ENGLEWOOD, N.J. – U.S. Sen. Cory Booker and Rep. Bill Pascrell, both D-N.J., hosted a roundtable discussion today to highlight the In Home CARE Act, legislation they co-sponsored to help informal, unpaid family caregivers.
The roundtable was attended by family caregivers who shared their own personal experiences, as well as representatives from the Visiting Nurses Association, Parkinson’s Action Network, National Parkinson Foundation, and the NJ Home Care Association.
“More than half of our nation’s caregivers have experienced a decline in their own health resulting from the gruelling demands of providing care,” said Sen. Booker. “It is absolutely vital that we provide these selfless individuals with the support they need to effectively care for their loved ones while prioritizing their own health and wellbeing.”
“Family caregivers allow people to stay at home connected to their communities and help improve quality of life of the loved ones they care for,” said Rep. Pascrell. “In talking to family caregivers in New Jersey, they all say they need the same thing – more support. This legislation aims to give them just that.”
Caregivers provide upwards of an estimated $450 billion in unpaid care each year. Many caregivers not only help with day-to-day tasks such as feeding,bathing, and dressing, but they also perform complex medical tasks that were once only provided in hospitals or nursing homes, or by home care professionals.
The In Home CARE Act builds upon the current training and support services for family caregivers by establishing competitive grants to public and non-profit organizations to carry out family caregiver home visiting programs. This legislation will help alleviate some of the burden facing unpaid family caregivers. By going into the home – the environment in which caregivers are actually providing care – providers will be able to better assess the caregiver’s specific needs and problems, and help tailor training and resources to best serve the care recipient.
The In Home CARE Act is supported by: Caregiver Action Network, AARP, Parkinson’s Action Network, Visiting Nurses Association of America, the National Alliance for Caregiving, the American Psychological Association, New Jersey Home Care Association, the Huntington’s Disease Society of America, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and the Alzheimer’s Association.
