“The most important message is that you may have to reframe your
idea of normal,”
Kimberly Koch, Vice President, Programs & Services, National
MS Society
“…In summation, with the combination of the duration of care, the prevalence of mental confusion, and the high probability of long-term care placement, support to the family caregiver of someone with MS seems to rise to a critical level….Proactively reaching out to them with support will help, not only the caregivers, but the care recipients, and ultimately the country, as well.”
Someone somewhere finally gets it!
"This study sheds new light on several new aspects of family
caregiving for someone with MS. In particular:
• The long life cycle of the disease suggests that the total number
of years one serves as a caregiver will be much, much longer than caregivers in
general …
• Caregiving for someone with MS has a substantial negative impact
on the family’s financial situation in 43% of the cases.
• The likelihood of the care recipient going into a long-term care
facility within the next ten years was estimated at 40%—with the triggering
event being the need for 24-hour care.
Taken together, these issues create a rather compelling case for
caregiver support at Federal, state, and local levels. The ten-year estimate of
nursing home placement should be high enough to concern the Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)."
Caregivingly Yours, Patrick Leer
videos: www.youtube.com/daddyleer
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