Facts
- 1 in 3 Americans will have some form of chronic illness in their lives.
- The American Cancer Society reported a total of 1,419,000 new cancer cases and 559,650 deaths in 2007
- The financial and emotional stress of caring for an ill family member can take a toll, leading to depression in about 60% of cases and 40% are considered major depression.
- Many children who have a parent with a chronic or terminal illness will eventually need some form of counseling, because their childhood has been interrupted.
- Only 30% of all workers who have paid sick leave are permitted to use it to take care of an ill spouse, family member or child.
When a spouse or other family member becomes ill, in these circumstances making childcare arrangements, seeking professional psychological support, and in some cases learning how to develop coping skills in a stressful and unpredictable home environment (and the costs associated with these services) can become over-whelming as the primary caregiver attempts to juggle the pressure of a job, managing the finances and the added family responsibilities.
A parent or a child with these special needs can quickly become the center of the families attention, for better or worse. While an intensive focus on therapy and treatment can be good for the parent or child receiving them, they can often leave siblings feeling neglected and if one parent is taking on most of the burden & strain can show on the marriage as well. The good news is that help and support for individual family members and the family in general is often only a mouse-click or a phone call away. "Get A Life..." provides that service. The children have special needs and challenges of their own, including finding their place in a family that may be preoccupied with one sick parent or child, and dealing on a daily basis with behavior that may be hard to understand.
