[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 122 (Thursday, July 31, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5235-S5236]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 42--RECOGNIZING CAREGIVING AS A PROFESSION 
   AND THE EXTRAORDINARY CONTRIBUTIONS OF PAID AND FAMILY CAREGIVERS

  Mr. JOHANNS (for himself and Ms. Ayotte) submitted the following 
concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions:

                            S. Con. Res. 42

       Whereas 10,000 individuals in the United States turn 65 
     years old each day;
       Whereas it is estimated that 40,000,000 individuals in the 
     United States, 13 percent of the population of the United 
     States, are 65 years of age or older;
       Whereas in 2056, for the first time, the population of 
     individuals in the United States who are age 65 or older is 
     projected to outnumber the population of individuals in the 
     United States who are under age 18;
       Whereas by 2060, the population of individuals in the 
     United States who are age 65 or older is projected to 
     increase from 1 out of 7 individuals to 1 out of 5 
     individuals;
       Whereas the population of individuals in the United States 
     who are age 85 or older is projected to increase from 
     5,900,000 to 18,200,000 by 2060;
       Whereas the population of individuals in the Unites States 
     who are age 85 or older is projected to comprise 4.3 percent 
     of the total population of the United States by 2060;
       Whereas more than 5,000,000 individuals in the United 
     States have Alzheimer's disease;
       Whereas by 2050, as many as 16,000,000 individuals in the 
     United States are projected to have Alzheimer's disease;
       Whereas it is estimated that 60 percent to 70 percent of 
     individuals in the United States who have Alzheimer's disease 
     or dementia live at home, and such individuals may need 
     assistance in their homes with activities of daily living;
       Whereas 1 out of 5 of individuals in the United States who 
     are older than 65 years of age need assistance from a 
     caregiver to complete activities of daily living;
       Whereas in order to address the surging population of 
     seniors who have significant needs for in-home care, the 
     field of senior caregiving must continue to grow;
       Whereas it is estimated that there are 65,700,000 adults in 
     the United States who provide care to an individual who is 
     ill, disabled, or aged;

[[Page S5236]]

       Whereas it is estimated that there are 1,800,000 paid 
     caregivers in the United States;
       Whereas both unpaid family caregivers and paid caregivers 
     work together to serve the daily living needs of seniors who 
     live in their own homes;
       Whereas employment of caregivers is projected to grow 49 
     percent from 2012 to 2022, much faster than the projected 
     average growth of all occupations; and
       Whereas as a senior is able to assume responsibility for 
     more of his or her own care, the burden on public payment 
     systems in the Federal government and State governments 
     decreases: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That Congress--
       (1) recognizes the valuable contributions of caregivers;
       (2) supports paid caregivers, the private home care 
     industry, and the efforts of family caregivers in the United 
     States by encouraging individuals to provide care to family, 
     friends, and neighbors;
       (3) encourages accessible and affordable self-directed care 
     for seniors;
       (4) should review Federal programs that address the needs 
     of seniors and the family caregivers of seniors; and
       (5) encourages the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
     to continue efforts to educate the people of the United 
     States on the impact of aging and the importance of knowing 
     the options available to seniors when seniors need care to 
     meet their personal needs.

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