Our regional Area Agency on Aging’s Family Caregiver and Health Promotion Specialist, Amber Chapman, shares a wonderful newsletter each month for Family Caregivers. It is called “The Caregiver Space”. This month she highlights National Caregiver Month which is celebrated each November.

Amber shares, “The High Country Area Agency on Aging wants to take the time to celebrate you this month! Caregiving can often be a thankless job, you deserve to know how much of an impact you make to your loved one but also this country. Below, you will find some statistics on just how much of an impact you make. As always, know that we at the Area Agency on Aging are here for you. Please contact us if you need respite, supplemental services, case managements, or any other needs you may have.”

About 34.2 million Americans have provided unpaid care to an adult age 50 or older in the last 12 months. [National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP. (2015). Caregiving in the U.S.]

About 15.7 million adult family caregivers care for someone who has Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia. [Alzheimer’s Association. (2015). 2015 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures.]

The value of services provided by informal caregivers has steadily increased over the last decade, with an estimated economic value of $470 billion in 2013, up from $450 billion in 2009 and $375 billion in 2007. [AARP Public Policy Institute. (2015). Valuing the Invaluable: 2015 Update.]

At $470 billion in 2013, the value of unpaid caregiving exceeded the value of paid home care and total Medicaid spending in the same year, and nearly matched the value of the sales of the world’s largest company, Wal-Mart ($477 billion). [AARP Public Policy Institute. (2015). Valuing the Invaluable: 2015 Update.]

The Family Caregiver Program through the High Country Area Agency on Aging is a wonderful program for family caregivers. It is so important that the family caregiver make time for themselves, making sure they are also cared for. To learn more about how the Family Caregiver program can be a resource for you, please call the Family Caregiver and Health Promotion Specialist, Amber Chapman, at 828-278-7406 or you can email her at achapman@hccog.org.

“Caregiving often calls us to lean into love we didn’t know possible.” ~Tia Walker