Experts predict that by 2030, the United States will face a shortage of caregivers to meet the long term care needs of the elderly and others with debilitating diseases. Part of the problem stems from the shrinking American family. Couples have been having fewer children and those they do have are often spread out geographically in their adult years. This means as many baby boomers continue to age, they won’t have loved ones nearby to care for them.
Some families don’t face this same squeeze though because of their multicultural roots. In our continuing Be Well series on Caregiving, ideastream’s Kay Colby gives us a glimpse at how some other cultures, here and around the world, approach caregiving.