Rosalynn Carter's Editorial on the Needs of Caregivers

In a recent edition of the CDC's Preventing Chronic Disease journal, former First Lady Rosalynn Carter provides an editorial, "Addressing the Caregiving Crisis." The editorial serves as a "call to arms" for American society to face our caregiving crisis. Mrs. Carter founded and is President of the Board of Directors of the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving in Georgia. After outlining the impact on family and profressional caregivers and U.S. businesses, she writes:

"To address this 'caregiving crisis,' all sectors of society must come together to develop solutions. A broad and coordinated response should address workforce development, community planning, and caregiver education and support, including regulatory and financing issues, more effective use of technology, and development and dissemination of evidence-based practices in caregiving. Building an infrastructure of supports for caregivers will improve caregiver effectiveness and reduce the harm, injury, and burden that can be associated with caregiving in isolation. Most importantly, I believe there must be a fundamental shift in how we value and support caregivers."