AARP commends Ohio congressmen Joyce and Stivers for joining ACT Caucus

AARP Ohio, on behalf of our 1.5 million members across the state, thanks and commends Congressmen Steve Stivers, R-15 ^th District, and David Joyce, R-14 ^th District, for joining the bipartisan, bicameral Assisting Caregivers Today (ACT) Caucus.

On any given day, 1.7 million Ohioans statewide are serving as family caregivers.

Throughout the year, 2.4 million individual Ohioans serve as family caregivers for some period of time, providing an estimated $17.5 billion annually in unpaid care to their loved ones.

“By assisting family caregivers, we can help people stay at home, where they want to be, and help to delay or prevent more costly institutional care and unnecessary hospitalizations, all while saving taxpayer dollars,” said Michael Barnhart, who volunteers as state president for AARP Ohio.

The goal of the ACT Caucus is to bring greater visibility to the value of and need to support family caregivers, as well as highlighting the challenges and opportunities individuals of all ages face as they seek to live independently. The ACT Caucus aims to inform the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate about issues faced by caregivers, elevate the conversation, forge an environment and context conducive to reaching bipartisan solutions, and help create a sense of urgency to act in support of family caregivers.

“We invite all members of Ohio’s congressional delegation to join the ACT Caucus and help improve the lives of family caregivers and those who rely on them,” Barnhart added.

AARP is collecting the stories of family caregivers across the country as part of its I Heart Caregivers initiative. Stories shared by Ohio family caregivers are among those featured at www.aarp.org/iheartcaregivers, where they are catalogued by state. AARP also offers a Caregiving Resource Center at www.aarp.org/caregiving that provides information, tools, and tips for family caregivers.