Are you a caregiver? Visit our resource center

The AARP Caregiver Resource Center is one-stop shopping place for information, tools and tips about caregiving.

 In Michigan, there are 2.1 million caregivers at any given time during the year who devote nearly 1.4 billion hours to caregiving at a total value of $15.5 billion, according to a report by the AARP Public Policy Institute.

 Go to aarp.org/caregiving to get the resources for help coping with the daily responsibilities of caregiving. You can find support, chat with an expert, locate resources and even find information about care for the caregiver.

 Also, see an instructive video about caregiving from AARP CEO Barry Rand here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdirZCdApQg

 A recent AARP national poll, Caregivers: Life Changes and Coping Strategies, underscores the personal challenges of caregiving; one in three report feeling sad or depressed and 44 percent admit to bottling up their feelings. Additionally, 38 percent of respondents say they sleep less since becoming a caregiver, 24 percent eat more, 33 percent avoid making decisions and a third isolate themselves, avoiding people or situations.

 "Family, friends and neighbors who support a loved one rarely see themselves as a caregiver,” said Debra Whitman, AARP Executive Vice President for Policy, Strategy and International Affairs. “And they almost never ask for help. But at some point in their lives most people will be a caregiver or need support. Our Resource Center is here to remind caregivers that they aren’t alone and there is help.”