Caregiving

On Thursday, February 8, more than 125 volunteers and staff will be in Boise advocating on behalf of AARP members and all older Idahoans on the crucial issue of Family Caregiving. While meeting with members of the legislature, these volunteers and staff will ask lawmakers to support Senate Bill 1262, the Patient Caregiver Support Act.

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Boise, ID – In Idaho, more than 200,000 hardworking family caregivers are performing largely unnoticed but critical at-home medical services on family members and loved ones. Institutions and healthcare professional play a role in helping Idahoans live independently, but family caregivers in the Gem State are equally important by contributing an estimated $2 billion worth of unpaid care.

AARP Idaho is hosting its annual Lobby Day on Thursday, Feb. 8. AARP members can visit the Statehouse in Boise, watch lawmakers in action and show support for key issues, such as the Idaho Caregiver Act and access to telehealth. Participants will attend committee meetings and observe House and Senate action.

In the legislative session that begins Jan. 8, AARP Idaho is urging state lawmakers to pass the Idaho Family Caregiver Act, which would help caregivers confidently perform medical or nursing tasks when a loved one comes home from a hospital stay. The bill would let every hospital patient designate a family caregiver and would require hospitals to make reasonable efforts to show those caregivers how to perform follow-up care.

November marks National Family Caregivers Month, a time to recognize the 42 million Americans, 200,000 in Idaho, who help care for aging parents, spouses and other loved ones so they can remain at home – as opposed to costly institutions. In the Gem State alone, family caregivers provide unpaid care valued at a staggering $2 billion annually.

AARP Idaho has been at the Idaho Capitol this week supporting some great measures to help the 50+.

A family caregiver may be a parent caring for a child with serious medical issues, or a young adult taking care of a grandparent with a heart condition. A caregiver may be a sister caring for a brother with schizophrenia, or a husband supporting and caring for a wife with dementia. Often, caregiving involves a combination of roles - everything from a simple trip to the grocery store or a medical appointment - to 24/7 care involving medication administration or comoplex medical services. A caregiving role may last a few months or a lifetime. And with caregiving come lots of questions. This guide provides answers. Download the AARP Idaho Caregivers Guide

Boise, Idaho - On Tuesday, February 7, more than 100 volunteers and staff will head to Boise to