Staying Fit
New Mexico State Rep. Tomás Salazar knows first hand the joys and challenges family caregivers face. He is one himself. However, as he worked to get House Joint Memorial 4 passed during the 2014 legislative session, he began to realize the widespread challenges family caregivers face.
Salazar is the second oldest of six siblings — five brothers and one sister — but only three of them live close to his mother, Dolores, who turned 93 on Aug. 15. Although his sister, Lucy, is the mother’s primary caregiver, Salazar, his brother David and their spouses also help out.
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Up until two years ago, his mother insisted on staying at the family home at least during the day. But following a medical episode, the family knew someone needed to be with her full time.
"The one thing that is a joy and a pleasure, as a traditional Hispanic family from a rural area, is that we are very close. Our mom is important to us. Having a family matriarch encourages the extended family to share time together,” Salazar said. “There was never any question really that the family would look after her.”
New Mexico supports family caregivers
When AARP New Mexico State Director Gene Varela asked Salazar to sponsor House Joint Memorial 4, which establishes the New Mexico Family Caregivers Task Force and directs it to create a state plan for family caregivers by November 2015, Salazar eagerly accepted. He already knew some of the challenges family caregivers faced, but he had no idea the extent of the need until he began talking to more people about issues they face.
“After I started conferring with Gene (Varela) and others involved in caregiving situations and with other people actually doing caregiving, it became apparent that addressing this issue is critical to our state,” Salazar said.
Some caregivers were working while caring for a loved one. Others were tending, 24 hours a day, to loved ones with a severe illness or disability.
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