According to AARP there are approximately 4.45 million caregivers in California. Caregivers are at high risk for mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression. One of the main causes is a lack of support system.
Author: Sara Washington
After her Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis in 2007, Julie Williams decided to commute to work on a bike to improve her health. She quickly found it improved her physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
Marv Tuttle, Volunteer with Canine Companions for Independence, “I’ve been injured for 17 years. And I found out about service dogs when I was in the hospital. But being a fairly low level injury, paraplegic, I didn’t think I needed one. You know, because I knew the demand for them was so great that I actually waited for about ten years. And during that period of time I made a lot of friends who were wheel chair users who had service dogs, at similar levels of disability to mine. Who, over a period of time, said ‘Marv you’re wrong, these dogs can do some amazing things for you.’”
Kathy Kelly, Executive Director, Family Caregiver Alliance: “There’s two trends that are intersecting at this point. One is that we have a rise in the aging of the population. And we also have a decline in the number of family caregivers. This is really devastating.”
Dorissa McCalister-Carnell, Family Caregiver, “Here’s a picture of my mom and myself. This was on a Sunday morning, now I’m thinking it was an Easter morning. I see the shadow, I think my Dad was taking the picture. And this is us on our way to Greater Faith. And I want to say circa—19—I want to say around ’67 maybe, ’66 or ’67. I was a big kid so it’s hard to tell. I was always tall, so two or three, that’s about right.”
In this story we go to the Asian-Pacific Self-Development and Residential Association (APSARA) in Stockton where Cambodian elders come together to help each other navigate their new community.
The Central Valley sees some of the highest asthma rates in California. Air pollution, agriculture, and heavy dependence on driving has created a situation has caused many to breathe uneasily. In this story we got to Stockton, California and the San Joaquin County Asthma Coalition.
In this story we go to Stockton where midwives are struggling to meet the high demand for their services. In California there is a shortage of Medi-Cal providers across the board, but especially for expectant mothers. In many areas of the state families are waiting weeks, maybe months before seeing a doctor for the first time in their pregnancy. Many turn to midwives who have to turn them away because they are not allowed to accept Medi-Cal patients. New legislation could change all that.
In this story we go to Stockton where one program is working to improve San Joaquin County’s breastfeeding rate — currently it has one of the lowest in the state.