Tag Archives for Vice President

AARP Gives Us a Snapshot of the Millennial Caregiver

Published in the Woonsocket Call on June 3, 2018

AARP’s latest caregiver report places the spotlight on the Millennial generation, those born between 1980 and 1996, ages 22 to 38 in 2018. “Millennials: The Emerging Generation of Family Caregivers,” using data based primarily from the 2015 Caregiving in the U.S. study, notes that one-in-four of the nearly 40 million family caregivers in America is now a Millennial.

The 11-page report, released by AARP’s Public Policy Institute on May 22, 2018, takes a look at the Millennial’s generational experiences and challenges as they support an aging parent, grandparent, friend or neighbor with basic living and medical needs.

“Caregiving responsibilities can have an impact on the futures of younger family caregivers, who are at a particular time in their lives when pivotal social and professional networks are being formed,” said Jean Accius, PhD, Vice President, AARP Public Policy Institute, in a statement with the report’s release. “We must consider the unique needs of millennial family caregivers and ensure that they are included in programs and have the support they need to care for themselves as well as their loved ones,” she says.

The Millennial Caregiver

According to the AARP report, Millennial caregivers are evenly split by gender but also the most diverse group of family caregivers to date, notes the report. More than 27 percent of the millennial caregivers are Hispanic/Latino, or 38 percent of all family caregivers among Hispanic/Latinos.

The AARP report notes that Millennials are the most diverse generation of family caregivers when compared to other generations. Eighteen percent are African-American/Black, or 34 percent of all African-American/Black family caregivers. Eight percent are Asian American/Pacific Islander, or 30 percent of all the AAPI family caregivers, says the report, noting that less than 44 percent are white, or 17 percent of all white family caregivers. Finally, twelve percent self-identify as LGBT, which makes them the largest portion of LGBT family caregivers (34 percent) than any other generation.

About half of the Millennial caregivers (44 percent) are single and never married while 33 percent are married. If this demographic trend continues a smaller family structure will make it more likely to have a caregiver when you need one.

More than half of the Millennial caregivers perform complex Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), including assisting a person to eat, bath, and to use the bathroom, along with medical nursing tasks, at a rate similar to older generations. But, nearly all Millennials help with one instrumental activity of daily living including helping a person to shop and prepare meals.

While Millennial caregivers are more likely than caregivers from other generations to be working, one in three earn less than $30,000 per year. These low-income individual’s higher out-of-pocket costs (about $ 6,800 per year) related to their caregiving role than those with higher salaries, says the AARP report.

As to education, Millennial caregivers have a high school diploma or has taken some college courses but not finished. But, one in three have a Bachelor’s Degree or higher.

According to the AARP report, 65 percent of the Millennial caregivers surveyed care for a parent or grandparent usually over age 50 and more than half are the only one in the family providing this support. However, these young caregivers are more likely to care for someone with a mental health or emotional issue — 33 percent compared to 18 percent of older caregivers. As a result, these younger caregivers will face higher emotional, physical and financial strains.

The AARP report notes that Millennials are the most likely of any generation to be a family caregiver and employed (about 73 percent). Sixty two percent of the boomers were employed and were caregivers. On top of spending an average of more than 20 hours a week (equivalent to a part-time job) in their caregiving duties, more than half of the Millennials worked full-time, over 40 hours a week. However, 26 percent spend more than 20 hours of week providing family care.

Although most Millennial caregivers seek out consumer information to assist them in their caregiving duties, usually from the internet and from a health care professional, the most frequent source of information is from other family members and friends.

While Millennial caregivers consume information at a higher rate, most (83 percent) want more information to supplement what they have. The tope areas include stress management (44 percent) and tips for coping with caregiving challenges (41 percent).

A Changing Workforce

Millennials are encountering workplace challenges because they are less understood by supervisors and managers than their older worker colleagues. More than half say their caregiving role affected their work in a significant way, says the AARP report. The most common impacts are going to work late or leaving early (39 percent) and cutting back on work hours (14 percent).

As we see the graying of America, it makes sense for employers to change their policies and benefits to become more family friendly to all caregivers, including Millennials, to allow them to balance their work with their caregiving activities.
It’s the right thing to do.

To read the full report, visit: https://www.aarp.org/ppi/info-2018/millennial-family-caregiving.html.

Visit http://www.aarp.org/caregiving for more resources and information on family caregiving, including AARP’s Prepare to Care Guides.

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Efforts to Revise State Alzheimer’s Plan are in Full Swing

Published in Woonsocket Call on February 25, 2018

By Herb Weiss

Lt. Governor Dan McKee is gearing up Rhode Island’s fight against the skyrocketing incidence of Alzheimer’s disease, called by some as one of the ‘biggest epidemics in medical history.’ Last Wednesday, he announced $30,000 in grants secured by his office and the Rhode Island chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association to hire a consultant to update the state’s five-year plan on Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders. Tufts Health Plan Foundation and the Rhode Island Foundation each pledged $15,000 to support the rewriting of the initial State Plan.

