The Stillwater Gazette
Link to article in the Stillwater Gazette
Guest column by Deb Taylor
I was surprised recently to read that Bruce ‘The Boss’ Springsteen had turned 65. This age benchmark for the legendary rocker reminds us that the years have a way of sneaking up on us as we prepare for the later years.
A new AARP study has found that half of adults 50 and older are or have been caregivers for an older adult in recent years, and that percentage is growing. This finding mirrors a 2011 MetLife study that found the number of adult care-giving children has more than tripled in the last 15 years. This family care-giving can take a toll emotionally, physically and financially. More than half the respondents in the AARP study said care giving is a source of strain in their lives, and sometimes is overwhelming. Many of these individuals pay a financial price, regularly need to take time off from work, permanently reduce work hours or take a leave of absence or early retirement.
The demographics reveal a looming challenge; as the baby boomers retire, smaller generations are aging behind them. In the not-too-distant future, fewer 45-to-54-year-olds may change the profile of caregivers and further increase reliance on nonprofits.
There’s a very real financial cost for this trend, too. Every 1 percent decline in informal care-giving by family or friends, costs government an additional $30 million nationally. So free or low-cost services will continue to be an important necessity.
For caregivers involved in this highly stressful labor of love, burnout is a very real concern. In fact, it’s a leading cause of nursing home placements, which removes the frail elderly from their long-time homes and costs taxpayers far more through Medicaid.
Older adults and their caregivers need help navigating the complex service system to maintain independence. At Senior Community Services, we’re pleased we can offer Minnesotans our award-winning family coaching/consultation service and caregiver support groups; these programs are particularly effective in reducing caregiver stress, depression and burnout. Help with household chores and qualifying medical expenses ease the burden, too.
Despite the challenges ahead, Senior Community Services is prepared to respond to the growing needs for services that help seniors remain independent and vital, and better able to enjoy this time with loved ones.
And, in all this, we must continually remind ourselves of how rich and vital the later years can be. I recall the story of Elsie, a Twin Cities resident who discovered at age 99 that she was a talented painter. She’d never touched a paintbrush and canvas until she was nearly a centenarian. This artistic newcomer translated her rich, full life to canvas in a wonderful Grandma Moses-style. Elsie continued to enjoy painting until her death at age 106.
We now know that creativity actually increases as we age, according to a National Institutes of Health study, and Elsie was proof of that. This research is a splash of cold water in the face of those who may believe life has little value in the autumn of life.
So, while challenges certainly lie ahead, so does great promise for these later years. Rather than being at the end of life, these older adults have years to live. And we are called to help them maintain independence for as long as possible.
Join us as we reimagine aging for Minnesota’s generations.
Deb Taylor is CEO of Senior Community Services (seniorcommunity.org) and its Reimagine Aging Institute, a nonprofit that advocates for older adults and helps seniors and caregivers maintain their independence through free or low-cost services.
