“My mother was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.  I knew something was wrong and now I am spending more of my time taking care of her needs. I am afraid to leave her alone.”

According to the Alzheimer’s association, an estimated five million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease. The number of Americans with Alzheimer’s has more than doubled since 1980.
Every 72 seconds, someone develops Alzheimer’s. The direct and indirect costs of Alzheimer’s and other dementia amount to more than $148 billion annually. Archives of Neurology, 2003

"My mother is 90 years old and unable to live alone. She needs someone with her at all times to help her ambulate and get to the bathroom.”

After 85, only one in 20 individuals is still fully mobile. The average caregiving load of direct services is 18 hours a week. For those who need assistance with two ore more activities of daily living, the average rises to 40 hours per week. President’s Council on Bioethics, 2005

“My father has end stage heart failure and is unable to do anything for himself. My mother died two years ago and my other siblings live out of state. I can not continue to work full time and also take care of him. I feel like this burden is literally killing me.”

There are more than 44 million caregivers in the U.S., with 21% of households containing at least one caregiver, and as the "Baby Boomers" turn 65, that number is expected to surge. A previous study conducted in 2004 revealed that 2.5 million caregivers were in fair or poor health.

Half of those [caregivers] surveyed (51 percent) would like to talk to someone who could help them identify tasks that other family members or friends could arrange as well as how to find personal caregivers. Respondents think an outside consultant could help them approach their families in a different way or teach them to delegate and prioritize their tasks better.