The Age Guide: Perspectives on the Aging Journey
Welcome to the Age Guide podcast highlighting perspectives on the aging journey. We are here to be your personal Age Guide and enhance your quality of life on the road ahead. This podcast is about putting a face on aging and giving a voice to older adults and caregivers by highlighting their experiences and stories. We want to provide a window into the struggles and joys of aging, to dispel myths and combat ageism. This podcast is hosted by AgeGuide Northeastern Illinois, an Area Agency on Aging in Northeastern Illinois. At AgeGuide, it is our mission to be a vital resource and advocate for people as we age by providing thoughtful guidance, supportive services, and meaningful connections.
The Age Guide: Perspectives on the Aging Journey
Caregiving with Compassion: Balancing Care and Work
In this series of our podcast, we want to shine a light on the commitment and dedication of more than 44 million family caregivers in the United States who provide personal assistance to loved ones with disabilities and other care needs. These caregivers, also known as informal or unpaid caregivers, make up 21% of the adult population today. Most also work full-time jobs in addition to their caring duties and 6 out of 10 report that caregiving has affected their ability to do their jobs. In fact, 15% have taken a leave of absence, and 14% have had to reduce work hours or change jobs as a result of their caregiving responsibilities.
On Thursday December 1st, AgeGuide is hosting a virtual caregiver seminar called, “The Caring Economy: Supporting Your Employees Who Care for Family”. The keynote speaker, Ellen Birchander, Director of the Gerontology Department at University of Massachusetts, will talking about the importance of supporting employees who provide essential care for a loved one. We invited Ellen to join us for a one-on-one conversation ahead of the seminar, to get her thoughts on why caregiving is so challenging in America today and how it affects all of us.
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