Delaware Legislators included in fifth annual class of Capitol Caregivers

By Kimberly Iapalucci , January 16, 2019 01:17 PM

AARP is proud to announce our fifth annual bipartisan class of Capitol Caregivers, who fought this year to increase support for family caregivers and their loved ones. Nationwide, AARP has recognized legislators in each state for the support they have provided for caregivers. Here in Delaware, Reps. Ruth Briggs King and Debra Heffernan are this year's awardees. AARP in Delaware thanks them for all they do to make life better for Delaware's 123,000 family caregivers.

Capitol Caregivers
Every day, more than 40 million Americans help aging parents, spouses, children with disabilities and other loved ones with a whole host of tasks that help them live independently in their homes and communities – things like assisting with bathing and dressing, preparing meals, driving to doctor visits, paying bills, and administering medication and other medical tasks. About sixty percent balance their caregiving responsibilities with full- or part-time jobs, and some are also raising families.

AARP’s 2018 class of Capitol Caregivers includes 58 state legislators and 6 governors from more than 20 states who championed policies that:

support family caregivers when their loved ones are admitted to the hospital and as they transition home
give nurse practitioners the full authority to heal by cutting through the red tape that prevents them from doing their jobs
help working caregivers to balance responsibilities at home and work with workplace flexibility and paid and unpaid leave policies
update state guardianship laws to better protect vulnerable adults and provide family caregivers and other legal guardians more training and support
help protect vulnerable adults and provide their caregivers with the tools they need to make important financial decisions through power of attorney laws
break down the barriers that prevent use of telehealth — using digital information and communication technologies, like computers and mobile devices
protect or increase the number of older adults who have access to state-funded services at home, like home care and adult day care

A list of AARP’s 2018 Capitol Caregivers and the legislation they championed can be found here.