Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with Boston during this difficult time.
Staff Sgt. Jose Luis Sanchez, a retired US Marine who lost his leg in Afghanistan, ran – and finished – today’s Boston Marathon with prosthetic left leg, while carrying an American flag. http://bit.ly/2ono7ci
52 Powerful Photos Of Women Who Changed History Forever (Via Distractify)
1. Kathrine Switzer becomes the first woman to run the Boston Marathon, despite attempts by the marathon organizer to stop her. [1967]
2. Sarla Thakral, 21 years old, the first Indian woman to earn a pilot license. [1936]
3. A Swedish woman hitting a neo-Nazi protester with her handbag. The woman was reportedly a concentration camp survivor. [1985]
4. Voting activist Annie Lumpkins at the Little Rock city jail. [1961]
5. Komako Kimura, a prominent Japanese suffragist at a march in New York. [October 23, 1917]
6. Anna Fisher, “the first mother in space” [1980s]
7. A woman suffrage activist protesting after “The Night of Terror.” 33 suffrage activists had been arrested for ‘obstructing traffic’ and were badly beaten by prison guards. [1917]
8. Jeanne Manford marches with her gay son during a Pride Parade. [1972]
9. Aviator Amelia Earhart after becoming the first woman to fly an aircraft across the Atlantic Ocean. [1928]
10. Afghan women studying medicine. [1962]
For more, click here
As a result of caregiving, it is estimated that women spend 12 fewer years in the paid workforce over their lifetimes. At younger ages they are primarily responsible for caring for children, and at older ages women generally have the responsibility of caring for elderly parents or older relatives.
Rick is one of 15 million Americans caring for a family member with dementia. That thought may conjure images of boomers caring for elderly parents, but if early-onset dementia is in play, it’s a completely different equation. A spouse often becomes the round-the-clock caregiver.
via NPR.
I see this woman almost every time I go to Washington Square Park. She seems to take a daily lap around the park, stopping at every street performer and doling out a little appreciation.
A little kindness and encouragement can go a long way. — tanya b.
2016 study by AARP found that the average caregiver spends $6,954 a year on out-of-pocket costs caring for a family member. The expenses range from $7 for medical wipes to tens of thousands of dollars to retrofit a home with a walk-in shower or hire outside help.
At the federal level, bills that would have created a federal income tax credit of up to $3,000 never got out of congressional committees last year.
“Whether I’m in Billings, Mont., or in Mississippi, the caregiver tax credit is something that people are asking for,” Ryan said. “All they’re asking for is a little financial help to offset these costs.”
A tax credit, said Brown and other caregivers, would be welcome relief to the estimated 4.5 million family caregivers in California who care for a loved one with a chronic, disabling or serious health condition. Nationwide, the AARP estimates there are about 40 million people caring for family members.
via Kaiser Health News.
Related Reading:
If Congress truly wants to help young families, it could boost Social Security benefits by creating caregiver credits for adults who spend time out of the workforce caring for loved ones.
Long term care is something most of us will need as we grow older.
We might develop chronic diseases, mobility issues, Alzheimer’s or other conditions that prevent us from fully caring for ourselves. (Long term care includes everything from assisted living to skilled nursing facilities to in-home care.) According to the Bipartisan Policy Center, 52% of adults reaching age 65 today will require long-term assistance with daily activities such as eating, dressing, and bathing during their senior years.
Unfortunately, this type of care is extremely expensive, and for many Americans, downright unaffordable. Most seniors simply don’t have the average $100,000 a year for a nursing home, $45,000 for assisted living, or $33,000 for in-home care.
On this date in 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed the #ADA into law — making it easier for older Americans and others with #disabilities to get around at home, participate in their communities, and go to work. #ADA31
