November is Family Caregivers Month

An 85-year-old struggles to keep his wife, who has Alzheimer’s disease, safe in their own home.

A 46- year-old juggles the daily responsibility of working full time and caring for her chronically ill father.

A son makes monthly trips 600 miles away to check on and assist his aging parents.

These stories represent only a few of the thousands of North Carolinians who provide regular unpaid long-term care to loved ones. One of every four North Carolinians reports caring for someone aged 60 and older.

“While caregiving has many rewards and may be looked upon as an honor and a privilege, it doesn’t come without a price,” said Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Carmen Hooker Odom. “Families deserve security in the knowledge and assurance that they can call upon the business, faith, and health and human service communities to assist with information, counseling, respite and formal services when needed.”

Supporting family caregivers is not only the right thing to do but also an essential investment for the future of North Carolina’s long-term care system.”

Caregiver burden, described as a combination of physical, emotional and financial stresses and feelings of isolation, is reported by half of all caregivers. More than half of caregivers providing intense care report having suffered from depression. This is particularly true when they are caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or some other type of dementia. Elderly caregivers with a chronic illness themselves have a 63 percent higher mortality rate than their non-caregiving peers.

Over 62 percent of North Carolina employers in 2004 AARP-NC survey of 2,242 businesses said they believe their employees have provided care or assistance to an older person and that it has had a noticeable effect on employee performance. A recent study calculated that American businesses lose around $29 billion each year due to employees’ need to care for loved ones 50 years of age and older. These losses come in the form of absenteeism, tardiness, work day interruptions, lack of concentration and resulting loss of productivity, and replacement costs for employees who quit their jobs due to caregiving. Employed caregivers also are apt to lose immediate and long term financial security due to caregiving. Companies who operate with family friendly policies respecting and accommodating caregiving responsibilities stand to retain a stable workforce who feel their contributions are valued. Such policies benefit the businesses and the workers as well as the state which needs a skilled, stable and productive workforce to ensure economic development.

While the tasks of caregiving may be costing businesses, especially in the absence of family-friendly policies, caregivers save both public and private healthcare costs. Family and friends provide an estimated 80 percent of long-term care. Nationally, it is estimated that caregivers provide more than $257 billion worth of care, at least twice as much as home health and nursing home care expenditures. The importance of family caregivers will increase as the number of people 70 and older who need assistance with activity limitations grows substantially in coming decades. Families indicate they want to keep the tradition of caring for loved ones at home but they need support from the community.

North Carolina’s Family Caregiver Support Group is making a concerted effort to bring caregiver issues to the forefront. Throughout North Carolina this program, with limited federal funds, is making a real difference in the lives of families in North Carolina. Through a dedicated network of area agencies on aging, tribal organizations, providers of community services, faith-based organizations, and many others, the Family Caregiver Support Program provides critical community-based information, support and training to families at all stages of caregiving. This program validates the contributions of caregivers and lets them know that they are not alone.

For more information about North Carolina’s Family Caregiver Program, visit the Division of Aging and Adult Services web site, www.dhhs.state.nc.us/aging/fcaregr/fchome.htm.

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Last Modified: October 31, 2005