As an extension of my personal and volunteer pursuits, I’ve started (yet) another blog. It will feature research findings, commentaries, and links on informal caregiving for people with chronic conditions. If this interests you, click here.
Informal caregivers are family and friends “who are not paid to provide care, have little or no training, and are not licensed or recognized primarily as health care clinicians. … Caregiving includes many different activities, ranging from providing emotional support, coordinating medical care, to assisting with activities of daily living” (p. 126*).
Chronic conditions are accelerating globally. By definition, they are illnesses that “last more than six months, are typically not curable, and may have multiple causes” (p.9*). They include heart disease, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, depression, hypertension, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s. According to the World Health Organization, these conditions account for 70% of the world’s deaths.
Why does any of this matter to me — or to you?
“The aging of Canada’s population will have a major impact on many areas of public policy,” according to policymatters.ca at the University of Western Ontario. “With age often comes increasing risk of chronic disease – along with that, come important questions about how we are going to provide the care needed for exponentially more people. … The statistics listed below demonstrate the possible correlation between the increasing number of people living with a few major chronic diseases and the impact on the health care system:
Alzheimer’s
- In the next generation, the number of people living with dementia will grow to 1.1 million from 500,000
- In that same time frame, the economic cost of the illness will grow tenfold
- By 2038, there will be a shortfall of more than 150,000 long-term care beds for dementia sufferers
Diabetes
- Over two and a half million Canadians are estimated to have diabetes, and seniors are one of the two populations most at risk of having the disease along with Aboriginal people.
- The proportion of Canadians with diabetes increases significantly with age; for example, it is estimated that up to a quarter of Canadians aged 85 or older have diabetes, compared to three per cent of adults aged 35 to 64.
- The prevalence of diabetes in older Canadians is projected to increase 44 per cent in the next 20 years.”
Thus my interest.
* Kane, R.L., Priester, R., & Totten, A. (2005). Meeting the challenge of chronic illness. Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press. image credit: desperatecaregivers.com
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