Suzanne Mintz, President and Co-founder of the National Family Caregivers Association

I think people need to understand that caregiving today is a new phenomenon. Although people have always cared for loved ones, the circumstances of the modern world have created certain situations that have not existed before. These include: the length of time people are living, the ability of medicine to extend life, not just in years, but in saving people from dire circumstance; more women in the workplace; and the fact that people don't live necessarily as close to family as they used to.

I think it is important that people understand that caregiving requires both medical and non-medical care, intertwined, but the systems and infrastructures aren't necessarily intertwined. Often, caregivers find that the healthcare systems and social systems are not really set up to support caregiving families. Thus, families are talking on more and more and we have not looked at to what extent families are really capable. Caregiving situations often involve grieving, and people grieve in very different ways. My major passion is that caregivers and care consumers, when possible, need to become their own advocates that they need to be empowered and trained to have a voice in all of this.

Issues that Matter | Caregiving Professionals Forum