RAISE Family Caregiving Council Report: Our Actions
Steps We Can Take to Support Family Caregivers
The RAISE Family Caregiving Council released its report to Congress on September 22, 2021. You’ll find the report here: https://acl.gov/RAISE/report
The report’s release provides a natural opportunity for us to reach out to our network and our representatives to advocate for what we need. The report focuses on five priority areas:
Increased awareness of family caregiving.
Increased emphasis on integrating the caregiver. into processes and systems from which they have been traditionally excluded.
Increased access to services and supports to assist family caregivers.
Increased financial and workplace protections for caregivers.
Better and more consistent research and data collection.
We created three recommendations which provide actions we all can take to complement the report’s recommendations. We can these steps to make a difference:
1. Caregiving is a Isolating: SHARE RESOURCES
Family caregivers often go too long before connecting with resources that can support and help them. We believe legislators, libraries, doctor’s offices and workplaces can make an impact by sharing resources that can help. Connecting family caregivers to support is a simple act that makes a huge difference. Download our Caregiving Resources flyer to share and post anywhere and everywhere. (You also can download our black-and-white Caregiving Resources flyer, which may be easier for printing.)
“I have no extended family. My husband is my caree and has a traumatic brain injury from a work injury. Every day is different yet the same.” ~ a family caregiver
2. Caregiving is a Expensive: PASS THE CREDIT FOR CARING ACT
The Credit for Caring Act, introduced on May 18 in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. The bipartisan bill would provide an up to $5,000 federal tax credit for eligible working family caregivers — which could help defray the nearly $7,000 that many families spend each year in out-of-pocket caring costs.
“It takes every penny to keep my husband alive.” ~ a family caregiver
3. Caregiving is a 24/7 Job: GIVE A BREAK
Help the family caregiver in your life on Tackle the Tasks Day, which is November 27, 2021. When you spend a few hours helping around the home of a family caregiver, you check off tasks on a To Do list which gives time back to family caregivers and a much-needed break. Learn more about Tackle the Tasks Day.
“It’s all up to me. It sure would be nice to have someone offer to help.” ~ a family caregiver
Advocacy Tool Kit
To help you spread the word about our initiative, we’ve created an advocacy tool kit. Our took kit includes our PDF which details our recommendations, a social media graphic and messaging you can use on social media and in email messages to your representatives.
Notes
Family caregiver quotes taken from surveys on stress, compassion fatigue and the financial impact of caregiving conducted by The Caregiving Years Training Academy.
Thanks so much to Kara Ward, who cares for her grandmother, for her graphic design and editing help!
(Image by jacqueline macou from Pixabay)
Resources
If your caregiving experience has ended, gain support in your life after caregiving with our six-class cause, Beginning Again After Caregiving Ends. Join our pilot program to enroll for free.
We’re currently accepting nominations for three categories in The Caring Awards: Caregiving books, advocates and TikTok channels. Nominate yourself or a colleague. Deadline to submit a nomination is November 15.
Join us on the third Wednesday at 1 p.m. ET to brainstorm solutions to get help for your personal caregiving challenges or your caregiving start-up. RSVP for our Caregiving MasterMind Solutions meeting.
Tell us about your caregiving and after-caregiving day.