Robert Clark Young

Hi, I'm Robert Clark Young. Welcome to my profile!

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My name is Robert Clark Young. My life changed with one phone call on July 30, 2008. My mother, 500 miles away, had suffered a stroke that permanently garbled her speech. I left my home, my relationship and my friends--"temporarily"--to help my father care for her.   Four months later, my dad, straining from these new burdens, but keeping silent about his cares, suffered a stroke even more devastating than my mom's. He was paralyzed on the right side.   I had no background whatsoever in eldercare or geriatrics. Like so many millions of Americans my age, I was thrust into a life of eldercare. And instead of caring for one infirm parent, I had two of them.   I didn't think I could do it. But today I'm astounded to admit that eldercare has become routine for me. I'm amazed at how much I have learned. And I know that if I can learn to become a family caregiver, anyone can.   I want to use my experience to help others. I have written a book, THE SURVIVOR: How to Deal With Your Aging Parents, While Enriching Your Own Life.   I have been doing this work for free in my parents' home for five years. I consider it the most important work I have ever done. These years have been the most exciting, gratifying, and transformative period of my life. I'm convinced that any person with a compassionate heart can become a successful caregiver.   According to AARP, 61% of family care providers are women, with the typical caregiver being a 46-year-old female who is caring for one or both parents. Of the 39% of caregivers who are men, a majority are husbands of senior women, rather than sons. This gender imbalance in eldercare is one of the things we need to work to change.   I'm unusual in being a male caregiver. One of the goals of this book is to help people understand that men can--and should--become nurturers.   But my greatest wish is that this book will become a vital lifeline to everyone who, overnight, must face what first appears to be the devastating challenge of eldercare--a challenge that opens the way to unexpected growth and fulfillment for the caregiver. There is nothing to fear in eldercare. There is only joy, growth, and love.

Caregiver and Writer at Professional Writer

University of California, Davis

University of San Diego

Writing, Caregiving