Support Illinois Family Caregivers Now!

Illinois’ 1.3 million caregivers are in crisis.

For years, AARP Illinois has heard from caregivers about the many struggles they face – spending time and money they don’t have to take care of their loved ones, while feeling lost and overwhelmed trying to find reliable resources and information

AARP has always advocated for caregivers at the federal and local level, and we knew that qualitative and quantitative data was needed to support our advocacy work.

In 2024, AARP conducted a comprehensive study call "Pathways to Care: Experiences with Long-term Services and Supports in Illinois" to paint a picture of the caregiver experience here in Illinois. Throughout the course of the research, two issues stood out as the most common faced by caregivers, whether in home & community-based or institutional settings:

Lack of a caregiver resource portal. Caregivers spend countless unguided hours on Google to figure out the best course and the next step for their mom, dad or loved one. AARP supports the Illinois Caregiver Portal, aimed at establishing a central hub of information on caregiving, long-term and at-home care services for individuals over 50.

Tell your lawmaker to support HB 4677, the Illinois Caregiver Portal.

Cost. Illinois caregivers provide $21 billion worth of care and they pay and average of $7000 out of pocket for daily needs such as transportation and adult day care. To ease this financial burden, AARP supports HB 4676, the Family Caregiver Tax Credit, which would make family caregivers eligible for a tax credit for expenses paid related to the care of a family member.

Tell your lawmaker to support HB 4676, the Family Caregiver Tax Credit.

More ways to stay informed and get involved:

Join our Telephone Town-Hall: On April 15th at 10am, AARP Illinois will be hosting a live telephone town-hall where you can learn more and ask your most pressing questions about caregiver support in Illinois, the legislation being considered right now and AARP's new research. Tune in at www.Facebook.com/AARPIllinois

Hear from caregivers like you about how they are navigating the caregiver journey. Click to watch AARP Illinois' YouTube series sharing caregiver stories from across the state. Directed and filmed by Esau Melendez/Clandestino Films.

Read the report: "Pathways to Care: Experiences with Long-term Services and Supports in Illinois"