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AREA AGENCY ON AGING: One of the challenges facing American workers and business owners in the 21st century will be a dramatic increase in the population of older adults. Already, millions of working adults are juggling the competing demands of caring for a chronically ill or disabled parent, raising a family, and managing a career.
An estimated one out of four U.S. households is involved in caring for a loved one aged 50 or older. While there is no reliable estimate of the number of family caregivers, at least 7 million Americans are caring for a parent at any given time.
Between one-third to one-half of all caregivers are also employed outside the home. Working caregivers sacrifice leisure time, and often suffer stress-related illnesses. Negative effects on working caregivers include time lost from work, lower productivity, quitting a job to provide care, lost career opportunities and lower future earnings.
Eventually, some 12 percent quit their jobs to provide care full-time. Work disruptions due to employee caregiving responsibilities result in productivity losses on average of $1,142 per year per employee.
According to statistics developed in 2003 by the National Family Caregivers Association, Vermont has an estimated 60,506 family caregivers. These individuals provide approximately 65 million hours of unpaid care to loved ones each year. If provided within the formal health care system, these services represent an annual market value of $571 million.
One of our organizational members, the Area Agency on Aging for Northeastern Vermont provides a number of services designed to help family caregivers carry out this very special role.
Their Family Caregiver Program, under the direction of Nancy Oakes, provides services for family caregivers that include information, assistance, educational programs, support groups and respite care.
The Agency's Senior HelpLine Coordinator, Vicki Giella, can help family members find information about home delivered meals, transportation, personnel care, paying for prescription drugs and other long term care issues, including alternatives to nursing home placement. There are several ways to reach the Area Agency on Aging:
- By phone at (802) 748-5182 or toll free 1-800-642-5119.
- Via the web at: www.nevaaa.org
- Via Email at: info@nevaaa.org
- Or stop by their office at 1161 Portland Street in St. Johnsbury
For general information on senior issues, contact the: Northeastern Vermont Area Agency on Aging
1161 Portland St.,
St. Johnsbury, VT 05819
(802) 748-5182
e-mail: nevaaa@together.net
MEAL SITES: Senior Meal Sites are located within the following towns:
Gilman (892-6616),
Island Pond (723-6130),
Orleans (754-6442),
Barnet (633-4068),
Danville (684-3903),
Lyndonville (626-8700),
West Burke (467-3423)
St. Johnsbury (748-5467).
RSVP: (Retired Senior Volunteer Program) allows senior volunteers an opportunity to share their years of experience in voluntary settings.
(802) 626-5135.
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