New ads offer help, resources for caregivers

Taking care of yourself and your nuclear family is not always easy. Add the need to take care of an aging and ailing parent or family member and the stress can become overwhelming. I know this first-hand. My husband and I suddenly needed to move one of our parents into our home when he could no longer safely live alone. This was absolutely the right thing to do. But it was also very hard to manage his care and keep him safe while taking care of our two young children and somehow managing to keep up with our full-time jobs (we are both physicians). Many Americans find themselves similar situations. According to some estimates, more than 40 million adults in the United States care for older or sick adult relatives or friends on a regular basis. AARP has estimated that these family and friends provide up to $450 billion worth of care. The responsibility often falls on family members, because long-termporn video care outside the home can be very expensive and most Americans can’t afford private long-term care insurance that might cover these costs. Regular health insurance, or Medicare, does not pay for the kind of regular daily care many adults need later in life. A new ad campaign sponsored by AARP (formerly the American Association of Retired Persons) and the nonprofit Ad Council wants caregivers to know that they are not alone and that help is available. The goal of the ads is to raise awareness of the effects that family caregiving can have and to help people find the resources they need to reduce the stress.