2014 AARP Caregiving Survey: Support for Connecticut Caregivers

The recently released study found that nearly all Connecticut family caregivers age 40-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 three quarters of Connecticut residents age 40 and older support measures to help unpaid family caregivers such as requiring hospitals to provide instructions on the medical tasks the family caregiver may need to perform at home, keeping a family caregiver informed of major decisions, like transferring or discharging the patient, and engaging with caregivers by recording the name of the family caregiver when a loved one is admitted into a hospital.

Key findings include:

• Six in ten Connecticut residents age 40-plus are currently or were previously providing care for adult loved ones.
• There is widespread support for measures to help unpaid family caregivers.
• Respondents feel it should be a priority for Connecticut elected officials to strengthen laws and regulations that support family caregivers.
• Connecticut residents support workplace regulations for family caregivers.

AARP Connecticut commissioned a telephone survey of 1,000 Connecticut residents age 40 and older to learn about their experiences with family caregiving, as well as their opinions on proposals to support family caregivers in the state. This report highlights results from residents who were interviewed for the study between March 26 and April 6, 2014. The data in this report has been weighted by age and gender to reflect the Connecticut population age 40 and older. For more information contact Kate Bridges at KBridges@aarp.org.