Democrats Pushing Legislation For Paid Time Off For Caregiving

A nurse helping an elderly woman with her nails.


The Democrats are renewing their push for a national paid time-off policy for medical reasons and caregiving, although the odds are against them being able to pass it due to the Republicans, which oppose this measure, control the House of Representatives.  Former President Bill Clinton signed into law more than three decades ago the Family and Medical Leave Act, which provides 12 weeks of leave a year for medical and family reasons to workers at larger companies.  However, it’s unpaid leave and a group of Democrats is trying to get this changed to paid leave.  “The fact that we still stand on what is now a piece of legislation that has largely remained unaltered for the last three decades is pretty atrocious,†Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D., Pa.) told The Wall Street Journal.

Caregiver Turnover A Huge Problem For Seniors

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The Wall Street Journal today ran an article on Mary Barket, a 66-year old widow with a degenerative muscular disorder and no family to help her.  She has had seven different caregivers come through her house in the last six months.  On a recent Saturday morning, the home care agency called her and told her the caregiver wasn’t coming that day and they had no substitute.  Ms. Barket had only one meal to last her until Monday when the next caregiver was scheduled to arrive.  “My hands don’t work.  I can’t even open a box.  It’s a very tenuous situation, Ms. Barket told The Journal.  She has ALS and can’t survive without help.  The median turnover in 2021 was about 65% last year, according to Home Care Pulse.  This is an improvement from the peak of 81.6% in 2018, but is still a huge number.  At Family inHome Caregiving, we are fortunate to have one of the lowest turnover rates in the industry.  We do this by supporting out caregivers with training and financial incentives like bonuses, insurance, a profit-sharing plan and an annual thank you dinner.  It’s still difficult to recruit caregivers given the tight market.  However, hanging on to the excellent caregivers is a huge priority for us.

Inflation Hitting Caregivers Hard : Get Long Term Care Insurance (LTC) If You Can Afford It

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Inflation is at the highest level that we have seen in more than four decades, and it is taking a toll on family caregivers.  It’s so expensive, in fact, that Amy Goyer—AARP’s family and caregiving expert and an author of two books on the subject—had to file for bankruptcy after taking care of her parents.  Once she ran out of money, she started putting expenses on credit cards and things got out of control.  “I am a caregiving expert.  How did I end up in bankruptcy?†she told the Wall Street Journal.  People are living longer, which can be a blessing but also a curse.  After more than a decade of caring for her mother, who had a stroke, her father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s so she had the burden of caring for two parents.  There are 53 million family caregivers in America who provide $470 billion per year in free care.  On average, caregivers spend 26% of their income on caregiving expenses, according to a 2021 AARP study.  The median average cost of care rose 18.5% from 2016 to 2020 and now stands at $55K per year, according to Long Term Care Insurance (LTC) Genworth.  Get LTC Insurance while you are still young and its more affordable.

People Are Living So Long Many Seniors Now Caring For Their Own Parents

A man and woman looking at a laptop


The Wall Street Journal recently ran a story about the fact that seniors are living longer and sometimes forced to care for their own parents in what are supposed to be their relaxing golden years.  We believe it!  Most of our caregivers are usually in their 20’s or 30’s or they are 50 and older.  The Journal story profiled Bob Tiller, an 80-year old retired lobbyist for nonprofits, who manages care for his 101-year old mother.  Both Bob and his mother are in continuing care facilities, but very far away from each other.  If there is an emergency with his mother, he makes the five-hour drive to see her.  He’s not alone.  An estimated 19% of the nation’s 53 million unpaid family caregivers are 65 and older, up from 13% in 2004.  Those 75 years and older make up a healthy 7% of our nation’s caregivers, according to the 2020 Caregiving in the U.S. report by the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP.  This will continue to contribute to a growing crisis as people live longer and there aren’t enough caregivers to care for them.

 

Amazon Targeting Seniors And Their Caregivers With New Service

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Amazon.com has launched a new service including an urgent response option giving users access to a 24/7 emergency hotline, supporting fall detection response in partnership with 3rd party services.  It requires an Alexa-supported device such as an Amazon Echo speaker or the Echo Show and costs $19.99/month or $199/year after a free six-month trial.

Happy Thanksgiving To All Of Our Employees And Clients!

A turkey sitting on top of a wooden board.


I know that this has been a trying year for many of us, with COVID-19, an employee shortage and many other negative impacts on the business.  Let’s look forward to a better 2022.  Please welcome the new employees that we have brought on board and enjoy the holidays.

Best Regards,

 

Richard J. Kuehn

Owner

Family inHome Caregiving

Great News For California Caregivers

A woman and a nurse smiling for the camera.


In addition to the financial relief caregivers received in one of the bills signed by President Joe Biden, the California Budget that passed this summer included some more relief for this group of stressed people.  The 2021-2022 budget provides $10 million a year for the California Caregiver Resource Center, a network of 11 offices that offer caregiver counseling, respite care, legal consultation and other support services free to eligible caregivers.  In addition, funding for In Home Support Services, or IHSS, was firmed up.  IHSS pays for services like grocery shopping, meal preparation and personal care for low-income seniors (Source AARP Bulletin, November 2021 Issue, page 6).

Family Caregivers Should Take Advantage Of Online Resources

A woman and a nurse smiling for the camera.


Thankfully, technology is coming to the rescue in the form of a number of online resources which help you juggle a lot of balls at the same time.  There are a number of videos on YouTube which can help you navigate difficult problems like making sure your loved one gets enough exercise, eats right and gives you tools to deal with declining cognitive function.  Another resource is an online community of women caregivers called Working Daughters who have a private Facebook group to discuss various issues.  “Everyone has questions,†says founder Liz “`O’Donnell.  “Am I doing enough?  Do I leave them in nursing care?  Do I bring them home?†are frequently asked questions.  AARP is another resource.  They began doing live Facebook interviews during the pandemic, including one on finding respite care, another on spotting fraud and one on pureeing food.  And if all else fails, talk to other family members and tell them the difficulties that you are facing.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-new-tools-for-helping-aging-parents-1162574960

Pacific Grove : Sally Griffin Center For Seniors Reopens With A New Name : Meals On Wheels Community Center

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After offering group dining for more than 35 years in Pacific Grove at the Sally Griffin Center (which was disrupted by the COVID-19 Pandemic), the senior center has now reopened under the moniker Meals on Wheels Community Center.  It now has new flooring, updated restrooms and furniture and has been freshly painted, thanks to the generosity of donors.  Jacob Safer, the center’s director of development, said that founder Sally Griffin will be honored with a prominent portrait in the building and the “Griffin Gazette†will be sent to all members.  Masks are required when guests are inside.  Go to www.mowmp.org for more information.

President Joe Biden’s Medicaid Plan Helps Family Caregivers : By Derek Baine

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President Joe Biden has an ambitious plan to help seniors, including asking Congress to lower the age of Medicare eligibility to 60, and a $450 billion fund to help family caregivers over the next ten years.  The latter would include a $5,000 tax credit for caregivers, and should reduce waiting lists for in-home and community-based care.