Sens. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) introduced last week a bill seeking to increase funding, training and support for the more than 34 million family caregivers.
The Supporting America’s Caregivers and Families Act increases the funding authorization level for the National Family Caregiver Support Program from $160.8 million to $360 million and directs the Secretary to establish a plan to increase the use of caregiver assessments, and creates a new technical assistance and resource center to share best practices. It also expands the ability of Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) to receive funding from Medicare and Medicaid to provide case management and other services for seniors, which will increase funding for support services to seniors.
“Whether it’s Alzheimer’s Disease, the chronic care needs of an aging parent, or the emotional or physical health need of a child, tens of millions of Americans are pressed into service to care for their loved ones,” Durbin said. “As a society, we must do better job of valuing and uplifting the heroic job that our caregivers—the majority of whom are women—do every day in the face of heavy emotional and financial burdens.”
Durbin said the bill would dramatically increase commitment to caregivers by providing the resources, training and support needed for themselves and the loved ones they assist.
“Many caregivers are family members who are sacrificing time and income to provide support to loved ones battling Alzheimer’s and other chronic conditions,” Kaine said. “This bill is an effort to recognize the contributions of caregivers and provide the resources they need to support our aging communities.”