Monica Gordon, Cook County Commissioner of the 5th District, will be joined by her fellow Cook County Commissioners, Cook County Health Executives, and other healthcare advocates in presenting to the public a resolution that calls for expanding programs and funding for family caregivers.
According to the most recent report from The National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) and AARP published in 2020, 53 million people are providing unpaid care in the U.S. with family caregivers now encompassing more than one in five Americans. Caregiving remains an activity among all generations, racial/ethnic groups, income or educational levels, family types, gender identities, and sexual orientations.
Three in 5 caregivers are women (61 percent) and 2 in 5 are men (39 percent). Six in 10 caregivers report being non-Hispanic White (61 percent), 17 percent are Hispanic or Latino, 14 percent non-Hispanic African American or Black, 5 percent Asian American and Pacific Islander, and 3 percent some other race/ethnicity, including multiracial.
“According to a recent JAMA Health forum, every day, millions of Americans provide unpaid care for a family member or friend. The COVID-19 pandemic created a crisis of care, with millions of people now more reliant on unpaid caregiving and 40% of caregiving increasing the number of hours of care they provide. The burden of unpaid care needs continues to disproportionately fall on women, with devastating effects on health, wellbeing, and labor force participation.” says Commissioner Gordon.
Furthermore, the economic effects of family caregiving can result in financial strain with substantial short-term and long-term financial consequences. About one in five caregivers report experiencing high financial strain because of providing care to their loved ones.
Commissioner Gordon adds, ”Family caregivers are key partners in the provision of health care and long-term services and support. As a government, we must create public policy to optimize the well-being of family caregivers by leveraging resources from county agencies to assist them in diverse communities.”
Commissioner Gordon and her colleagues will detail the resolution, expressing that family caregivers are key partners in the provision of health care and long-term services and support. In addition, Commissioners and advocates will discuss potential areas within public policy that can address the financial burden on individual family caregivers.
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