AARP Exclusive Report: American Parents Are Unprepared and Over-Burdened as Long-Term Caregivers to Injured Iraq War Veterans

AARP Exclusive Report: American Parents Are Unprepared and Over-Burdened as Long-Term Caregivers to Injured Iraq War Veterans

Jane Pauley Hosts 'Picking Up the Pieces,' a New AARP TV Special Airing on May 22nd based on AARP the Magazine's exclusive investigative article, appearing in the July-August 2008 issue.

WASHINGTON, May 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- According to published reports, almost 32,000 U.S. soldiers have been wounded in Iraq since 2003, with many suffering from extreme physical wounds and mental disorders. The resulting responsibility placed on parents and other family members to care for those wounded soldiers who return home has become a topic of increasing importance as the U.S. enters the sixth year of the Iraq war and looks for resources and aid for those veterans. AARP today announced a new multimedia initiative that will delve into this topic, including a half-hour television special, an investigative article in the July/August issue of AARP the Magazine, a Web site dedicated to the topic of family caregivers and wounded war veterans, and a prime time radio documentary.

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As part of the multimedia effort starting May 21st, readers can visit www.aarp.org/Iraqvets for a complete multimedia presentation of this important story. The Web site features highlights of AARP The Magazine's feature article in the July/August 2008 issue, exclusive videos that include footage and interviews of wounded soldiers, links to AARP TV programming, AARP Radio, online features, interactivity, outside resources, and actionable ways that readers can get involved and make a difference.

As a precursor to Memorial Day, a new half-hour television special titled Picking Up The Pieces will debut May 22, 2008, on Retirement Living TV (RLTV). This program, produced by AARP TV and hosted by Jane Pauley, profiles two wounded soldiers and their parents who have now become their adult children's permanent caregivers. The special also includes interviews with ABC News anchor Bob Woodruff and his wife Lee, which focuses on their family's journey to healing after Bob was severely wounded by a roadside bomb in 2006 while reporting on U.S. and Iraqi security forces. Additionally AARP TV's "Inside E Street" and "My Generation" programs will devote their May 23rd and May 27th shows to this topic, respectively.

"The story of parents and other family caregivers affected by this situation has never been covered in this capacity," said Kevin Donnellan, EVP and Chief Communications Officer, AARP. "The focus has primarily been on the returning wounded soldiers but the fact that parents are severely unprepared to take on the role of long-term caregiver is a story AARP feels compelled to tell and we're pleased at the opportunity to use our multiple media platforms to increase awareness about this issue."

The July/August issue of AARP The Magazine, the definitive voice for 50+ Americans and the world's largest-circulation magazine with more than 33 million readers, will feature "When Wounded Vets Come Home," a story chronicling parents of wounded war veterans and the role of long-term caregiver they increasingly have to fill. AARP Radio will also feature interviews with five of the families profiled in the magazine as part of a one-hour documentary on the Prime Time Radio network, airing on May 21st. Hispanic caregivers were also interviewed for AARP Segunda Juventud's Web site -- www.aarpsegundajuventud.org -- which will feature a story about the "sandwich generation" in Puerto Rico of parents who are forced to care not only for the overwhelming graying population, but also the large number of injured Hispanic war veterans returning home.

For more information, resources, and organizations that can help, please visit www.aarp.org/Iraqvets.

Interviews available upon request.

About AARP

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to either political campaigns or candidates. We produce AARP The Magazine, the definitive voice for 50+ Americans and the world's largest-circulation magazine with over 33 million readers; AARP Bulletin, the go-to news source for AARP's 39 million members and Americans 50+; AARP Segunda Juventud, the only bilingual U.S. publication dedicated exclusively to the 50+ Hispanic community; and our website, AARP.org. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

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Source: AARP

CONTACT: Michelle Alvarez of AARP, +1-202-434-2555, malvarez@aarp.org;
or Meghan Holston, Coburn Communications, +1-212-382-4450,
Meghan.Holston@Coburnww.com, for AARP

Web Site:

http://www.aarp.org/
http://www.aarpsegundajuventud.org/

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