Being a caregiver is one of the most meaningful roles a person can take on — but it often comes with personal sacrifices. Across North Carolina, thousands of people dedicate their time and energy to caring for loved ones, while also trying to balance their own financial, emotional, and professional needs.
ASHEVILLE, NC — AARP North Carolina has released a powerful new video, “Rebuilding with an Age-Friendly Lens.” Just under four minutes long, the video showcases the voices and visions of community leaders working to ensure older adults are not left behind in the wake of Hurricane Helene’s devastation.
WINSTON-SALEM, NC — Take a STEP toward better health and join a free walking program in Winston-Salem. Now in its fourth year, each walk is led by a local healthcare provider and is open to people of all ages and abilities.
More than 1.2 million family members provide unpaid care in North Carolina, according to the AARP Public Policy Institute. They often tackle challenging duties like medication management and dressing wounds.
Madison County lies on the western edge of North Carolina, where the Appalachian Trail meanders north and east from Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Generations of farmers once grew tobacco here on the sides of mountains and still raise cattle to make ends meet. “When you go back into some of the mountains and hollers, you can almost touch what once was,” says Dee Heinmuller, Director of Madison County Community Services.
Medicaid patients in long-term care often have outside income, such as Social Security or pensions. But Medicaid takes most of that money to defray care costs, leaving residents with little to spend on personal items, such as toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo and gifts for family members.
RALEIGH – A new survey of North Carolina registered voters ages 40 plus finds that the vast majority of respondents (83.5 percent) of current caregivers said that they will provide future caregiving or assistance on an unpaid basis to an adult loved one. It also found that over 95 percent think it is important to have services available in their communities to help older adults live independently.
Today, a secure retirement is out of reach for millions of Americans, especially those who work for small businesses. Nearly two million Tar Heels have no access to a retirement savings plan through their employers - that’s about 50% of the 18 to 64-year-old population.