its nice to see someone cares.

That’s why I’m excited to be writing on behalf of AARP and the Ad Council who have just launched new public service advertisements (PSAs) that illustrate how the changing roles of parents and children can really impact your life. Since the initial launch in the fall of 2012, the Caregiver Assistance campaign has received over $72.4 million in donated media and AARP.org/caregiving has received more than 15 million visits. Per the Ad Council model, the new PSAs will air and run in advertising time and space donated by the media.

Many think that caregivers are paid health professionals, providing full-time care to someone in need of daily help, when in reality, most caregivers are also working and managing their own families at the same time. This can be highly stressful work, putting caregivers at risk for depression and anxiety immunosuppression, cardiovascular disease, premature aging, among other physiological consequences, as well as causing financial problems.

There are a few great articles I’d like to share with you too.

Prepare to Care (Caregiving Planning Guide for Families)
http://www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/home-and-family/caregiving/2012-10/prepare-to-care-lores.pdf

12 Resources Every Caregiver Should Know About
http://www.aarp.org/home-family/caregiving/info-08-2012/important-resources-for-caregivers.html

Free eBook: Juggling Work and Caregiving
http://www.aarp.org/entertainment/books/bookstore/home-family-caregiving/juggling-work-and-caregiving/

10 Tips for Caregivers During the Holidays
http://www.aarp.org/home-family/caregiving/info-12-2013/caregiving-holiday-stress-goyer.html

Join our Twitter chat on Thursday 11/13, 1pm EST by following #CareChat and @AARPFamily. Amy Goyer (@amygoyer), AARP Family & Caregiving Expert, will be available to answer your questions.