Calling all children. And grandchildren. And nieces and nephews.
- Calling all churches.
- As 1,200 national delegates, policymakers and advocates for the elderly converge on Washington D.C., this week for the fifth White House Conference on Aging, many come with mixed feelings of hope and frustration that, though they’ve been sounding the alarm for years about a looming crisis in caregiving resources, Washington still doesn’t seem to be listening.
- The list of concerns includes an increase in Alzheimer’s disease, expected to strike up to 16 million Americans by 2025; major shortages of family and professional caregivers; lack of proper housing and transportation for seniors; and shortages of geriatric physicians. Add to that questions about how major entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare will be paid for.
- More than 36 million Americans are already over 65, and the problem is poised to come to a head – 2006 is the year that the first wave of baby boomers, many struggling to care for elderly parents, join the ranks of America’s 60-plus.
- The list of concerns includes an increase in Alzheimer’s disease, expected to strike up to 16 million Americans by 2025; major shortages of family and professional caregivers; lack of proper housing and transportation for seniors; and shortages of geriatric physicians. Add to that questions about how major entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare will be paid for.
Who cares?
We should!
Who cares for our elderly relatives?
We should!
Read more of the story here.
Important Note: Do not read we as “Washington”!