Most
of us plan or expect to graduate from high school, college,
and maybe even graduate school, then focus on a career.
In addition, we usually plan on having a family. But what
is often left out of our life goals is caring for an elderly
or chronically ill family member. It’s a role that
can sneak up on us and become more than we expect.
About
23% of American households are caring for someone over
the age of 50 (1).
The number of employed caregivers in the country is
expected to increase over the next 10 years to between
11 and 15.6 million (2).
About one-fifth of caregivers give up work temporarily
or permanently (3).
More and more companies are going to be providing eldercare
services and help for working caregivers because if
they don’t they are at risk of losing them. (See
link to NASW article). I am on the advisory
board of a new magazine for caregivers called Caring
Today Magazine and write articles in support of caregivers.
(www.caringtoday.com)
I offer caregiver
support groups for companies as well as counseling and
referral services to caregivers.
My
Caregiver Story
My
mother, Mary Malott, developed Alzhiemer’s disease
in her early 60’s. Because she was relatively
young to show the symptoms, my family and I were confused
at first. Some thought she was experiencing confusion
and memory problems because of depression. Eventually
her doctor did tests and said she had Alzheimer’s
disease. I took mom to the NYU Silverstein Aging and
Dementia Research Center. After their lengthy and thorough
testing they also concluded that she had Alzheimer’s.
At the early stage I used the Alzheimer’s Association
for information and support. We also contacted an eldercare
attorney, Peter Strauss Esq., who was very helpful.
Mary
Malott was an artist all her life. Over the years, she
had her works in many group and some individual art
shows. She continued to paint in the early stage of
the disease but after a while, she would stretch a canvas,
get her paints ready but never start the painting. This
went on for about a year. Then, one day I was at her
loft in SoHo and my daughters were using crayons to
draw pictures. My mother sat down with them and did
a drawing of one of my daughters. It was different from
her other work; she used blue for the hair and shaped
the eyes differently. We were very excited by this and
encouraged her to continue to do more. Mary did a number
of portraits for the next several months until she could
no longer do any. Here is a slide show of Mary's paintings
from before she developed Alzheimer's disease until
she could no longer produce art.
On January 21, 2008 Mary Myart Malott died after an 18 year long battle with Alzheimer's Disease. Her life story is a colorful story of challenge and change in efforts to live the authentic artist life. Click here to read her obituary.
(1)
1997 study by National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP (2)
1999
The MetLife Juggling Act Study (3)
1997
study by National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP
