New Report Funded By The New York State Health Foundation Offers Solutions to Help NY’s Unpaid Family Caregivers
As the number of older New Yorkers explodes with the aging of the Baby Boomer generation and as New Yorkers live longer with more chronic conditions, unpaid family caregivers need help – and a new report from AARP outlines a host of potential solutions ranging from a middle class tax credit for out-of-pocket caregiving expenses to an expansion of “telehealth.”
The Future of Family Caregiving: Leading the Change resulted from a summit AARP convened with the New York State Health Foundation (NYSHealth) and the state Health Department and Office for the Aging with family caregivers, aging-service organizations and advocacy groups. The summit and report were funded by the New York State Health Foundation and AARP Foundation, the charitable affiliate of AARP, which works to end senior poverty by helping vulnerable older adults build economic opportunity and social connectedness.
“We now have a great roadmap for how to better support New York’s nearly 2.6 million family caregivers – the backbone of our long-term care system who provide unpaid care valued at over $31 billion a year,” said AARP New York State Director Beth Finkel. “This report should serve as a blueprint for our elected officials and policymakers as we face an aging population that will put more and more stress on caregivers.”
“Caregivers play a critical role in the health care system—providing vital unpaid care to family members or loved ones,” said David Sandman, Ph.D., President and CEO of NYSHealth. “The physical, financial, and emotional impact of caregiving can take a big toll...