Caring for an Aging America Act (S. 1095) Critical to Address Workforce Shortage to Care for Older Adults

May 27, 2011

Eldercare Workforce Alliance Praises Leadership of Senators Boxer (D-CA), Collins (R-ME), Kohl (D-WI) and Sanders (I-VT)

Washington, D.C. — The Eldercare Workforce Alliance praises Sens. Boxer (D-CA), Collins (R-ME) and Kohl (D-WI), and Sanders (I-VT) for introducing the Caring for an Aging America Act (S. 1095). If enacted, the bill, which is endorsed by the Alliance, recognizes the importance of ensuring that the healthcare workforce is prepared to meet the needs of the nation’s growing population of older adults.

This year the first baby boomers turned 65 years old and by 2029 this group will total an estimated 70 million people, far outpacing our current health care system’s capacity to care for them. The Caring for an Aging America Act will attract health professionals to the field of geriatrics and gerontology by providing them with loan repayment opportunities in exchange for agreeing to work in underserved areas.

"This bill codifies loan forgiveness for health professionals who pursue geriatrics and gerontology training into law. This is critical to recruiting the next generation of health professionals with specialized training in care of older adults. It will help us to ensure that America's frailest elders receive high quality, well-coordinated, interdisciplinary team care," said Nancy Lundebjerg, C.O.O. of the American Geriatrics Society and co-convener of the Alliance. “We commend Senators Boxer, Collins, and Kohl for their leadership on this bill and foresight to invest in a well-trained health care workforce with the skills to care for older adults.”

This bipartisan bill expands the Health Resources and Services Administration’s National Health Service Corps Program to include primary health care professionals with training in geriatrics and gerontology.

"Supporting health professionals who go into geriatrics and gerontology is also supporting family caregivers, who increasingly rely upon the specialized expertise and training of these eldercare professionals," Kathy Kelly, Executive Director of the Family Caregiver Alliance, headquartered in San Francisco.

“By introducing this bill, Sen. Boxer, Kohl, Sanders, and Collins are alerting their fellow members of Congress that there is a critical need to address the elder care workforce shortage by emphasizing the importance of having training in geriatrics and gerontology. I am hopeful that this bill will lead to future congressional action and creation of additional incentives to encourage people to enter into the geriatrics field in order to improve older adults’ access to trained providers," said geriatrician Dr. Jabbar Fazeli from Falmouth, Maine.

The positions of the Eldercare Workforce Alliance reflect a consensus of 75 percent or more of its members. These endorsements reflect the consensus of the Alliance and do not necessarily represent the position of individual Alliance member organizations.

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Caring for aging parents can overwhelm (Portland Press Herald)

June 15, 2011

When Alexandra Perrin was told her mother had Alzheimer's disease, she knew they both needed help.

Her mother could no longer safely live at her home in Old Orchard Beach. But she had become frustrated and angry when living with Perrin and wanted to be independent.

Perrin, meanwhile, was an only child working full time and living two hours away in Brookline, Mass. She needed help navigating the medical, legal, financial and emotional maze of caring for an aging, ill parent.

"It's overwhelming," Perrin said. "I said, 'I don't know how to do this. I cannot do this by myself.'"

That overwhelmed feeling is a familiar one for a growing number of adults who are becoming full-time caregivers for parents with dementia or other age-related health conditions.

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Caring For Your Elderly Parents - Keeping Them Safe While They Still Live At Home

We will not stay young forever no matter how hard we try and how many anti-aging agents and treatments we use. It is inevitable in the end that aging is going to win. This holds true for your parents as well. As you age so do they, just with a couple of decades head start. It's important to remember that your parents as they get older are going to need a little more help and you may need to be there for them, just as they were there for you when you were growing up. It's important to remember that your parents are going to want to stay in their own homes for as long as they can and you should try your best to make sure they can do that by trying to help provide them with a safe environment so that they can do this.

Make sure that you know what all of your parents medical issues are and understand that they may have multiple so it's important that you know about all of them. You also should know who their doctor is so that you can contact the doctor in case you need to. Remember, that even though a lot of things are changing for your elderly parents, as long as they can take care of themselves, such as simple daily activities, they should be allowed to be able to stay in their own homes.

You should also go to their home and check out their living environment. Make sure that you check out all of the rooms they have and will be having activities in. According to whatever ailments they might have, you may have to make a few minor adjustments in order to make some areas safer than others, especially in the bathroom where slips and falls are quite common especially with the elderly. Add safety bars in the shower or tub and if they happen to have stairs that have no railings, then consider adding some railings for them to make it easier for them to navigate. Also make sure that there is good lighting in the entire house and that all of their locks on their doors are in good working order.

If their home is cluttered, it's a good idea to make sure that you try to clear some of the clutter away for them. Take out any throw rugs that might be in the way of their walking paths because they could easily trip on a rug that might be rumpled up and this could end in an unnecessary injury. If they are using a walker, cane or even a wheelchair, make sure there is plenty of room in the home to be able to maneuver in the house with these objects.

Check and make sure that all fire hazards are taken care of. Make sure that their stove is in good working condition and is safe to cook on. Cut down on them having to cook meals every day on the stove by occasionally cooking for them or making extras at home and inviting them over or taking them a few meals cooked a head of time that all they will have to do is warm up in the microwave. You should also convince them to stop using space heaters if they are, these can be huge fire hazards.

Make sure that you call them often or just stop by on occasion to make sure they are doing OK and to see if there is anything you might be able to do for them. Never just assume that everything is going great just because they haven't called you. They may be too proud to ask for help or unable to get to the phone to call for help.

If you notice any kind of mental or physical changes in them, it's important that you call their doctor right away, it could be nothing but then again it could be very serious. The elderly tend to have quick and sudden changes happen to them and without warning so it's important to pay close attention and get help if needed.

Keep all of their important phone numbers posted wherever there is a phone so that they do not have to be searching for a number when they need to get someone to help them or need advice on something.

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