Mrs.
Carter spoke with Editor-in-Chief Gary
Barg about her life as family caregiver
and the ongoing work for the Rosalynn
Carter Institute.
Gary Barg:
You and I first met in 1996, and
Today’s Caregiver magazine had just
begun to be published. I know when
we were first looking around in 1994
to see who was doing
anything to support caregivers, RCI
was the only organization that came
up over and over
again.
Rosalynn Carter: As far
as we know, we were the first.
However, there was another
organization that started in
California; but when they first
began, they did just brain diseases
for a long time.
GB:
Why was caregiving so important to
you at a time when so few people
were aware
of the issue?
RC: I got into it because of my mental
health work. I had worked with
families who
had a mentally ill family member,
and I knew how hard it was for the
families. So many
times those illnesses come on
suddenly, and families see the first
mental health professional
in an emergency room. The
families don’t have any idea of what
to do or where to go. When we came
home from the White House, our local
state university had a small
endowment from a mental health
program. By the time I decided I
could do something
with them, it was 1987 and I already
had a really good mental health
program at the
Carter Center. I didn’t want to
replicate what we were doing at
Georgia Southwestern
State University, so we started
working with those who were caring
for mentally ill family
members. The idea quickly spread
because in our community, everybody
knows
everybody and who in the community
is a caregiver. Our first session
was on burnout,
and there were people who were
caring for frail-elderly or
physically ill family members
who wanted to come. Even before our
first, big conference, it had
expanded to caring
for people across the board of need.
GB:
It’s also hard to pigeon-hole
someone as a particular type of
caregiver, “Oh,
you’re an Alzheimer caregiver,” but
that same person may also be dealing
with diabetes,
or dealing with physical ailments or
dealing with cancer. I think
you’re right; once you
put out information of importance to
caregivers, they’re all going to
come.
Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter is
a pioneering caregiver advocate who has
been writing about and speaking out for
caregivers for close to thirty years.
Mrs. Carter is the president of the
board of the Rosalynn Carter Institute
for Human Development, which was
established in her honor in 1987. The
Institute’s mission includes promoting
the mental health and well-being of
individuals, families, and professional
caregivers; promulgating effective
caregiving practices; building public
awareness of caregiving needs; and
advancing public and social policies
that enhance caring communities.