Elder Journal - Bipartisan Adult Children of Older Adult Parents

Elder Journal by Paul Takayanagi

Democrat and Republican Adult Children
of Older Adult Parents

In the 2000 Presidential election, Vice Presidential running mate, Joe Lieberman spoke for the first time as a candidate for the Democratic ticket. During his speech, his 85 year old mother sat behind him glowing with pride. Mr. Lieberman told of his deceased father and their family�s struggle as new immigrants from Eastern Europe in the early part of the 20th century. Later in the week, Presidential candidate, Al Gore�s speech also focused on his positive parental influence. Near the end of his speech, his elderly mother rose from her seat with assistance, to take a bow. Both Democratic running mates spoke of their commitment to policy changes covering prescription drugs under Medicare.

In the month before, Presidential candidate, George W. Bush gave his acceptance speech as Presidential candidate for the Republican party. George W. spoke of his longstanding family relationships that have sustained him throughout his life. Off to the side, his parents, George and Barbara Bush sat looking on and glowing with pride. At the end of his speech, the cameras focused on the Bushes as they stood in ovation for their son.

Decidedly older and frailer, the families of our most notable politicians mirror many average American families. Prescription medicine is receiving a lot of attention but it may be that the most important non-partisan issue in the U.S. today is that of long term care. It affects almost every family sooner or later. The cost of long term care is skyrocketing. Health insurance companies and health care providers are divesting themselves of Medicare coverage. Nursing homes, once the only places that long term care was provided, are being scrutinized closely and many are closing down altogether. Assisted living facilities, by contrast, are booming and more beds are opening yearly to meet the demand. Home care is also growing and home is where most older people want to be and where they want to be cared for, if it is possible. The annual cost of long term care, no matter where it is provided, hovers between $3,000 and $5,000 per month for private pay. Medi-cal pays for some cases of long term care but not all. Make note that Medicare does not pay for ongoing long term care costs.

Long term care issues affect not just the older patient but the family, volunteer or professional caregiver. Here are some important caregiver statistics:

� There are more than 25 million family caregivers in the U.S. today.
� Approximately three-fourths of all caregivers for older persons are women.
� Older people over 85 years are the fastest growing segment of the population by age and half of them require daily assistance with personal care.
� A full 60% of family caregivers state that they have suffered from depression recently.
� Approximately 80% of home care services are provided by family caregivers and the value of their services are estimated to be $196 billion dollars.
� A full 60% of the entire adult population either is or expects to be a family caregiver in the near future.
� Nine out of ten nursing home staff quit their jobs every year.

Clearly the statistics point out the importance of caregiving for older persons in America today. The questions are not only how much will long term care cost and where will long term care be provided but also who will provide the care? These are questions that many adult children are encountering and Al Gore, Joe Lieberman and George W. Bush are facing or will face these very issues in the future. The long term care issues in America are becoming more complex. We can expect that more politicians will work to develop innovative solutions as they also experience long term care challenges in their own families.

08/00

Aging Well Tomorrow Requires Living Well Today