To All Caregivers: Thank You!

March 3 is National Caregiver Appreciation Day - a day to thank those who so selflessly help take care of those who no longer can care for themselves full-time. It’s a day to recognize the important role they play as boomers continue to age and the demand and need for additional caregivers continues to grow. These are unsung heroes, many of whom are giving their time voluntarily.

Caregivers Support Seniors

As aging in place becomes more and more commonplace, caregivers are more important than ever. In fact, US News and World Report_[1] reports that 41 million caregivers provided the equivalent of around $470 billion and 34 billion hours in unpaid assistance in 2017 - that is, people volunteering to take care of their parents and older loved ones without compensation. And according to the Pew Research Center_[2], more than one-in-ten U.S. parents are caring for an elderly family member in addition to their own children and AARP notes_[3] that most family caregivers (60 percent) juggle a job in addition to caregiving. These additional life demands often force family caregivers to depend on career caregivers and medical devices to help provide much needed outside support.

Caregivers Provide Comfort

Having a caregiver present also helps to combat social isolation and loneliness that comes with living alone. In fact, according to the National Institute for Health Care Management (NIHCM) Foundation, one-in-five Americans feel lonely or socially isolated_[4]. And with 28% of older adults in the United States (approximately 13.8 million people) living alone, many of them depend on caregivers to provide a sense of solace and even engaging conversation. So to those who help keep our loved ones safe and comforted, we thank you!

Providing Support for Caregivers, Seniors and Their Families

As the human protection platform, safely aging in place is very important to us at ADT. We believe everyone deserves to feel safe and we aim to provide seniors, their families and their caregivers with the tools and support to help allow seniors to age in place within their own homes. To help provide more peace of mind to caregivers and family members, we offer customizable ADT Health_[5] products and services that fit every lifestyle. From our Medical Alert Basic_[6] at-home system to our On-The-Go_[7] units that enable effortless out-of-home independence, combined with our 24/7 professional monitoring support, customers, caregivers and family members can be better prepared for life’s unexpected incidents. For additional resources, check out our guide for caring for aging parents_[8].

And, late last year, we announced our new partnership with Senior Helpers_[9], a leading provider of in-home senior care. Through our collaboration, we are able to provide medical alert devices to Senior Helpers’ members providing support when a caregiver isn’t present, allowing older adults the ability to keep enjoying their current lifestyle.

With the right tools and expert monitoring in place to supplement a caregiver’s invaluable support, families can rest assured that their loved ones are in good hands. So, today and every day, be sure to thank a caregiver for all they do!

Sources:

[1] https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/2019-11-18/family-caregivers-in-us-provide-470-billion-of-unpaid-care

[2] https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/11/29/more-than-one-in-ten-u-s-parents-are-also-caring-for-an-adult/

[3] https://www.aarp.org/ppi/info-2015/valuing-the-invaluable-2015-update.html?cmp=RDRCT-VALUN_JUN23_015

[4] https://www.nihcm.org/categories/the-health-impact-of-loneliness-emerging-evidence-and-interventions

[5] https://www.adt.com/health

[6] https://www.adt.com/health/products#medical-basic

[7] https://www.adt.com/health/products#on-the-go

[8] https://www.adt.com/resources/caring-aging-parents

[9] https://news.adt.com/news-releases/news-release-details/adt-health-partners-senior-helpers-offer-more-independent-living

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