family

Palliative care can make a huge difference for people living with serious illness, and a new set of professional guidelines is aiming to increase access to this care

Prometemos 'en la salud y en la enfermedad' y 'en la riqueza y en la pobreza' esperando nunca enfrentarnos a enfermedades o dificultades financieras. Cuando ocurre una tragedia, a menudo los cónyuges tienen que batallar con ambas cosas; afrontar las responsabilidades de cuidar de su esposo o esposa y velar por su salud y recuperación. Yvette y Walter, de Carolina del Norte, luchan con esto. Tras el derrame cerebral de Walt hace dos años, Yvette, "como cuidadora y esposa ha aprendido a hacerse cargo de... organizar citas médicas, la jardinería, reparaciones y finanzas", mientras continúa trabajando a tiempo completo. Lamentablemente, esta es la realidad de muchos cuidadores familiares. "Lo más difícil ha sido nuestra pérdida financiera... yo gasto más de $1,000 de mi cheque de sueldo al mes para cubrir lo que no cubren los beneficios jubilatorios de Walt y sus cheques del Seguro Social por discapacidad". Durante este Día de San Valentín, recordamos la increíble labor de amor que los cuidadores familiares proveen cada día para sus cónyuges, padres, hermanos y otros. Las historias como la de Yvette y Walt demuestran la necesidad de un crédito tributario para los cuidadores, para brindar apoyo a las familias que luchan contra las dificultades financieras que genera el cuido de un ser querido en el hogar. En el 2016, el cuidador familiar promedio pagó casi $7,000 en gastos de bolsillo; y lo hacen para ayudar a sus seres queridos a permanecer en sus hogares y comunidades, donde prefieren estar. Sin embargo, sabemos que los costos de bolsillo varían. Según un informe de AARP del 2016:

The fight against the financial exploitation of older Americans is about to get a whole lot easier.

In addition to advocating for older Americans in the halls of Congress, AARP staff and volunteers are working on the ground in all 50 states, Washington, DC, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to make a difference in people’s lives through advocacy. This year, we have helped enact state policies to support more than 30 million family caregivers and provide thousands of workers with a new way to save for retirement.

As we head into the Thanksgiving holiday, let’s also remember that November is National Family Caregivers Month – a time to recognize and express our appreciation for America’s 40 million family caregivers. They are truly the backbone our care system, helping aging parents, spouses, and other relatives and friends manage chronic conditions and disabilities.

Every person, regardless of age, can participate in creating a livable community. According to a newly published report from Generations United and the Eisner Foundation, opportunities that bring different generations together—even the tougher ones involving “tack[ling] critical problems” benefit the entire community.

During National Nurses Week, I am making a special effort to say “thank you” to all the nurses in my life, and I invite you to do the same. Each and every day, in communities across the country, nurses help their patients to get and stay well. They use their incredible skills to comfort us in difficult times and care for us when we’re at our most vulnerable.

A couple of weeks back, we unveiled our new caregiving ad — starring a unique caregiver. You may recognize him as the antihero from Machete or Breaking Bad, but you would never assume he’s just like you. That’s right, actor Danny Trejo is a caregiver and he is showing just how tough male caregivers are.

During National Volunteer Week I’d like to stop and say thank you. Thank you to the thousands of AARP volunteers who are fighting for families as part of our multistate advocacy campaigns across every state, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.  By giving your time and energy to advocate for the 50-plus and their families, you’ve helped to:

Many of us understand that saving for retirement and for the long term is one of the most important actions you can take to ensure a secure future. So is protecting that savings.