Mayor's Office of Employee Assistance
Resources
The number of services for aging and impaired adults, their families and caregivers is growing. As a caregiver you need resource information to help you with critical issues that will affect you, your family and your loved one.
According to the Family Caregiver Alliance Clearinghouse, nearly one out of every four U.S. households (23% or 22.4 million families) is involved in caregiving to persons aged 50 or over. However, contrary to popular belief, only an estimated 10% to 20% of family caregivers use formal services through public or private agencies.
Although time spent caregiving varies by type of impairment, on average, caregivers provide personal care assistance and household maintenance chores for 12 hours per week, with 80 percent providing unpaid assistance 7 days a week. The duration of caregiving can last from less than a year to over 40 years. The majority of caregivers provide unpaid assistance for one to 4 years, with an additional 20 percent providing care for 5 years or longer.
Resources for caregivers is therefore critical and can include senior centers, independent living centers, Area Agencies on Aging, local chapters of national organizations and boundations such as the Alzheimer’s Association, Brain Injury Association, Multiple Sclerosis Society and other specialized assistance programs, depending on need. In addition, there are nursing home programs, community mental centers, social service or case management agencies, nursing schools and church groups that can be sources of assistance for communities with fewer resources.
THE FOLLOWING LISTINGS OFFER INFORMATION AND REFERRALS.
Family Caregiver Alliance
690 Market Street, Suite 600
San Francisco, CA 94104
(415) 434-3388
(800) 445-8106 (in CA)
www.caregiver.org
E-mail: info@caregiver.org
American Association of
Retired Persons (AARP)
601 “E” Street NW
Washington, DC 20049
(202) 434-2277
(publications on caregiving)
www.aarp.org/caregiving
Children of Aging Parents
Woodburn Office Campus
1609 Woodburn Rd.,
Ste. 302A
Levittown, PA 19057
(215) 945-6900
(800) 227-7294
National Association of Area
Agencies on Aging
National Eldercare Locator
1112 16th Street NW,
Ste. 100
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 296-8130
(800) 677-1116
(nationwide AAA listings)
www.ageinfo.org/elderloc/
elderloc.html
National Federation of Interfaith
Volunteer Caregivers
368 Broadway, Suite 103
Kingston, NY 12401
(914) 331-1358
(nationwide volunteer
affiliates)
(800) 350-7438
www.NFIV.org
Well Spouse Association
63 West Main Street, Suite H
Freehold, NJ 07728
(800)838-0879 (732)577-8899
Fax: (732)577-8644 wellspouse.org
The American Institute of
Stress
124 Park Ave. Yonkers, New
York 10703
1(800) 24 RELAX
(914) 963-1200
Fax: (914) 965-6267
E-mail: stress124@aol.com
Caregiver Network Inc.
561 Avenue Road, Suite 206
Toronto, ON M4V 2J8
Canada
(416) 323-1090
Fax: (416) 966-2341
www.caregiver.on.ca
E-mail:
karenh@caregiver.on.ca
Organizations for
Specific Diseases
Alzheimer’s Association
(800) 272-3900
www.alz.org
American Cancer Society
(800) 227-2345
www.cancer.org
Brain Injury Association
(800) 444-6443
www.biausa.org
Huntington’s Disease
Society of America
(800) 345-HDSA
www.hdsa.mgh.harvard.edu
National Parkinson
Foundation
(800) 327-4545
www.parkinson.org
Stroke Connection
(800) 242-8721
www.amhrt.org
Who Are the Caregivers?
Eight-five percent of all home care is
provided by family members and friends, with 71 percent of all long-term care being provided by the community. Only 14 percent of home care is rendered by paid providers. One-third of
primary caregivers assume the role because they live closer to the care recipient than other family members.
The average age of a caregiver is 57
years old, with 25 percent between 65 and 75 years of age, and another ten percent are 75 and older. Approximately 72 percent of caregivers are
female. Research suggests that caregiving may be more prevalent in nonwhite families, ranging from 32 percent of Asian families to 29 percent for
African Americans and 27 percent for Latinos compared to 24 percent for white families.
n An estimated 14.4 million full- and part-time workers are balancing caregiving and job responsibilities. In California, more than half (53 percent) of family caregivers under the age of
65—those most likely to be in the labor force—juggle work and caregiving responsibilities. Within this, it is important to also note that between 20 percent and 40 percent of caregivers
have children under age 18 to care for in addition to their disabled relative.
The average woman can expect to spend 17 years caring for a child and 18 years caring for an elderly parent.
Please call your Office of Employee Assistance for further assistance or to obtain local referrals at 720-913-3200.