Take Care Caring for a loved one isn’t easy. AARP Hawai‘i offers workshops, online and phone resources, and advocates for programs to help family caregivers.
Caregiving by the Numbers •
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ransitioning into the role of family caregiver is often overwhelming, isolating and stressful. Pat Bemis’ husband already had Parkinson’s disease when they married, so his progression wasn’t unexpected. But it was still heartbreaking. “When you realize you have to step in, it changes everything,” Bemis says. “It changes your dynamics with one another. It changes the amount of time you’re going to spend with them.” When the shift happens suddenly, it can add another layer of emotion. In March of 2019, Keali‘i Lopez’s elderly diabetic mother suffered a debilitating stroke and seizure that changed everything for the whole family. Together with her two sisters and their children, Lopez had to quickly create a support system and schedule for her Gardner and mother so that someone could be with Pat Bemis her every day.
Family caregivers are increasingly diverse. Nearly 1 in 4 (24%) is a millennial, 40% are men and about 40% represent multicultural communities. Most family caregivers incur steep outof-pocket costs related to caregiving, spending $7,000 on average in 2016. Rising demand and shrinking families will increasingly strain family caregivers and those they care for. In 2010, in Hawai‘i there were six potential family caregivers for every person 80 years and older. By 2030, there may be only three potential caregivers for every person over the age of 80.
Caregiving resources • • •
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Caregiving website: aarp.org/caregiving Prepare to Care guide: aarp.org/ preparetocare AARP family caregiving Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/aarpfamily caregivers/ Local AARP-sponsored caregiving workshops: Check aarp.org/HI or the AARP Hawai‘i Facebook page and click on upcoming events. AARP caregiver support line: 877-333-5885 AARP.ORG/HI
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