Yesterday, President Bush issued his annual proclamation reminding us that November is National Family Caregivers Month. As I thought about this, one of the things that crossed my mind was the economic impact of caregiving. Family caregivers are providing 80% of the long-term care in the US, a level of care valued at $306 billion a year (that's almost $840 million each day!), which is more than what is currently being spent on nursing home and paid home care combined.
We have an interesting phenomenon taking place right now in our country. On the one hand, we have more people than ever qualifying for social security and Medicare benefits and placing a financial strain on an already fragile social security system. This number will continue to grow as more and more of the baby boomer generation continues to age. At the same time, advances in medical technology are prolonging our lives like never before. Yes folks, the good news is we just aren't dying like we used to. And in the specific case of MS, advances in MRI technology are enabling people with MS to be properly diagnosed earlier than ever before. Hence, the advent of pediatric MS -- something rarely heard of just a decade ago.
What does this perfect storm of unrelated events mean for MS caregivers? It means that there will be more of us. Lots more of us. Beyond just those families affected by MS, it means there will be lots more family caregivers in general. It also means that caregiving is fast becoming a public health crisis in its own right. It means that soon the numbers will dictate that it is no longer acceptable to say that family caregivers have a shorter life expectancy than those who are not caregivers. It means that caregiver training, mental health support and other caregiver support mechanisms will, one day, automatically start at the same time that a patient is diagnosed with MS. It means that a Medicare system already stretched beyond reasonable limits will soon have to tackle the sticky issue of providing financial support for family caregivers. And that financial support may start earlier and have to continue for a longer time than ever before.
You can count on at least a few speeches or well-meaning prounouncements being made during National Family Caregivers Month. Someone will thank us for all that we do. Someone will remind us that it's so important to 'care for the caregiver' by supporting various forms of respite care. But at the end of the day, we could all probably do with less respite if the stresses and day-to-day anxieties associated with caregiving were better addressed. It's time to recognize that this shadow industry that no one ever wanted to be a part of, that's already providing $306 billion in care services each year, is one of the major growth industries of the early 21st century. How long will it be until we speak with an organized voice and demand more than just vacation days?
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