November 1, 2012
National Caregiver Month Offers Time for Reflection, Planning
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Caring for a family member or loved one is an issue that affects over 65 million Americans each year. To celebrate and acknowledge their often under-recognized contributions, Altarum Institute’s Center for Elder Care and Advanced Illness (CECAI) is encouraging family members to discuss family planning issues and seek out resources that can make these conversations easier. Altarum is also encouraging caregivers to tell their own stories, and will be sharing several from staff who describe their experiences as family and professional caregivers.
To help with this discussion, and to highlight caregiving month, Altarum is providing the following material:
- Read the Stories: Altarum Institute will collect stories from caregivers among its own staff throughout November to serve as an inspiration for those struggling to care for a loved one. To find these stories please click here.
- Join the Discussion: CECAI will be hosting a live twitter chat at 1 p.m. ET on November 13. “Policy Matters: Improving the Lives of Family Caregivers” experts will offer tips and information for helping you and your loved ones. Please plan to join us and provide your own information to this important topic.
- Follow the Experts: Altarum, along with a host of cosponsors, recently led a roundtable discussion on caregivers, which was filmed by Detroit Public Television. To view the video, click here.
“Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter said ‘there are only four kinds of people in the world: those who are family caregivers, who will be family caregivers, who have been family caregivers, and who will need family caregivers,’ and she couldn’t be more right,” said Dr. Joanne Lynn, director of CECAI. “With the graying of America, we need to make sure we are discussing these important caregiving issues at the dinner table each night.”
For information and resources on caregiving, please visit:
- Altarum’s special caregiving site here
- National Families Caregiving Association at www.nfcacares.org
- National Alliance of Caregiving at www.caregiving.org
Contact Information
Ken Schwartz571-733-5709
ken.schwartz@altarum.org
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Altarum Institute (www.altarum.org) integrates objective research and client-centered consulting skills to deliver comprehensive, systems-based solutions that improve health and health care. A nonprofit serving clients in the public and private sectors, Altarum employs more than 400 individuals and is headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan with additional offices in the Washington, DC area; Sacramento, California; Atlanta, Georgia; Portland, Maine; and San Antonio, Texas.