For the first time since AARP began publishing the Scorecard in 2011, more than half of Medicaid long-term care dollars nationwide for older adults and people with physical disabilities went to home- and community-based services instead of nursing homes and other institutions.
Some Oklahoma family caregivers will soon qualify for financial help from the state through a new state tax credit aimed at helping offset the out-of-pocket costs that arise when caregiving. The tax credit is one of the largest and most comprehensive of its kind in the nation.
The Caring for Caregivers Act will give eligible family caregivers a tax credit of up to $2,000 a year starting in the 2024 tax year or up to $3,000 a year if the person being cared for is a veteran or has a dementia-related diagnosis.
More than 524,000 Oklahomans care for older parents, spouses and other loved ones so they can live independently in their homes and communities. Free AARP Oklahoma Family Caregiver Resource Kits are now available to all Oklahomans.
Oklahoma will be the first state in the nation to adopt an expansive caregiver tax credit after the Caring for Caregivers Act became law in June 2023. It takes effect Jan. 1, 2024.