Jackie Joyner-Kersee On Mission To Help America's Aging, Caregivers

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Jackie Joyner-Kersee is the most decorated female in Olympic track and field history. She holds bronze, silver and gold medals plus a number of world records.

But these days, she is pursuing a different challenge: Joyner-Kersee is on a mission to preserve the quality of life for American's aging population and their caregivers.

She is working with The Black Women's Agenda and AARP on their "Because We Care" initiative, which kicked off a 14-city tour Saturday in New York.

LINK: The Black Women's Agenda

The initiative includes a forum "bringing people together to talk about what our caregivers should be doing and asking questions how we can better take care of them, let them know that they're not alone," Joyner-Kersee told CBS 2's Andrea Grymes in an in-studio interview.

Especially among the nation's African-American population, caregivers for the elderly are facing challenges, Joyner-Kersee said.

"I read roughly about 65 million -- half of the U.S. adult population -- is providing care for someone that's either disabled, ill or might be two or three people they're caring for," she said. "And then we're in the Baby Boom age."

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