[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 105 (Wednesday, July 8, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4843-S4844]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
By Ms. COLLINS (for herself, Ms. Baldwin, Ms. Ayotte, Mr. Bennet,
and Ms. Mikulski):
S. 1719. A bill to provide for the establishment and maintenance of a
National Family Caregiving Strategy, and for other purposes; to the
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation
with my colleague from Wisconsin, Senator Baldwin, to require the
Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop a national strategy
to recognize and support the more than 40 million family caregivers in
the United States.
The U.S. population is aging. According to Census Bureau projections,
21 percent of our population will be 65 and older by 2040, up from just
under 14 percent in 2012.
Every day, 10,000 baby boomers turn 65 years old, and as many as 90
percent of them have one or more chronic health conditions. Americans
85 and older--our oldest old--are the fastest growing segment of our
population. This is the population that is most at risk of multiple and
interacting health problems that can lead to disability and the need
for round-the-clock care.
At the very time that our population is aging and the need for care
and support is increasing, declining birthrates mean that the
population of professional and informal caregivers is shrinking. Today,
there are seven potential caregivers for each person over 80 and at the
highest risk of requiring long-term care. By 2030, there will be four,
and by 2050, the number drops to fewer than three. As a consequence, in
the future, more people will have to rely on fewer caregivers.
Families will likely continue to be the most important source of
support for people with long-term care needs. We must do more to
support the 43 million family caregivers in the United States who, in
2009, provided an estimated $450 billion in uncompensated long-term
care. This is an increase from $375 billion just 2 years earlier, and
more than double the value of all paid long-term care.
Family caregivers provide tremendous value, but they also face many
challenges. While the typical family caregiver is a 49-year old woman
who takes care of an older relative, 34 percent of family caregivers
are aged 65 or older. Nearly one in ten is 75 or older. Many of these
caregivers are putting their own health at risk, since caregivers
experience high levels of stress and have a greater incidence of
chronic conditions like heart disease, cancer and depression.
Most family caregivers are employed and struggle to balance their
work and caregiving responsibilities. Nearly seven in ten caregivers
report making sacrifices in the workplace because of their caregiving
responsibilities. They face financial hardships if they must reduce
their hours, change jobs, or leave the workforce entirely because of
caregiving demands. Family caregivers age 50 and older who leave the
workforce to care for a parent lose, on average, nearly $304,000 in
wages and benefits over their lifetime.
I am therefore introducing legislation with my colleague from
Wisconsin to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to
develop a national strategy to recognize and support family caregivers.
Titled the Recognize, Assist, Include, Support, and Engage, or RAISE
Family Caregivers Act, the legislation is based on a recommendation of
the bipartisan Commission on Long Term Care. It is modeled after a law
that I co-authored in 2010 with then-Senator Evan Bayh that created a
coordinated strategic national plan to combat Alzheimer's disease.
The RAISE Family Caregivers Act directs the Secretary of Health and
Human Services to establish a National Family Caregiving Project to
develop and sustain a national strategy to support family caregivers.
The bill would create a Family Caregiving Advisory Council composed of
relevant Federal agencies and non-federal members. It would include
representatives of family caregivers, older adults with long-term care
needs, individuals with disabilities, employers, health and social
service providers, advocates for family caregivers, state and local
officials, and others with expertise in family caregiving.
The Advisory Council would be charged with making recommendations to
the Secretary. The strategy and plan would be updated annually to
reflect new developments. The plan would include an initial inventory
and assessment of federally-funded caregiver efforts. It would then
identify specific actions that government, communities, employers,
providers, and others can take to support family caregivers.
The Project would be funded from existing funding appropriated for
the Department of Health and Human Services. No new funding is
authorized. Like the National Alzheimer's Project Act, it would sunset
in fifteen years.
Family caregivers are an invaluable resource to our aging society.
Chances are that, sooner or later, we will all either be family
caregivers or someone who needs one. The RAISE Family Caregivers Act
will launch a coordinated, national strategic plan that will help us to
leverage our resources, promote innovation and promising practices, and
provide our nation's family caregivers with much-needed recognition and
support. Our bipartisan legislation has been endorsed by AARP. I urge
all of our colleagues to join us as cosponsors.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a letter of support be
printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
AARP,
Washington, DC, July 8, 2015.
Hon. Susan Collins,
U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
Hon. Tammy Baldwin,
U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
Dear Senators Collins and Baldwin: AARP is very pleased to
endorse the Recognize, Assist, Include, Support, and Engage
(RAISE) Family Caregivers Act. Thank you for your efforts to
work on a bipartisan basis to support family caregivers. Most
of us are, have been, or will be a family caregiver or will
need help to live independently. This is an ageless and
nonpartisan issue.
Family caregivers are the backbone of services and supports
in this country. They help make it possible for older adults
and people with disabilities to live independently in their
homes and communities. There are about 40 million family
caregivers currently caring for adults. In 2009, family
caregivers provided an estimated $450 billion in unpaid care
to adults who needed help with daily activities such as
bathing, dressing, meal preparation, and transportation, more
than total Medicaid spending that year. Our country relies on
the contributions family caregivers make and should recognize
and support them. Family caregivers take on physical,
emotional, and financial challenges in their caregiving
roles.
The RAISE Family Caregivers Act would require the
development of a national strategy to support family
caregivers. The bill would create an advisory body to bring
together relevant federal agencies and others from the
private and public sectors to advise and make
recommendations. The strategy would identify specific actions
that government, communities, providers, employers, and
others can take to recognize and support family caregivers
and be updated annually.
By supporting family caregivers, we can help people stay at
home where they want to be, helping to delay or prevent more
costly nursing home care and unnecessary hospitalizations,
and saving taxpayer dollars. We appreciate your bipartisan
leadership and are committed to working with you to pass the
RAISE Family Caregivers Act this year. If you have any
questions, please feel free to contact me, or have your staff
contact Rhonda Richards on our Government Affairs staff at
(202) 434-3770 or [email protected].
Sincerely,
Joyce A. Rogers,
Senior Vice President,
Government Affairs.
[[Page S4844]]
____________________