Caregiving

On Friday, September 11, 2015, AARP Delaware will dedicate a room for caregivers at the Ronald McDonald House of Delaware as part of the “Adopt-a-Room” program. AARP State President Rashmi Rangan will present a check to Ronald McDonald House CEO Pam Cornforth during a press conference at the Ronald McDonald House of Delaware at 11:00 am. Delaware Secretary of Health and Social Services Rita Landgraf will also speak on the importance of supporting caregivers.

Family caregivers in Delaware provided 114 million hours of care—worth an estimated $1,580 million —to their parents, spouses, partners, and other adult loved ones in 2013, according to AARP Public Policy Institute’s new report, Valuing the Invaluable: 2015 Update. The total estimated economic value of uncompensated care provided by the nation’s family caregivers surpassed total Medicaid spending ($449 billion), and nearly equaled the annual sales ($469 billion) of the four largest U.S. tech companies combined (Apple, Hewlett Packard, IBM, and Microsoft) in 2013.

The Caregiving Task Force, which was formed with the passage of AARP Model Resolution 57 during the 2014 legislative session, met its deadline and delivered its recommendations to Governor Markell and the House and Senate on May 29, 2015. Former State President and Caregiving volunteer Jeanne Nutter, Ph.D., served as co-chair on the task force to help drive the agenda and ensure better resources and policies for family caregivers. The task force spent many months assessing family caregiving in Delaware to develop a list of needs that will benefit consumers and employers alike.