Your AARP
AARP TEAMS WITH CELEBRITIES TO AID CAREGIVERS
Telling personal stories to lawmakers
Television and entertainment stars and AARP volunteers and staff members joined to advocate for changes in laws that would benefit the 48 million Americans who are caregivers.
Caregiving received top billing on Capitol Hill this past June. During a round of meetings in congressional offices, AARP state officials and artists from the Creative Coalition, a nonprofit that helps Hollywood stars advocate for issues, talked to lawmakers about the needs of the 48 million Americans who are caring for a loved one.
The discussions focused on the sacrifice and cost of fulfilling that role, and on what Congress can do to help caregivers.
“Family caregivers like me make tough decisions all the time,” said Yvette Nicole Brown, an Emmy-nominated actress who cares for her father with Alzheimer’s disease. “We put an enormous effort into making sure our older loved ones can age comfortably.”
Veteran actor David Alan Basche, whose mother was diagnosed with dementia, shared how he had to give up several acting opportunities to be there for her.
Mädchen Amick, known for her roles in the shows Twin Peaks and Riverdale, explained that she had to become an advocate for her son, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. “It has been a really, really hard journey,” she said about caring for her son. “It is hard finding mental health care.”
More than a dozen actors joined AARP officials and volunteers in meetings with their local congressional offices to champion four bipartisan bills to support caregivers.
Those bills include the Credit for Caring Act, which would provide eligible working family caregivers with a federal tax credit of up to $5,000.
The Lowering Costs for Caregivers Act would allow family caregivers to use their pretax health expense payment accounts for their parents’ or parents-in-law’s qualified medical expenses.
The Alleviating Barriers for Caregivers Act and Connecting Caregivers to Medicare Act would require federal agencies to help provide easier access to information for caregivers and help their loved ones enroll in Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.
“The coalition members themselves had very striking stories,” said Zayne Smith, with AARP’s Florida delegation. She said it was critical to have people who could “share and articulate what caregiving meant to them.... People all over the country really want Congress to take action and do something about supporting family caregivers.”
Backing changes to help caregivers is good politics.
A recent survey found that more than 70 percent of registered voters would be more likely to support a candidate who backed proposals to support family caregivers.
To learn more about what AARP does to improve caregivers’ lives, go to aarp.org/careforcaregivers.
GETTING HELP WHERE YOU LIVE
Caregiving can be challenging, and resolving the issues it raises isn’t always easy. What medications needed by a loved one don’t mix? How can you make your home wheelchair-friendly?
AARP partnered with pharmacies in Baltimore and Herndon, Virginia, in a pilot program offering caregivers a place to find answers.
Along with Care Pharmacies, an independent, community-based chain, AARP organized several events in which health care professionals answered caregivers’ questions about medication management, safety and accessibility. The gatherings also connected caregivers with peers so they could share concerns and information. “This is a growing area of need,” says Michael Wysong, Care Pharmacies’ CEO. Pharmacists are often asked by caregivers how to help their loved ones. “We’re really trying to meet them where these problems reside, which is in the communities that they live in.”
AARP is working with retailers to expand the program around the country, once the needs of caregivers are better understood. “We are excited to keep collaborating and developing programming we aim to scale nationwide and make accessible to all,” says Reema Jweied-Guegel, enterprise strategic relationships director at AARP. She says retail chains know family caregiving is “growing exponentially,” providing a ready market for products and services.