A Message from our State Director

I’m a pretty typical AARP member in CO. I’m in my 50s, active, working, have been a caregiver in the past for older loved ones while raising kids at home and balancing the challenges of being a member of the “sandwich generation.” I have felt the tug of never giving enough while having to balance some me-time to avoid burn out. I’m not unusual, I’m the new normal. That is why AARP has become so focused on providing support to caregivers, because nationally there are 42 million caregivers, and more than 584,000 family caregivers in our state who help their loved ones live independently.

Across Colorado, family caregivers provide unpaid care valued at approximately $7.4 billion, that is correct billion, annually. That is a lot of caregiving. Often, we don’t even think of ourselves as caregivers, we are helping mom, driving dad, picking up groceries for a neighbor. If a loved one is hospitalized, the list of caregiving requirements grow exponentially because 69% of care recipients in Colorado don’t have a home visit by a health care professional after discharge from the hospital. Therefore, almost half (46%) of family caregivers perform medical or nursing tasks. Over 75% of individuals providing medical or nursing tasks end up managing medications, including administering intravenous fluids and injections. When my grandmother was living with me, I found that like most family caregivers, I needed to learn to do this no training.

In 2015, AARP was instrumental in passing the CARE Act which recognizes the critical role family caregivers play in keeping their loved ones out of costly institutions. This law ensures the name of the caregiver is recorded when the loved one is admitted into a hospital; the family caregiver is notified if the loved one is to be discharged to another facility or back home; and, the facility must provide an explanation and live instructions of the medical tasks – such as medication management, injections, wound care, and transfers, that the family caregiver will be responsible for providing at home.

If you are a member of the new normal, you can get more information on caregiving resources at www.aarp.org/caregiving. I know there are 575,000 stories to be told in Colorado. Please take the time to share yours at aarp.org/iheartcaregivers.