Updating the State’s Alzheimer’s Plan

The updated State Plan, to be created by a collaborative effort of the Rhode Island chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, the Division of Elderly Affairs and the Office of the Lt. Governor, will provide state lawmakers with a road map for the state, municipalities and the health care system, to confront the continuing Alzheimer’s crisis. It will take a look at the current impact of Alzheimer’s disease on a growing number of Rhode Islanders and outlines what steps the state must take (legislatively and regulatory) to improve dementia-capable programs and services for people with Alzheimer’s and their family caregivers.

Lt. Governor McKee and the Executive Board of the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders, a working group of comprised of distinguished researchers, advocates, clinicians and caregivers, are now beginning their efforts to meet their deadline by the end of 2018 of having a completed state plan to submit to the Rhode Island General Assembly.

With financial support provided by the Rhode Island Foundation and Tufts Health Plan Foundation, the Alzheimer’s Association, Rhode Island Chapter, as fiscal agent, can now hire a consultant to assist in updating the initial state-five-year plan approved by the Rhode Island General Assembly in 2013. Once the updated report is completed and approved by the Rhode Island General Assembly, the Executive Board can will seek legislative and regulatory changes to carry out its recommendations to ensure that it is more than just a document—that it comes to shape the state’s public policies on Alzheimer’s.

“Rhode Island has been a national leader in Alzheimer’s research. Each day, we make great strides in expanding clinical trials and innovating treatments. Over the last few years alone, the local landscape of prevention and treatment has changed dramatically and positively. The updated State Plan will be an invaluable tool for local leaders, researchers, physicians, advocates and families as we work together to build momentum in the fight against Alzheimer’s,” said Lt. Governor McKee.

“A Living Document”

“We face an emerging crisis with the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease projected to increase to as many as 27,000 Rhode Islanders by 2025. Alzheimer’s disease is a pivotal public health issue that Rhode Island’s policymakers cannot ignore. With the rapidly growing and changing extent of the Alzheimer’s crisis, it is essential that Rhode Island’s State Plan becomes a living document that stakeholders regularly consult and re-evaluate,” says Donna McGowan, Executive Director of the Alzheimer’s Association, Rhode Island Chapter.

“Communities have greater interest in age-friendly initiatives. There’s a growing understanding of the critical role older people play. They are an asset to community, and their voices and insights are invaluable to the public discourse on what communities need,” said Nora Moreno Cargie, vice president, corporate citizenship for Tufts Health Plan and president of its Foundation.

“A coordinated, strategic approach to Alzheimer’s will lead to better outcomes and healthier lives. Working with generous donors, we’re proud to partner with Tufts to fund this crucial work,” said Jenny Pereira, the Rhode Island Foundation’s vice president of grant programs.

Put Older Woman, Older Veterans on the Radar Screen

The updated state plan must address the growing needs of older woman and the state’s aging veterans population.

Maureen Maigret, Vice Chair of the Long Term Care Coordinating Council and Chair of its Aging in Community Subcommittee, suggests zero in on the special needs of older woman. “Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias is of special concern for older women as the they are more likely to suffer from the debilitating disease due to greater longevity, more likely to need long term care services and supports and are more often than men to be caregivers either unpaid or paid of persons with Alzheimer’s disease. The Aging in Community Subcommittee of the LTCCC has several pieces of legislation to strengthen support for caregivers and to enhance home and community based services,” says Maigret.

Last year, the USAgainstAlzheimer’s, (UsA2), released the issue brief, “Veterans and Alzheimer’s Meeting the Crisis Head on,” with data indicating that many older veterans will face a unique risk factor for Alzheimer’s as a direct result of their military career.

“Forty nine percent of those aging veterans age 65 ((WW2, Korea, Vietnam and even younger veterans, from the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts in the coming decades), are at greater risk for Alzheimer’s compared to 15 percent of nonveterans over age 65,” say the authors of the issue brief.

UsA2’s issue brief pulled together research findings released by the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA). On study estimates that more than 750,000 older veterans have Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, another noting that the number of enrollee with Alzheimer’s grew 166 percent from roughly 145,000 in 2004 to 385,000 in 2014.

The minority communities are at even greater risk for Alzheimer’s and minority veterans are predicted to increase from 23.2 percent of the total veteran population in 2017 to 32.8 percent in 2037, says a cited VA study.

The issue brief also cited one study findings that indicated that older veterans who have suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) are 60 percent are more likely to develop dementia, Twenty-two percent of all combat wounds in Afghanistan and Iraq were brain injuries, nearly double the rate seen during Vietnam – increasing these younger veterans’ lifetime Alzheimer’s risk.

The Rhode Island Foundation and the Tufts Health Plan Foundation grant funding was key to the Lt. Governor McKee being able to update its state’s plan to battle Alzheimer’s disease. It provides state policy makers with a roadmap o effectively utilize state resources and dollars to provide care for those afflicted with debilitating cognitive disorder. It is money well spent.

The Alzheimer’s Association will shortly issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) seeking a research consultant to assist in revising and updating e the State Plan. For details about the RFP of the State’s Alzheimer’s Plan, email Michelle La France at mlafrance@alz.org.

