Policy Update

AARP Releases Reports on Economic Value of Caregiving

In June 2007, the AARP Public Policy Institute released an issue brief and a data digest with new state-by-state data on caregiving prevalence and its economic value. The two papers, called "Valuing the Invaluable" by Mary Jo Gibson and Ari Houser, report that there are between 30 and 38 million family or other informal caregivers in the U.S., based on a compilation of different studies, and that this care was valued about $350 billion in 2006. That economic value is more than the total expenditure for Medicare in 2005 ($342 billion) or the total spending for Medicaid, including federal and state contributions, in 2005 ($300 billion). At the state level, the economic value of caregiving ranges from 1.4 to 10 times Medicaid spending for long-term care. Read More

Report Focuses on Vulnerable Older Women and Calls for Support and Fair Working Conditions for Family Caregivers

In May 2007, The California Endowment, a statewide health foundation, released a series of papers commissioned to examine a wide range of issues related to women, health, and aging in California. One of those papers, "Improving Care and Assistance Security for Vulnerable Older Women in California" by Dr. Marj Plumb and her colleagues, includes long-term care and family caregiving issues in its analysis. The paper describes the "substantial financial, physical, and emotional burden" that often accompanies caregiving and which often falls largely on women. The authors provide recommendations for supporting caregivers, stating, "It is essential, equitable, and right that fair working conditions be provided for family caregivers through a package of health, social, and financial benefits."Read More

Family Caregiver Alliance Releases First "Caregiving in California" Issue Paper

Family Caregiver Alliance (FCA) released its first "Caregiving in California" Issue Paper in June entitled "Caregivers at Risk: A Public Health Concern." The paper argues that caregiving must be seen as a public health and policy issue, and it offers policy recommendations for improving caregivers' health and well-being. The Issue Paper offers a statistical profile of caregivers in California and distills findings from more than 50 papers, reports and articles published in the last 15 years on caregiver health. Read More

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