American Association of Caregiving Youth, Palm Beach, FL

2013 Palm Beach S'well Event Recipient

These days between people living longer, multi-generation households, blended families, single parents, grandparents raising grandchildren, advanced health care technology available for home use and a health care system that has many gaps where families fall between the cracks or are on long waiting lists for help at home, more and more care is pushed down to children; children who should be able to focus on their education and have time to experience childhood.  Often it is not one person, but rather multiple people in the care of these hidden, unrecognized young providers of the long-term care.  The American Association of Caregiving Youth (AACY) is the national resource for the support of children who are caring for ill, injured, elderly, or disabled family members. The Palm Beach chapter is helping an AACY family.  This family is a grandmother raising her grandchildren – her son is in a facility and the children’s mom has passed.  The grandmother had surgery for a spinal tumor which left her with significant residual mobility effects as well as an inability to work her two jobs which she needed to provide for the three children. Home repairs of flooring, doors and other things including painting are needed.