Videocaregiving.org: A Groundbreaking New Resource for Family Caregivers Now Offered in Spanish, in addition to English
www.videocaregiving.org, the internet’s only all-video website for family caregivers, is launching a companion website in Spanish for the estimated 8 million Hispanic caregivers in this country—
www.videoasistencia.org. Studies indicate that roughly one-third of Hispanic households have at least one caregiver, many of those dealing with somebody who has Alzheimer’s. Over 40% of these caregivers said they’d been forced into making major changes in their lives, from cutting back on their working hours, to changing jobs to taking a leave of absence or stopping work altogether.
While Alzheimer’s presents its own set of problems in the general population, it seems to be even more acute in the Latino culture. Studies suggest that many Hispanics may have more risk factors for developing dementia than other groups, and a significant number appear to be getting Alzheimer’s earlier. And surveys indicate that Latinos, less likely to see doctors because of financial and language barriers, more often mistake dementia symptoms for normal aging, delaying diagnosis. “This is the tip of the iceberg of a huge public health challenge,” said Yanira L. Cruz, president of the National Hispanic Council on Aging.”
www.videocaregiving.org has been online for nearly two years as the first and the only website of its kind— dedicated exclusively to offering streaming videos as a resource to help the nation’s estimated 50 million family caregivers— family members, friends, even neighbors — all of whom provide some form of unpaid, in-home continuing care for a loved one. Among the goals of the site are not only to help the caregivers better understand and deal with their situation, but also to remind—and actually SHOW—them they are neither isolated or alone in their struggle.
Facts about videoasistencia.org:
The videos on the website are original footage, documentary in style, focusing on real stories of real people in real circumstances. Each are subtitled in Spanish and some feature Hispanic families speaking in their native language. All the videos are drawn from films either produced or distributed by Terra Nova Films, a company that has for nearly 30 years been a leader in the use of video in the training and development of tens of thousands of professional caregivers, ranging from doctors and nurses to college professors and social workers, even lawyers and police. An advisory team of representatives from the leading caregiving organizations and a production team of experts on caregiving and Alzheimer’s disease came together to create this resource, which offers specific videos on Alzheimer’s disease and general caregiving.
“Having real people made the difference. You can read all you want and it doesn’t compare to real people talking. My favorite is the one of the mother and daughter and the emotional roller coaster because that is my story. I understand her saying her life is not her own. I related to the anger. The one about the husband and wife team broke my heart. It is sad. He is a wonderful man ….” Terry in CT, caring for her mother with dementia.
Facts about caregiving in the U.S.:
There are approximately 50 million family caregivers in America providing over 80% of all of the long term care in this country. And the estimated value of family caregivers “free” caregiving services was more than $375 BILLION dollars in 2007—more than the total Medicaid spending in 2007 ($311 million) and as much as the sales of the world’s largest companies, Wal-Mart ($379 billion, the most of any company) and ExxonMobil ($359 million). These caregivers are largely invisible, part of a process that can turn the architecture of the family upside down, turning children into parents and parents into children.
Development of www.videocaregiving.org has been underwritten in part by the Retirement Research Foundation and the Chicago Community Trust.
For More Info, Please Contact:
Ed Menaker
Terra Nova Films, Chicago, IL
773-881-6940 (Direct)
773-881-8491 (General)