This week, host Dr. I. David Daniels speaks with Janet Williams, host of “The Dementia Diaries” podcast, about her experience as a caregiver and what she learned and now attempt to share with other regarding the mindset necessary to be effective in the role. This is an inspiring story of what it is like to be in a flexible working culture while being responsible for caregiving.
An informal caregiver—is an unpaid individual (for example, a spouse, partner, family member, friend, or neighbor) involved in assisting others with activities of daily living and/or medical tasks. Formal caregivers are paid care providers in one’s home or a care setting (daycare, residential facility, long-term care facility).
· Approximately 43.5 million caregivers have provided unpaid care to an adult or child in the last 12 months.
· About 34.2 million Americans have provided unpaid care to an adult age 50 or older in the last 12 months.
· The majority of caregivers (82%) care for one other adult, while 15% care for two adults and 3% for 3 or more adults.
· Approximately 39.8 million caregivers care for adults (aged 18+) with a disability or illness.
· About 15.7 million adult family caregivers care for someone who has Alzheimer’s disease or other form of dementia.
These data points suggest that many workplaces have people who have either informal or formal caregiving roles. How can the workplace be aware of and support these efforts?
