If you aren’t a family caregiver now, you likely will be … or you’ll need one. The nation’s 40 million family caregivers are all around us: They’re our colleagues, friends, neighbors and family members. Each has a story worth telling. With a rapidly aging population, smaller families, increased longevity and the expected tripling of Alzheimer’s cases by 2050, the need for caregivers is exploding. Where do people go for help? What types of caregiving will be needed? What’s being done to help family caregivers? Two family caregiving experts will tell you what their life is like, how you can prepare and how you can tell these important stories.
Moderator: Greg Phillips
Speakers: Rita Choula, Amy Goyer
Sponsored by:
GREG PHILLIPS leads media relations efforts on health-care policy at AARP national headquarters in Washington, D.C. His portfolio also includes family caregiving and LGBT issues. Prior to joining AARP, he was director of media relations and communications at The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, where he led national media outreach for the ob-gyn specialty. At ACOG, he was also deputy editor in chief of pause, an award-winning magazine for peri-menopausal and menopausal women. A native of Wilmington, Delaware, he received his undergraduate degree from Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University in Blacksburg, Virginia.
RITA CHOULA is senior advisor in AARP Public Policy Institute in Washington, D.C. She manages and provides content expertise on family caregiving initiatives with a specific focus on multicultural family caregivers and those providing complex care. Choula bridges policy to practice by collaborating with internal and external partners to equip health-care professionals and social workers with the resources necessary to recognize and support family caregivers. She is married with two small children and is the primary caregiver for her mother.
AMY GOYER is AARP’s family and caregiving expert and author of “Juggling Life, Work and Caregiving.” A consultant, writer and speaker, she serves as a columnist and spokesperson for AARP. A recognized media authority with 35 years of experience in the field of aging, she is a passionate champion for family caregivers and has cared for her grandparents, parents and sister. She currently cares for her dad, Robert, who is 94, has Alzheimer’s disease and lives with her in Arizona.