Home > Spring 2010 Newsletter |
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Dear Friends,
E very family caregiver knows the shockwave that a phone call at 3:00 a.m. can bring.
“Have the police found my dad wandering miles away from home — or worse?” “Is mom
being disruptive and fighting with staff at her long-term care facility again?” “Has my sister
reached the breaking point taking care of our aging father?”
These scenarios are, sadly, too familiar for the more than 250,000 family caregivers in
New York City. We bear an enormous responsibility — equaled only by our contributions to
America’s healthcare system. It’s estimated that, last year, the nation’s almost 10 million family
caregivers provided 8.5 billion hours of unpaid care to loved ones with Alzheimer’s, eliminating
an enormous institutional burden. What would happen to the system if we were no longer able
to provide this kind of care to our loved ones?
Similarly, professional caregivers — those who work in nursing homes and hospitals, and as
private aides assisting families in their homes — bring a special set of skills and expertise, without
which the system would suffer.
Caregivers are a diverse group. One size does not fit all. Yet, as different as we are, one thing
unites us: our concern for the quality of care for the people in our charge.
Similarly, we all know that a red lapel ribbon signifies support of HIV/Aids. Volunteer
leaders in this community have, in a remarkably short period of time, achieved what was once
thought impossible: AIDS is starting to look like a chronic disease that people can live with and
manage.
From our 24-hour Helpline (800-272-3900) to our myriad support groups, and from our
dementia training for medical professionals to our free educational seminars, the Chapter rightly
places the highest priority on making sure that caregivers — unpaid and professional — have the
tools to get the job done.
A major problem looms on the horizon that will soon catapult caregiving into the headlines
like never before: within the next 40 years, there will be an explosion in the number of dementia
cases, rising from the current 5.3 million Americans to as many as 16 million.
Unless something is done we will not be able to meet the increased demand for long-term
care beds, adult daycare slots, caregiver services or training for healthcare professionals specializing
in dementia care. With no place to send their loved ones, more and more people will be forced
out of the workforce — or school — to stay home and take care of their aging loved ones. The
enormous pressure this will place on the welfare system, the economy, health care facilities, and
on individual families is incalculable. It could spell disaster.
So please join us. Tell your elected officials that financial support for caregiver support
programs is critical. Advocate against Medicaid cuts. Demand more money for research. Give
generously to support our programs. Together we can make a difference.
In closing, I’d like to tell you how gratifying it is to know that the words we write in this
newsletter resonate so deeply with you. In response to our last issue on volunteerism, we received
a record number of calls from people asking how to get a volunteer assignment with the Chapter.
Post-Memory Walk contributions are also up significantly. In fact, our combined fundraising
efforts for Memory Walk and the New York City Marathon have topped $1,300,000.
Thank you for listening and for caring.
— Lou-Ellen Barkan
President & CEO
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