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| Caring.com Launches 50+ Club
New deal-of-the-week
feature will make eldercare products more affordable to caregivers.
SAN MATEO, CA, April 22, 2010—Caring.com is making it more
affordable for caregivers to get the products they need, at the prices
they can afford, through its new "50+ Club." Beginning today, members
can sign up for the new deal-of-the-week program, which will offer
product information and special pricing at 50 percent or more off retail
for a variety of eldercare products that have been proven to help make
caregiving easier.
Caring for an aging parent or loved one is a
life stage when consumers need specific products that can make life
easier for both the caregiver and the person they're caring for. The
average person caring for an aging parent spends $5,534 per year in
out-of-pocket expenses for items such as medications, safety equipment,
and daily living necessities, making it difficult for caregivers to be
able to afford the products they need for themselves or their loved
ones.
"Deal-of-the-day websites have become popular among
consumers, because they offer special promotions for what to do, eat,
see, or buy in top cities around the world," said Evan Liang, Vice
President of Product, Caring.com. "Caring.com is tapping into this
popular trend and tailoring it to fit the needs of caregivers by making
products that can help them care for a loved one more affordably,
without breaking the bank."
By negotiating with retailers on
behalf of its entire community base, Caring.com is able to offer special
rates for popular eldercare products for one week, or while the
retailer has inventory in stock. To launch this program, Caring has
partnered with firstSTREET, the leading direct marketer for products
targeting boomers and beyond. Products will span a variety of
categories, with an emphasis on those most highly rated by other
caregivers for helping loved ones living independently, with family
members, in assisted living, in long-term care, or in senior living
communities.
Initially, products will be picked by Caring.com,
but beginning in May, products will be selected by the Caring.com
community.
"There's no greater seal of approval to a caregiver
than positive recommendations from others who are caring for aging loved
ones. We hope members will help the 50+ Club grow and become another
way for Caring.com to provide caregivers with the information and
resources they need while caring for an aging loved one," said Andy
Cohen, CEO and Co-Founder, Caring.com.
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| American Board of Internal Medicine Changes Focus of
Certifying Exam
The ABIM has changed the blueprint for
the Internal Medicine exam, making geriatrics one of the primary
content areas for the exam. This will assure that the exam tests general
geriatrics, such as the principles of geriatrics, geriatric syndromes,
and the care of geriatric patients, rather than just diseases in older
adults. The blueprint will contain 4% primary geriatric questions, plus
8% cross-content (mainly disease). These changes will soon be reflected
on the ABIM website and will be evident in the exam within 1-2 years.
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| World's population, led by Japan, growing increasingly older
The Washington Post (5/25, Pearce) reports, "As recently as 1984, Japan had the youngest population in the developed world, but by 2005, it had become the world's most elderly country," and "soon, it will become the first country where most people are older than 50." In part, this is "because Japanese people live so long: Men can expect to reach 79 and women 86. It is also partly because the Japanese have almost given up having babies: The fertility rate is just 1.2 children per woman, far lower than the 2.1 needed to maintain a steady population." Notably, the "rest of the world is following Japan's example. In 19 countries, from Singapore to Iceland, people have a life expectancy of about 80 years," and "women around the world have half as many children as their mothers."
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