RISE for Seniors - Resources for Caregiving

RISE for Seniors has a wealth of information that we're glad to share with you and your family as you make decisions about caring for your elderly loved one. Please click here to learn more about glossary, health topics in the news, dealing with memory loss, and other resources.

Did you know?

94% of seniors believe that their health conditions do not affect their children's quality of life....80% of children say they do.¹
The number of people who will need help with activities of daily living is projected to increase by 51% in the next 20 years. ²
Family and informal caregivers are the backbone of our long-term care system. The value of the services family caregivers provide for “free” is estimated to be $306 billion a year. That is almost twice as much as is actually spent on homecare and nursing home services combined ($158 billion). ³
The typical family caregiver is a 46-year-old woman caring for her widowed mother who does not live with her. She is married and employed. Approximately 60% of family caregivers are women. ⁴

Who are the caregivers?

Family members, primarily wives and adult daughters are the major providers, providing unpaid care to 64% of adults needing help with daily tasks. ⁵
When available, a spouse provides the majority of care. ²
In the absence of a daughter, a son will assume the role although there is considerable evidence that sons transfer many care tasks to their spouses. ²
Very few sons or other male relatives serve as primary caregivers. ²

Common themes surrounding care giving that are evident from research over the past 20 years include:⁶

Financial pressures
Legal quandaries
Emotional turmoil.
Family conflict
Health problems
Lack of comprehensive, quality and relevant information
Social isolation

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Is assisted living the answer?

The average annual price of care in an assisted living facility is $35,616. Individuals with dementia will pay additional fees ranging from $750 to $2,200 a month.⁶

Facts about assisted living residents: ⁷

The average assisted living resident is 85 years old.
76 percent of assisted living residents are female and 24 percent are male.
26 percent of residents need no help with activities of daily living. On average, residents need help with 1.7 activities of daily living.
Residents come to assisted living facilities from a variety of settings, including:
60% move from a private home or apartment
12% move from independent living community
10% move from a family residence such as living with adult children
9% come from another assisted living residence
8% come from a nursing facility
The average length of stay in an assisted living facility is about 27 months

Click here to see how all of our services have helped other families care for their loved ones.

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¹ MedTrend 2003.
² Kosloski, Karl D. University of Nebraska at Omaha. Montgomery, Rhonda J. V. University of Kansas, Change, Continuity and Diversity Among Caregivers, pages 1 – 16. (1996)
³ Arno, Peter S., "Economic Value of Informal Caregiving.” Presented at the Care Coordination and the Caregiving Forum, Dept of Veterans Affairs, NIH, Bethesda MD, January 25-27, 2006
⁴ National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP, Caregiving in the US, 2004⁵ Feinber, Lynn Friss, Systems Development for Family Caregiver Support Services. US Administration on Aging , April 2001
⁶ The Metlife Market Survey of Assisted Living Costs. Metlife, October 2006.
⁷ National Center of Assisted Living (http://www.ncal.org). Retrieved 3/2/07