Senior Spotlight: 5 Policy-Guiding Goals For A National Caregiving Strategy

Did you know that there are 48 million Americans serving as family caregivers, performing $470 billion dollars of services for free; 6 out of 10 of these individuals also hold jobs outside the home as well. While the dedication and loyalty of family caregivers is unparalleled, the accompanied burnout, isolation and financial expense has been acknowledged but not addressed – until now.

As reported by AARP earlier this fall, “… the Department of Health and Human Services is developing a national strategy to support family caregivers” and has “put forth recommendations based on more than 1,600 comments from caregivers and their advocates, listening sessions, focus groups and briefings from experts.” The recommendations are summarized below as introduced by Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), along with former Rep. Gregg Harper (R-Miss.) and current Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.). as part of the RAISE Family Caregivers Act.

The recommendations below are intended to serve as a national framework to guide public policy in the future adoption of legislation to improve the quality of lives of caregivers and their loved ones.

Excerpt from AARP  “New RAISE Report Outlines 5 Goals to Improve Lives of Family Caregivers”:

1. Increasing awareness of family caregivers: The diverse needs and challenges of family caregivers are not sufficiently recognized. Caregivers themselves may not stop to think of the support they need. Greater awareness can spur solutions and strategies to help.   

2. Engaging family caregivers as partners in health care and long-term services and supports: Caregivers should be treated as members of the health care and long-term services and supports team. Such policies and practices are most effective when they consider the impact on caregivers and the role they play in assisting their loved ones.

3. Improving access to services and supports for family caregivers: Counseling, training, peer support and practical services like transportation and respite care are all needed. This assistance should be culturally relevant and accessible to everyone.

4. Strengthening financial and workplace security for family caregivers: AARP researchers found that family caregivers spend an average of $7,240 a year to help their loved ones, often causing them serious financial strain. In addition, many face great difficulty in juggling their duties at home and in the workplace, a challenge for women in particular. Flexible scheduling and other workplace policies to support these efforts can make a difference. 

5. Generating research, data and evidence-informed practices: To address gaps in service, we need a better understanding of how to help caregivers in all communities, including the underserved. This calls for building a meaningful knowledge base to document best practices, to promote person- and family-centered interventions and to track progress.

While these guidelines are a critical step in the right direction, there is much work to be done to see these best practices put into action. Keep an eye out for federal policies, regional efforts and community supports that embrace these strategies and turn them into action (and help if you can!). 

All my best,

Bobbi Decker
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