2015 AARP Survey of Alaska Registered Voters Age 45 and Older on Caregiving

The recently released study found that nearly all Alaska family caregivers age 45-plus believe it is important to be able to provide care so that their loved ones can keep living independently in their own home and many would prefer that they or their loved ones be cared for at home if necessary.   More than 80 percent of Alaska registered voters age 45 and older supports measures in The Caregiver Advise, Record and Enable (CARE) Act, which will help unpaid family caregivers when their loved ones go into the hospital and as they transition home. The bill features three important provisions that require hospitals to provide instructions on the medical tasks the family caregiver may need to perform at home, keep a family caregiver informed of major decisions, like transferring or discharging the patient, and to engage with caregivers by recording the name of the family caregiver when a loved one is admitted into a hospital.

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Key findings include:

• Most Alaska registered voters age 45 and older have experiences as family caregivers, or believe they are likely to be caregivers in the future.
• More than 80 percent of Alaska registered voters age 45 and older support the measures in The Caregiver Advise, Record and Enable (CARE) Act.
• Both current and former caregivers have provided care in a myriad of ways, with more than two-thirds assisting with complex care like medication management (69%) and other medical tasks (67%).
• More 90 percent of Alaska registered voters age 45 and older who are current or past caregivers say it is important for them to receive training or instruction on medical tasks they may need to perform upon hospital discharge of a loved one.
• Nearly all (91%) of these caregivers believe it is important to be able to provide care so that their loved ones can keep living independently in their own home.
  

AARP Alaska commissioned a telephone survey of 800 registered voters age 45 and older to learn about their experiences with family caregiving. This report highlights results from registered voters interviewed between February 24th and March 6th, 2014. The data has been not weighted.  For more information, contact Cassandra Burton at CCantave@aarp.org.