Blog

On Tuesday, February 3, Caring Across Generations co-director Ai-jen Poo is coming out with a new book, "The Age of Dignity: Preparing for the Elder Boom in a Changing America." To elevate the important issues she raises in the book, we are hosting an #AgeofDignity tweetchat on February 3 — and we’d love for you to join us.

What will it take to ensure that all of us can live and age with dignity and independence, in our homes and communities instead of institutions? We brought together aging Americans and care workers to explore this question.

I wish I could say that my mother’s experiences don’t echo those of 45 percent of family caregivers in Ohio who juggle the stress of their own lives along with the responsibilities of caring for their loved ones. Unfortunately, I can’t. And unpaid family caregivers like my mom aren’t the only caregivers who are undervalued.

Mom always took first fiddle. Everything else was brushed aside. And one of the things I learned from my caregiving experience is that caregivers must be supported in the workplace.

What do caregivers need most? It’s a question with many answers, but the simplest one is this: to be seen. This is true for all caregivers, both professional caregivers and unpaid caregivers.

Caregivers are harmed by not being supported by the kinds of policies that we want. Many are harmed by not having what they need, too, including adequate financial, social and personal resources to care for themselves and their loved ones.

65 million people. That’s more than the total populations of California and Texas, combined. And it’s the number of family caregivers in the US who, day in and day out, do the incredibly important but undervalued work of caring for aging loved ones or people with disabilities. Now hear what caregivers themselves say they need.

Calling all writers and bloggers! We are extending an open invitation to participate in our third #Blog4Care, in honor of National Family Caregivers Month in November. The topic? What caregivers need most.

At the beginning of October, Caring Across Generations held the first-ever Home Care Workers Rising Summit in St. Louis, MO, bringing together home care workers and care consumers from all around the country. The following photos and stories are from some of the Direct Care Alliance members who attended the summit.

Caring Across Generations Co-Director Ai-jen Poo was selected as one of the Class of 2015 MacArthur Foundation Fellows.