Recently I came across some eye-popping Pew Research findings about family caregivers. A sampling:
- Family caregivers spend more time seeking out health information online than any other group of Internet users.
- Caregivers spend more time combing the Internet for health information on behalf of someone else than they do for themselves.
- Caregivers are more likely than other people to tap into their offline social networks when they need health information, care, or support.
These findings confirm what we already know: that when it comes to tracking down information, caregivers are like bloodhounds.
Here are 5 great resources for uber-busy caregivers:
1. Click anywhere on this Family Care Navigator map to get state-specific information about resources and services available in your area. You’ll find everything from Services for Family Caregivers and Care Recipients Living at Home to Legal Help and Advocacy.
2. This interactive tool created by Genworth will give you an idea of what it costs for long term care across the US: Long-Term Care Costs
3. The 2015 White House Conference on Aging sparked five new technology announcements, including one from ride-sharing giant Uber, which started its UberAssist program five years ago and is now launching a pilot program for community-based senior outreach. For a roundup of the five new technology announcements from the WHCOA click here: New Technology Announcements
4. If you’re thinking about retrofitting your parents’ house (or your own) to make it more age-friendly, here’s a great book by “an award-winning architect who designs places where disabilities become abilities because the environment doesn’t handicap its users”: The Accessible Home
5. If you’re caring for someone who has Alzheimer’s, check out the video below. It’s from a recently held forum on the cost of caring for Alzheimer’s patients, hosted by The Atlantic. In the video, contributing editor Mary Louise Kelly interviews Alzheimer’s caregivers Tiffany Stanley and Dwayne Hughes.
Have a resource of your own to share, or thoughts on this post? Please leave it in the comments section below.