Eleanor Thommes and her sister have reorganized their schedules and finances to take care of their 93-year-old mother, Elising Roxas, who needs round-the-clock care.
“A lot of
women, especially single women, need to work,” said Ms. Thommes, 63, who
lives in Mililani, Hawaii. “But at the same time they have all these
responsibilities, to pay the bills, and to caregive. How can they
possibly do all of that the same time?”
A new program in Hawaii, the Kupuna Caregivers Act,
is designed to help lift some of the burden on people caring for an
elderly family member at home by paying them stipends of up to $70 a
day. The word Kupuna means elder in Hawaiian.
The
program, which went into effect this week, is limited to those who work
at least 30 hours per week. The money can be used for caregiving
supplies, to supplement lost wages or to hire help. The legislation
recognizes that many Hawaiian families prefer to have their parents and
grandparents age at home, rather than in a nursing home or assisted
living facility.
Long-term care continues to be a
complicated equation for many Americans. Private long-term care
insurance is a shrinking industry with premiums too expensive for many
people to afford. For low-income families, Medicaid offers some options.
At the state level, Maine and Washington are also considering their own
programs.
Washington has been a
leader in long-term care for many years. In 2017, it was ranked first in
the quality and execution of long-term care in a study
commissioned by AARP and several partner organizations. Representative
Laurie Jinkins, a Democrat, and Representative Norm Johnson, a
Republican, introduced a bill last winter called the Long-Term Care Trust Act,
which would provide universal long-term care in the state. Everyone
would contribute through a payroll deduction, and everyone would be
guaranteed a long-term benefit if needed. The program would provide $100
a day to support caregiving across a range of care situations including
at-home care, assisted living and nursing homes. Washingtonians have a
strong track record of passing legislation on a similar model, including
universal paid family leave in 2017 and universal paid sick leave in
2016. The bill is expected to be reintroduced in early 2018.
In Maine, 59 percent of the population
identifies as current or former caregivers. The Maine People’s Alliance
is collecting signatures for a ballot initiative calling for universal home care,
which would make home caregiving available to people over 65 or those
with disabilities. The proposed budget for this program would be funded
by a 1.9 percent Social Security tax on people making over $127,000.
“We’ve
gotten a more emotional reaction to this campaign than anything else
we’ve worked on,” said Ben Chin, the political engagement director of
the Maine People’s Alliance.
Health
care legislation in Maine has been hotly debated recently as Gov. Paul
LePage, a Republican, has vetoed Medicaid expansions five times, though a
recent ballot measure did push through that expansion. The Maine’s
People’s Alliance anticipates reaching its signature goal by the end of
January.
The proposed
legislation in Washington is limited to 365 days (consecutive or not) of
caregiving support and the Kupuna Caregivers program is starting with a
six-month trial period. With those limits, these programs aren’t meant
to be lifetime care. But they offer options for families that can’t
afford private insurance and don’t want to spend down retirement savings
to qualify for Medicaid.
The programs could provide relief for struggling families and serve as models for other states.
Full Article & Source:
Easing the Burden on Caregivers
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