Donna L. Wagner, Ph.D., professor and Director of the Gerontology Department at Towson University and Director of the school's Center for Productive Aging

My particular area of interest and research in caregiving is the working caregiver and family changes over time. It is really important to educate the viewing audience about the demographic changes that will specifically impact caregiving, such as the increasing number of women in the workplace, the decreasing fertility rates and the really dramatic changes in family composition (including the increase of people living alone). In the future, there will be fewer people to give care and those people will be busier than they have been in the past.

Other issues include the fact that people are living longer and will need care over a longer period of time and the complicated set of family dynamics in negotiating caregiving situations. By that I'm not just talking about the kind of tired topic of siblings not getting along with each other. The more important issue is the care consumers resisting help and really doing a lot to keep children from assuming any responsibilities. And then on the flip side, there's the situation where children may be too quick to jump in to try to take responsibility.

Issues that Matter | Caregiving Professionals Forum