“Bradley Cooper is teaming up with PBS to produce a documentary… Caregiving… set to air in 2025 on PBS stations. WETA, the public broadcasting station in Washington, is producing the film with Cooper’s Lea Pictures and Ark Media (Finding Your Roots). The film will examine both systemic issues within the care system—where more than 50 million Americans provide unpaid care to family members—as well as tell personal stories of people who care for loved ones.” Cooper says, “Everyone will end up caring for a loved one at some point in their life… it’s overwhelming. Raising this conversation on a national level will help… I believe we can make a difference… Together, we can help raise the banner for caregivers.”
This edition of caregiver article excerpts covers a range of topics including the U.S. Presidential election and aging brains, road safety and fatigue, caregivers needing support while juggling work and caregiving, Actor Bradley Cooper producing documentary on caregiving, and a new service: Uber Caregiver.
Bradley Cooper Producing PBS Documentary about Family Caregivers
Family Caregivers Need Support as They Juggle Work and Caregiving
A new AARP study finds that family caregivers need more support from their employers as they try to balance caregiving responsibilities with work. “… of the more than 48 million family caregivers nationwide, 61% are working while juggling caregiving….” These responsibilities, include “assisting with daily living activities, medical or nursing tasks, coordinating services, transportation, shopping and advocating for their loved ones.” The reality is caregivers lose income and retirement benefits because they must reduce their hours to care for loved ones at home. “The Credit for Caring Act, if passed, would provide financial support for individual caregivers.”
The Aging Brain and the Upcoming U.S. Presidential Election
President Biden and former President Trump will be almost 82 and 78, respectively later this year. Should we be concerned that Biden had brain surgery or Trump’s father had dementia? The experts view the positives. “The… important thing to keep in mind is that the older brain [is] a wiser brain,” said Earl Miller, a professor of neuroscience at MIT.” “Medical researchers say [verbal slips] are just the workings of a normally aging brain….” While these experts have not clinically evaluated the presidential candidates, they say that what are sometimes called ‘senior moments’ “are not signs of dementia or predictive of cognitive decline.”
Road Safety Guide for Understanding Driver Fatigue
Whether it’s driving with dementia or driving while tired, the results can be disastrous. This guide from the UK helps us better grasp driver fatigue. It covers the common causes, impact on brain function, tips for staying awake, and the legal implications of falling asleep while driving. This UK-based study found that tiredness is one of the biggest killers in driving accidents. Surprisingly, young drivers are at the greatest risk. Driving after being awake for 24 hours has the same impact on the brain as someone with a blood alcohol content of 0.1%, above the 0.08% legal limit in the U.K. and the U.S.
Uber Caregiver
Starting this summer, “Uber Caregiver is a new feature in the Uber and Uber Eats apps. Uber Caregiver will allow caregivers to use health insurance benefits to arrange and pay for eligible rides to doctor’s appointments for their care recipient.” Plus, they can track the ride.
Thanks to ASA’s Generations SmartBrief for this and the “Aging Brain” articles.
