Change is the only constant and advocacy is a vital tool.

DO YOU KNOW?

How much was US healthcare spend in 2024? Do you have a number in mind? If you haven’t heard, let me be the first to share. Are you ready?

US healthcare spend in 2024 reached 5.3 trillion dollars! According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, this total was driven by “utilization and more complex services as opposed to pricing increases.”

When asked for more details about this number, a statistician responded, “Prices are a factor. They’re part of the equation. But non-price factors are the driver.” In other words, the type and frequency of care is a major contributor to this total.

After all, healthcare expenses more than double between the ages of 70 and 90.

These numbers are hard to process. Healthcare costs remain on the rise, even when access and quality of care seem to be diminishing.

Reading this article reminds us (as if we could forget) the importance of advocacy, especially for older adults. Every healthcare interaction matters and you are the vital “communications bridge between loved ones and a medical team.”

EVENTS TO NOTE

Below are a few webinars to join if your schedule allows.

• Beyond 9 to 5: Facilitating Good Jobs for People with Unpredictable Schedules (This one is happening at 2pm ET today.)

• Advancing Family Caregiver Financial and Workplace Security

• Caregiver Insights Across States

DOUBLE DUTY CAREGIVING

When asked the difference between caring for a patient and family member, one double-duty caregiver shared, “It really hit me between the eyes. I thought I was always the nurse. I always felt like I was helping not only the patient, but the caregiver, make that transition from hospital to home. And I did a good job. But what I realized is that caregivers have a whole different set of needs that I had no idea about, and you don’t learn that in nursing school or medical school. You learn about the disease; you’ll learn about the patient; you learn about the medication, but you never learn about the person going home.”

There is nothing like walking in the shoes of the person you are trying to help. It sheds light on all of the things that aren’t said. In the case of double-duty caregivers, those who are both paid and unpaid caregivers, it becomes very clear how complex the situation becomes when the patient and caregiver are in their own environment.

And, this is why this statement requires more emphasis. “If we don’t take care of the caregivers, what we have from the medical side is frequent readmissions and complications, because that patient depends very, almost 100% on that caregiver to keep them safe and healthy.”

Informal/unpaid caregivers are the backbone of care. As I’ve mentioned in previous newsletters, we play a significant role in managing the care of our loved ones. This is the case today and in the near term considering the challenges healthcare continues to face.

A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR

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Keeping the “sick” away.

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