Caregiving

Caregiving may be one of the most important, and challenging, roles you’ll ever take on. No matter where you are in your caregiving journey — starting to plan; taking care of a family member in your home, in a facility, or from a distance; or managing end-of-life caregiving responsibilities — having resources at your fingertips will make the process easier.

With the 2024 legislative session beginning in early January, AARP Illinois is urging state lawmakers to enact a tax credit for family caregivers who incur out-of-pocket expenses. The pressure on Illinois’ family caregivers is likely to grow as the state’s population ages.

AARP is championing a plan to increase resources for family caregivers across the state. It would include the expansion of caregiver resource centers and the creation of a statewide website with evidence-based educational and training materials.

AARP Vermont is ramping up its advocacy for legislation that would require employers to offer paid family and medical leave to support the state’s unpaid family caregivers.

Advocates are pressing state lawmakers to ensure Washingtonians living in long-term care facilities receive the same rights — including protection from wrongful discharges or evictions — whether they live in a nursing home, assisted living facility, adult family home or other type of institution.

 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.

Arkansas' governor signs AARP Caregiver Proclamation

John’s caregiving journey began in 2016 when his father John Sr. was diagnosed with late-stage Alzheimer’s disease. This meant around the clock care and advocacy. Finding assistance was a trial in itself. John, a resident of Tuftonboro, left his job to care for his father and John’s sister was able to arrange the finances to make that a viable solution. It was not without its challenges both financially and emotionally.

AARP’s new Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) Scorecard finds that more than three years after the COVID-19 pandemic began, care provided in the United States for older adults and people with disabilities is painfully inadequate. The report finds that major gaps persist in every state, including Mississippi, especially related to nursing home staff turnover, support for family caregivers, and the long-term care workforce.

By George Dicks, Geriatric Mental Health Practitioner with Harborview Mental Health and Addiction Service