News conference kicks off Michigan CARE Act

AARP Michigan and Sen. Margaret O'Brien shared the podium at a news conference launching the CARE Act legislation on May 20 at the State Capitol.

The bill introduction event attracted a crowd of 40, including television and print media. About a dozen branded AARP volunteers also attended, as well as legislative staffers for lawmakers who support the bill.

Senate Bill 352 supports the state’s family caregivers – an unpaid silent army 2-million strong who help make it possible for older Michiganders to live independently at home, where they want to be.

Sen. O’Brien (R-Portage), the primary bill sponsor, introduced the Michigan Caregiver Advise, Record, Enable (CARE) Act that would support and equip family caregivers with the basic information and training they need when their loved ones go into the hospital and as they transition home.

O’Brien was flanked at the Capitol news conference by a coalition of support groups including AARP Michigan, Area Agencies on Aging Association of Michigan, Michigan Association of Health Plans and Alzheimer’s Association Michigan Chapters.

“It is important that we update health care policies that protect our most vulnerable. Ensuring caregivers have the proper knowledge to care for their loved ones is essential,” Sen. O’Brien said.

She added: "A side benefit of the CARE Act is it saves money."

In Michigan, there are 2.1 million caregivers at any given time during the year who devote nearly 1.4 billion hours to caregiving at a total value of $15.5 billion, according to a 2011 report by AARP’s Public Policy Institute.

“Family caregivers work hard to help their parents, spouses and other loved ones live at home, while trying to keep up with their own jobs and make ends meet,” said William McCarty, a member of AARP Michigan’s Executive Council. “The least we can do is provide these unsung heroes with the basic information and training they need to carry out this noble mission.”

AARP has championed the introduction of the CARE Act in 30 states. The legislation has been passed by legislatures in 12 states and has been enacted into law in 10 states.

The Michigan CARE Act features three important provisions:

• The name of the family caregiver is recorded when a loved one is admitted into a hospital;
• The family caregiver is notified if the loved one is to be discharged to another facility or back home; and,
• The facility must provide an explanation and live instruction of the medical tasks – such as medication management, injections, wound care, and transfers – that the family caregiver will perform at home.

“ This is legislation that will impact the overwhelming majority of Michiganders,” said McCarty at AARP Michigan. “A poll taken by AARP in Michigan last summer shows nearly 8 in 10 adults age 50 and older are, have been, or expect to be caregivers.”

As the population ages, many older adults find they begin to need assistance with daily tasks such as eating, dressing, bathing and transportation. The availability of long-term care services is limited with an increasing number of Michiganders relying on informal caregivers - primarily family and friends.

Family caregivers are more likely to be women who also work full or part-time while providing care, according to an AARP national study. They provide an average of 21 hours of care per week for an average of four years. Nearly one in five family caregivers provide more than 40 hours of care to their loved one per week. Some are on call 24/7, and often they can’t even take a break.

 While these family caregivers wouldn’t have it any other way, they need some support. Caregivers are the first line of defense against older Americans being forced from their homes and into nursing homes or back into the hospital—and it’s not easy.

Caring for mom or dad can be expensive, stressful, and isolating.

Family caregivers often put their own health and well-being second, third or fourth.

 Research shows that if caregivers are well prepared when patients are discharged from the hospital, the patient will be healthier and less likely to be readmitted to the hospital.

 A report from AARP indicates there will be growing pressure on caregivers in the future. The pool of family and friends to care for Baby Boomers as they age into their 80s will be less than half as deep as it is today in Michigan and the U.S.

In Michigan, the ratio of caregivers to elderly persons will drop from 7 to 1 today to 4.1 to 1 by 2030 and 3.3 to 1 by 2050, according to the AARP report.