Unfortunately, my concerns about the flagging health of older Americans as well as the folks who care for them was well-founded, according to a sobering report issued recently by the National Alliance for Caregiving. Almost a third of all adults -- roughly 65 million Americans -- currently serve as part-time caregivers, most of whom have jobs and their own families.

No surprise, the typical caregiver, based on interviews with 1,500 people, is a woman in her Baby Boomer years (late 40s) caring for a parent (often a mother) at least 30 years older than she is. The health issues that often necessitate the need for a caregiver:

* Alzheimer's

* Old age

* Cancer

* Stroke

* Heart disease

* Mental illness

According to the Family Care Alliance (FCA), people who tend to sick family members often don't see themselves as caregivers, and never even consider resources that could support them. In fact, the majority of programs focus on skills to improve the quality of patient care, not to support the caregiver, says FCA Program Director Donna Schempp.

All the more reason to check out my recent caregiving feature that includes some a number of valuable resources and suggestions for taking care of family members who care for us.

National Alliance for Caregiving: Caregiving in the U.S. 2009 Free PDF Reports

CBS News December 16, 2009