Herb Weiss, LRI’12, is a Pawtucket writer covering aging, healthcare and medical issues. To purchase Taking Charge: Collected Stories on Aging Boldly, a collection of 79 of his weekly commentaries, go to herbweiss.com.

Bridging the Generations Through Multi-generational Trips

Published in Woonsocket Call on May 24, 2015

        For America’s 76 million baby boomers who spend $120 billion annually in leisure travel, three generation family vacations, including kids, parents, aunts/uncles and grandparents, are becoming a popular way to bond and create lasting memories, says a new AARP study about travel patterns of age 45 and over persons.

Researchers say that “a multi-generational trip is not typically inspired by a special event, but rather a desire to spend quality time together as a family.”  Although grandparents are more likely to pick up the tab for the trip, typically each family pays for their own expenses, they note.  Eighty one percent of travelers stayed at the same accommodation with their entire family.

The February 2015 research study on Multi-Generational Travel, offers insights into multi-generational vacations including why families are going, where they’re going, what they do on these family vacations, the challenges to plan them and why they create memories of a lifetime.

“Multi-generational family travel is becoming the new trend in family vacations. Our AARP 2015 Travel Trends found initial evidence that they would be popular in 2015 and now we know why,” said Stephanie Miles, Vice President, Member Value, AARP. “Our multi-generational travel research found 98 percent of travelers who took a multi-generational trip were highly satisfied and 85 percent are planning to take another one in the next 12 months.”

According to the study’s findings, 80 percent of the respondents traveled domestically in the U.S. and many chose active cities, beaches, amusement parks (Disney, too).  Also, California and Hawaii were two popular states to visit.  Domestic generational trips usually spans from 4 to 7 days.

Twenty percent traveled internationally with half heading to the Caribbean, Mexico or South America, says the findings.  Cruising is also a popular way to vacation for 25 percent of international travelers.  But, almost 40 percent chose nostalgic destinations to share a childhood memory.

The study finds that regardless of the location of the multi-generational trip, “dining out is the primary activity that engages the whole group.” While selecting and planning a trip may challenging, especially choosing the travel date, 98 percent of the multi-generational travelers were satisfied with their most recent trip.

Researchers found that traveling with parents, kids and grandparents can be positive in many ways.  Eighty three percent say that the trip brings the entire family together, while 69 percent stressed it helped to build special memories.  Fifty percent of the respondents noted that they were able to spend time with grandkids and 36 percent note the quality one-on-one time with family/spouse experienced during traveling.  Twenty nine percent say there were benefits of adult relatives spending time with younger generations.

The new research conducted by AARP Travel offers valuable insights into multi-generational travel, findings that Collette certainly can relate to, says Amelia Sugerman, Communications & Public Relations for Pawtucket-based Collette, a third-generation family-owned travel company.  “Over the past five years, Collette has witnessed an increase in family travel by about 20%,” she says, noting that this might be tied to age 65 and older adults who feel an urgent need to create ever lasting memories with their families.

“In a day and age where text messaging and face time has become the norm, it’s a unique chance to spend quality time together as one unit.  Although we do agree that bringing the family together and helping to build memories are top benefits of multi-generational travel, we have also identified many families who use the experience to celebrate a momentous occasion or event, says Sugerman, noting that the AARP study did not find special events triggering the planning of a Multi-Generation Vacation.

An older traveler, who took Collette’s National Parks tour, recently shared the details why this trip was so important to her family.  “My husband and I are getting older. Of course we think about the time we have left to spend with our grandchildren. This experience was the perfect way to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary.”

Like many of Collette’s older travelers, this customer was ambivalent about the destination. adds Sugerman, noting that the older couple did not want to travel too far and wanted everyone to enjoy themselves, but the experiences were far more important than the sights of the destination.”

Sugerman says the benefits of touring organized by companies like Collette, is that guests of all ages can have a great experience and no one has to worry about the details of planning.  This reflects findings in the AARP study that found 20 percent of families identify the task of coordinating the trip to be the toughest.

“Guided travel takes the guess work out of it [traveling] and leaves valuable time for guests to simply enjoy their time together, says Sugerman.

Don’t forget to document your family multigenerational trips, suggests Patricia S. Zacks, proprietor of the Camera Werks, on Hope Street in Providence.   “While it’s trendy to be taking pictures on your cell phone or selfies documenting your vacation, people tend not to print these pictures,” she says, noting that statistics indicate that these pictures stay on a disk or memory card.

Taking special pictures of your family members on a trip will give you images that you can look at and reflect on, says Zacks. ‘There is nothing more special to look at than a 100 year old printed photo.  The younger generation geared to cell phones won’t have this experience.

For more information about Multi-Generational Travel vacations, go to http://www.gocollette.com

For details on planning a stress free family vacation, go to travel.aarp.org/articles-tips/articles/info-10-2013/how-to-plan-a-stressfree-multigenerational-trip.html.

Herb Weiss, LRI ’12 is a Pawtucket-based writer who covers aging, health care and medical issues.  He can be reached at hweissri@aol.com.