Celebrate National Caregivers Day By Giving Them Some Care

February 17 is National Caregivers Day, a day to remember and honor all those who care for people who are too disabled by age, disease or physical condition to care for themselves. In addition to professionals (who are paid not nearly enough in most cases), there are the friends, family members and relatives across Maryland who make life livable for those truly in need. Caregivers are taken for granted by our society. They are critical to the care of millions of Americans; but often, because of the time and effort they spend on others, they need care themselves. Their finances and health suffer. They must juggle caring for family members and jobs, often neglecting their own needs in the process. Because of the aging of our population, this is a situation that’s going to be increasingly untenable for our country. An opinion piece in the New York Times, citing the AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving, provides the following information: The average family caregiver is a 49-year-old woman caring for an older relative. Nearly a quarter of caregivers are millennials, and they are about equally split between men and women. About a third of caregivers work full-time, and one-fourth work part-time. One-third provide more than 21 hours of care per week. Family caregivers are usually unpaid, but the economic value of their work is estimated at about $470 billion a year — about what the U.S. spends on Medicaid each year. 60% of those caring for older family members state they have had to cut back the hours they work, take a leave of absence or make other career changes. Half report they’ve started work late or had to leave early because of their caregiving duties. About 20% report significant financial troubles. Family caregivers

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