Making Caring Count February 2025 Newsletter Issue 4#1

Trends and innovations

Reimagining Family and Community: The Rise of Intergenerational Housing.

Architect Mariam Issoufou is reimagining urban housing by blending cultural heritage with contemporary needs. Inspired by traditional designs in Niger, her work emphasizes intergenerational living, crafting homes that nurture family bonds and caregiving. Her Niamey 2000 project in Niger’s capital exemplifies this vision, offering affordable housing with courtyards, shaded terraces, and open-air kitchens. Issoufou’s designs go beyond providing shelter—they foster social well-being, cultural continuity, and early childhood development, demonstrating how housing can be a cornerstone for building stronger, more connected communities. This aligns with a global trend addressing aging populations, childcare shortages, and social isolation. Shared living fosters mutual support: seniors provide childcare and mentorship, while younger residents offer companionship. bit.ly/4hnYYtf

Rendever: Combating Social Isolation with Virtual Reality (VR). Rendever uses immersive virtual reality (VR) to foster connection and improve mental health for seniors. Social isolation in senior living communities is a growing epidemic, linked to depression, dementia, and other health risks. Traditional solutions like medications and passive activities fail to address the root cause: the need for authentic social connections. Rendever’s VR platform allows seniors to explore the world, share experiences, and build meaningful relationships—regardless of mobility or cognitive challenges. This research-backed approach is transforming senior care, helping residents live longer, healthier, and more connected lives. bit.ly/3EzDGdq

Revolutionizing Senior Care: How AI is Transforming Aging-In-Place-Solutions. Care Daily is leading the charge in AgeTech with its patented AI and IoT platform, designed to address the growing demand for senior care. Their open AI platform connects AgeTech solutions, healthcare providers, and payers to deliver personalized, predictive care directly to homes. By leveraging real-time data, the platform predicts health risks and helps caregivers prioritize effectively, offering tailored solutions to prevent issues before they escalate. Care Daily’s scalable technology empowers families, improves seniors’ quality of life, and makes smarter, more accessible healthcare a reality. bit.ly/42JBkCN

News from around the world

Tokyo Introduces Free Daycare to Tackle Birthrate Crisis, But Is It Enough? Tokyo has unveiled a new initiative offering free daycare services in an effort to address Japan’s declining birthrate crisis. While the policy aims to ease financial pressures on families and encourage more women to have children, experts question whether it will be enough to reverse the trend. Japan faces deep-rooted challenges, including long working hours, a lack of work-life balance and societal expectations that disproportionately affect women. Free daycare is a step forward, but comprehensive reforms in gender equality, workplace culture, and support for working parents are needed to create a meaningful impact on the birthrate. As Japan grapples with an aging population and shrinking workforce, the initiative underscores the urgency of finding solutions to sustain the country’s future. bit.ly/42KhJT4

The Silent Struggle: The Emotional and Financial Toll of Dementia Caregiving. Caring for a loved one with dementia is a profound and often isolating journey, marked by emotional exhaustion, financial strain, and a lack of support. Tom Lee, who cared for his wife Antoinette for over six years, describes the relentless demands of caregiving, from managing her unpredictable behaviour to coping with the loss of his own independence. His story reflects that of millions of unpaid caregivers in the U.S., who bear the burden of dementia care with little recognition or assistance. Geriatrician Christine Ritchie emphasizes that dementia caregiving is a public health crisis worsened by a fragmented healthcare system and inadequate support. Many caregivers face financial hardship, social isolation, and declining health, yet their struggles remain invisible. While support groups offer some relief, systemic changes—better healthcare guidance, financial aid, and integrated care—are crucial. As dementia cases rise, so must society’s commitment to those who care for them. bit.ly/4gB19IQ

Shaping Elderly Care: How Research is Driving Policy in Tamil Nadu. With India’s elderly population projected to reach 347 million by 2050, ensuring their well-being is an urgent policy challenge. Since 2016, J-PAL South Asia has partnered with the state government of Tamil Nadu on an ambitious survey tracking 6,000 elderly residents to understand their needs and guide targeted interventions. Findings revealed that one in seven elderly individuals lives alone, with many facing poverty, depression, and chronic illnesses. In response, Tamil Nadu has expanded pensions, launched the Senior Citizen Policy, and introduced targeted support for isolated seniors. Mental health interventions, including phone-based cognitive behavioural therapy, have also shown promising results. This partnership underscores the power of research-driven policymaking. By aligning studies with real-life challenges, involving government agencies in data collection, and providing continuous insights, Tamil Nadu offers a model for improving elderly care as populations age worldwide. bit.ly/3Q3NUFy

The Lasting Impact of Caregiving on Young Adults: Beyond the Struggle. At 26, Dakota Heath devotes his days caring for his girlfriend, Jordyn Glick, who lives with gastroparesis, a debilitating gastrointestinal disorder. Heath is part of a growing but often overlooked group: young adult caregivers. Nearly a quarter of U.S. family caregivers are 18-36, juggling care with careers, relationships and self-discovery. This role profoundly shapes lives, influencing career choices and decisions about having children. Some find resilience and purpose while others struggle with isolation and depression. Despite challenges, many find deep meaning in caregiving. Heath sees it as part of his identity—an expression of commitment to Glick. Organizations like Hilarity for Charity and The Caregiver Space offer support. For young caregivers, this journey is life-changing, marked by uncertainty but also love, resilience, and the power of being there when it matters most. bit.ly/4jI4lVH

What we’re listening to: Podcast

Working Caregivers: The Invisible Employees. In this episode, hosts Selma Archer and Zack Demopoulos welcome special guest Sarah Johal, the founder of CareSprint, a nonprofit organization focused on transforming workforce systems to better support working caregivers. Sarah shares how her organization is helping employers create a more inclusive, supportive environment for caregivers. From her personal caregiving journey to the intersection of data and workplace policies, this conversation offers powerful insights into the critical changes needed to uplift the invisible workforce—working caregivers. Listen to podcast here bit.ly/4hFtfTY

Caregiver support resources: The Butterfly Trust: a true game-changer for in-home care. The Butterfly Trust is a private charitable trust in Kenya that seeks to facilitate provision of trained carers to support individuals and their families that are affected by serious illness or injury. The trust sources, trains, introduces and supports a strong network of qualified carers, from finding work within the community, to continuing with their own critical professional development. The Butterfly Trust’s mission is to provide a dependable caring resource to family members by assisting them to keep their loved ones at home as long as possible, surrounded by the natural care of family and friends. Learn more here bit.ly/3Astzpm

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