Youth and the Young. Health and the Healthy.

We’ve all heard it: “Youth is wasted on the young.” To that, I’ll add “Health is wasted on the healthy.”
Both sayings came to mind as I read Elayne Clift’s post about caregivers a few days ago. To the national numbers she cited, I’ll add a few more. Mine don’t come from national surveys but from working to understand life in a “new way,” one that is vital if we are going to roll up our policy sleeves and help caregivers.
This new way identifies all the connections we maintain with other people; connections that are vital if we are to have families, careers, homes, and a social life. Most of us – especially when we are young, healthy and exceptionally energetic – manage these connections without much thought. Then, as the world gets more complicated, our lives get more demanding, our “village support systems” fray and life tosses us a wildcard, all hell breaks loose.
Here’s a simple example. In this family, the husband and wife met in college, married soon after, bought a home, had three children and adopted a rescue a dog. Both have jobs. The wife – let’s call her Margaret – manages slightly more than 600 connections for her own life and career, her children’s lives, her extended family and in-laws, her home and her community volunteer activities. This number might seem large and surprise you. It surprised her, too, but it is “average” for a woman in her situation. Because her husband travels extensively for his job, Margaret is the...

Source: Disruptive Women in Health Care - December 6, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: dw at disruptivewomen.net Tags: Aging Health Source Type: blogs