Dare to Care: Caring for our elders
 20% of adults in the U. S. are caregivers. One in five adults cares for an aging parent, an ailing spouse, a person with a disability or a relative or friend who needs some form of help. The baby boomers are here. By 2030--up to 20% of the population will be over 65 years old. Millions will face retirement with limited savings, be disabled or diagnosed with chronic diseases, have Alzheimer's, or need some kind of caregiving services in their own homes. To My Readers My mission is to keep the aging population living in their own homes. My goal in writing Dare to Care - Caring for our elders is to teach new caregivers the basic concepts. This user-friendly guide to caregiving is written to adult men and women of all backgrounds. The topics are kept simple. The text is written in easy-to-follow format. Illustrations, checklists, and tables are used to help my readers. Caregiving is a journey. That is why I chose to put a hot air balloon on the cover. The journey can be both frightening and exhilarating. Knowledgeable caregiving can reduce risk, decrease stress, and increase everyone's happiness. Let me share my personal journey in caregiving. For over 10 years, I watched my Mother struggle with first bronchitis and then emphysema. I was both a "long-distance" and an "in-town" caregiver. For the years we lived 1200 miles apart, I spent my time on the phone. I used local resources and hired others to meet her emerging needs. After her diagnosis of emphysema, she agreed to move to my town.