The SCAN Foundation

Caregiving is a tricky business. Family members and friends who lend a hand in providing long-term services and supports enter a stress-filled world, where their own health may become at risk because of the burden of being a caregiver. The federal government is providing new resources for those already enrolled as caregivers, and others who may assume the role, according to a May 26, 2010 announcement by the federal government. These new resources include videos for researchers and policymakers that provide insight into the demands on caregivers as they deliver long-term services and supports.

Daughters are more likely than sons to suffer from depression when caring for a parent who is recovering from a stroke, according to a presentation at the Canadian Stroke Congress. A stroke patient often needs long-term services and supports to recover, and daughters typically take the role of caregiver, the person in charge of arranging and managing the supports and services.

Older people anxious to stay healthy, avoiding the need for long-term services and supports, often sabotage themselves because they are ignorant of the side effects of heavily promoted dietary supplements. “Certain dietary supplements commonly used by the elderly were deceptively or questionably marketed,” a General Accounting Office witness told a May 26, 2010 hearing of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, “Dietary Supplements: What Seniors Need To Know.”

As people age and suffer infirmities, they are increasingly likely to need long-term services and supports. With budget challenges in virtually every state as well as on the federal budget there will be increasing pressure to raise the retirement age and cut back on spending for pension and health benefits, including programs that offer long-term services and supports. There will be a clash between the demand for services and supports, and the cost of financing them, expressed in the debate over whether the retirement age should be increased. A May 31, 2010 New York Times blog round-table with experts, titled “How High Can the Retirement Age Go?” discussed these issues.