Fighting for Family Caregivers in Ohio

Each year, we observe November as National Family Caregivers Month, shining a bright light on the more than 48 million American heroes, including 1,460,000 here in Ohio, helping care for their loved ones independently at home—where they want to be.

Ohio's family caregivers provide 1.37 billion hours of care every year, adding up to $21 billion in unpaid labor annually. Family caregivers spend these countless hours managing medications, preparing meals, helping with bathing and dressing and so much more. The financial, physical and emotional toll is great on them.

SHARE YOUR CAREGIVER STORY

This is why AARP fights every day for commonsense solutions to save time, money and provide more support. Chances are if you are not a family caregiver, you know someone who is. Take time this month to thank one in your life for their time and dedication.


"I Am A Caregiver"

AARP is launching a nationwide movement, I Am A Caregiver. To many lawmakers, America’s millions of caregivers are invisible. Yet, these family caregivers hold up a broken long-term care system, which is why AARP is looking for your help. We are starting a movement of family caregivers to show lawmakers that we are a powerful constituency who need support now.

Raise your hand and join the fight at aarp.org/iamacaregiver.

Fighting for Caregivers in Ohio

AARP is calling on Congress and state legislatures to pass legislation that will help family caregivers save time and money, and provide more support. In Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine signed the 2024-2025 state budget, which included several wins for Ohio’s 50-plus population.

Join us in these efforts by signing up to receive Ohio advocacy updates.

Tell Us Your Caregiving Story

We want to know how being a family caregiver affects you. What kind of challenges has caregiving caused in your life, such as financial strain, emotional and physical stress, and isolation, to name a few?

When you share your story, you'll remind our elected officials that people are making impossible choices and going to extraordinary lengths to provide quality care for their loved ones.

SHARE YOUR CAREGIVER STORY

AARP offers free resources to help those caring for loved ones to help them navigate their role as a caregiver and provide more support.

• Family Caregiver Resources for Ohio: A resource guide tailored specifically to provide you with resources to meet you where you are.
• Caregiving Resources: Resources on caregiver life balance, financial and legal issues, care at home, health and more.
• Prepare to Care Guides: A guide to help develop and implement a caregiving plan for a loved one or friend. You can download or request a print copy in English, Spanish and Chinese, as well as for Asian-Americans, military and veterans, and LGBTQ individuals.
• Valuing the Invaluable 2023 Update: This report pulls from multiple sources to profile who family caregivers are and the challenges they face and includes several first-person accounts of the experience.
• 10 Tips for Family Caregivers: A list of ten tips to get started on your caregiving journey.
• Financial Workbook for Caregivers: A guide focused on health, housing and money management for caregivers.
• AARP Caregiving Community: An AARP online community where caregivers can talk with other caregivers and get answers from experts in the community
• AARP Facebook Group: A place to connect, share practical tips, offer support, and discuss family caregiving experiences.
• AARP Caregiving Support Line: A toll free-family caregiving line for those taking care of their loved ones.
• Family Caregivers How-To Videos: AARP and the Home Alone Alliance offer more than 50 instructional videos on common care tasks specifically created for family caregivers. The videos are free of charge and many are available in multiple languages.

Related Caregiving Advocacy Articles

• New Program Aims to Help Ohioans Age in Place
• Meaningful Progress Made in Improving Ohio Nursing Home Quality
• AARP Appreciates Launch of Department of Aging's Nursing Home Quality Navigator
• Midwest States Seeking to Boost Home Care Options
• AARP Ohio Celebrates Wins in the State Budget
• Ohio Governor's Nursing Home Quality and Accountability Task Force Recommedations Report
• A Look at U.S. Caregivers’ Mental Health
• Ohio Lawmakers Urged to Improve Quality of Care for Nursing Home Residents
• 10 Steps to Reform and Improve Nursing Homes
• AARP Nursing Home COVID-19 Dashboard
• Video Monitoring: Protect Your Loved Ones in Nursing Homes
• Added Protection: Spurred by Abuse Case, New Ohio Law Allows Video Monitoring in Nursing Homes

Related Articles and Resources for Caregivers

• Ohio Nursing Home Quality Navigator
• How to Set Boundaries as a Family Caregiver
• Caregiving Stress and Worry

Related Videos

• Your Friend, The Ombudsman
• Cutting Red Tape for Family Caregivers (Facebook Live)
• Supporting Ohio Caregivers (Facebook Live)
• Caregiving in Ohio