The American Caregiver Story
The American Caregiver plays a significant role when the daily life of seniors becomes a struggle with mobility & medical issues. Before long, everyone you meet will either be or has been, a caregiver.
Or the other alternative is they are in need of a caregiver. I say that because of the current statistics. It has to do with the “baby boomer” generation.
There are so many of us. As our lifestyles change, our country will change. And in many different ways. For example, instead of millions of us working and investing in the stock market, we’re retiring and pulling money out of the stock market.
The same is true for many aspects of social behavior. Buying and selling homes, cars, etc.
And as we become elderly, there comes a time when we all could use a little help. The
Challenges of daily life can become stressful while we struggle with mobility issues, health and medical, and even personal care.
Needing Some Help
Then we need a caregiver. Usually, another family member. Sometimes a home health agency supplies caregivers with specific duties like health checks, transportation, bathing, cooking, and cleaning.
It’s just the numbers that make this time in our country’s history unique. Take a look at these statistics.
- There are over 40 million Americans 65 years of age or older (12.4% of the U.S. population). By 2030 that number will grow to 72.1 million! (19%)Dept. of Health and Human Services, Administration on Aging.
- 43.5 million adult family caregivers care for someone 50+ years of age, and 14.9 million care for someone who has Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia.
- Alzheimer’s Association, 2011 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures, Alzheimer’s and Dementia, Vol.7, Issue 2. – Updated: November 2012.
- The value of unpaid family caregivers will continue to be the largest source of long-term care services in the U.S.
- Coughlin, J., (2010). Estimating the Impact of Caregiving and Employment on Well-Being: Outcomes & Insights in Health Management, Vol. 2; Issue 1 – Updated: November 2011
- 65.7 million caregivers make up 29% of the U.S. adult population, providing care to someone who is ill, disabled, or aged.
- The National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP (2009), Caregiving in the U.S. National Alliance for Caregiving. Washington, DC. – Updated: November 2012
Look Around
So take a look around the next time you’re out grocery shopping. Chances are, very few shoppers around you have no experience or knowledge of a Caregiver in their family.
Or, look around your neighborhood. You will find them there. At your church, yes, there are caregivers there. In fact, just about everywhere you go, you will find caregivers.
American Caregivers,… we’re everywhere.
The American Recall Center
What Caregivers Need to Know
When you listen to TV commercials about medications, you are always encouraged to ”Ask your doctor about _?_.”
And then, you hear about all of the advantages of the medication, followed by a rapid-fire recitation of all of the side effects for the next two minutes.
Do you ever wonder how to find out the facts about those medications?
When you need clearly understandable information about medications, there is a website.
That might also be helpful to you and your nurses or doctors.
It’s called The American Recall Center.
On the website, you can find precise information about various common drugs, their side effects, contraindications, other names of the drug, and dosing.
Also, on the website, you will find news about the drugs from the FDA, which details any warnings or recalls of the medication at present or in the past.
Medical devices such as hip resurfacing and replacement devices are also described, and possible health complications and warnings are explained.
The website also features current news of recalls and consumer safety tips. News of this type is rarely covered in-depth in the usual mainstream media, so the website offers a useful service here.
The managing editor of the American Recall Center, Dr. Mario Trucillo, is an experienced medical writer who has worked with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Dr. Trucillo has a doctorate degree in
Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. Other writers on the website are Debra Gordon, MS, an independent medical writer, and Cheryl Lathrop.
A Word from Dr. Mario Trucillo.
“Being a caregiver is one of the most important, yet under-appreciated, roles in our world today. The caregiver is often the most trusted resource for daily activities for various patients and types of care, which is no small task.
The American Recall Center recognizes that caregivers need more hours in the day, which can make keeping up with the latest FDA warning and recalls very difficult.”
“That’s why we’ve set out to build a comprehensive resource for consumer-related healthcare topics, broken down in straightforward terms, so the information you need is easily accessible.
Our goal is to relieve some of the pressure of being a caregiver by being a reliable and timely resource for our readers. We hope that you find the site a valuable resource and that it helps keep the focus where it matters most: caring.”
Check out the American Recall Center whenever you have a question about a drug or medical device, and ask your doctor to discuss the information with you.