A generous grant from The Hearst Foundations will fund a new Program for the Study and Support of Caregivers at Weill Cornell Medicine, developing new strategies to help people cope with the challenges of caring for friends or family members at home.
The award represents the latest in a multi-decade history of generous Hearst gifts to the institution, now totaling more than $6.3 million in philanthropy across the institution’s mission to care, discover and teach.
“We are gratified that Hearst sees this project as a valuable contribution to caregiver welfare,” says Dr. Mark Lachs, co-chief of the Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine and the Irene F. and I. Roy Psaty Distinguished Professor of Clinical Medicine. “Caregivers are often called ‘the hidden patients’ because they go ignored when their loved ones are in treatment.
“Family members can be taught how to care for themselves while learning how to become better caregivers to their loved ones,” he added. “The science of caregiving is exploding, and Weill Cornell Medicine is already home to some of the most eminent scientists in this field.”
The goals of the new program, which will be part of the Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, include:
- Adapting existing caregiver programs at Weill Cornell Medicine, including online initiatives, to support caregivers in New York City and locations in upstate New York near the Cornell University campus in Ithaca;
- Building an incubator for new research in the science of caregiving;
- Developing new strategies to assess, support and educate caregivers of patients who receive medical care at Weill Cornell Medicine.
The program’s research effort will be led by Dr. Sara Czaja, director of the Center on Aging and Behavioral Research, the Gladys and Roland Harriman Professor of Medicine and an internationally recognized expert in the use of technology to support caregivers.
The program’s clinical and educational efforts will be led by Dr. Ronald Adelman, co-chief of the Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, director of the Center on Aging, the Emilie Roy Corey Professor of Geriatrics and Gerontology and an expert in doctor-older patient communications.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, caregiving roles include providing emotional support and help with managing a chronic disease or disability, as well as help with activities important for daily living, such as bathing and dressing, paying bills, shopping and providing transportation. Dr. Madeline Sterling, an assistant professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine who studies home health workers, will direct the paid caregivers’ division of the program.
Unpaid family or informal caregivers provide as much as 90 percent of in-home, long-term care. Caregiving can lead to lower productivity and a reduced quality of life for caregivers. It can also worsen stress, depression, anxiety, and make it hard for the caregiver to remain in the workforce.
“I meet with caregivers all the time,” says Dr. Lachs. “I know what they’re going through, and I want them to know we are here for them.”
