“Family Caregivers Need Help. These Are the Policies They Say Would Make the Biggest Difference,” by Christy Bieber, Kiplinger
“There are millions of people across the country caring for elderly or disabled family members. New research shows the key changes that would improve their lives and the lives of those they care for. … Direct payments to family care providers was the number one policy caregivers said would be beneficial. In total, 44% of focus group respondents said being paid for their services would be the most helpful policy change for them. … While USA.gov indicates some caregivers are eligible for direct payments through Medicaid or long-term care insurance, most caregivers don’t qualify, as Medicaid is a means-tested benefit with narrow eligibility requirements, and only 3.3% of Americans have long-term care insurance. If payments were offered to all caregivers, researchers estimate they’d add up to $76,000 over seven years (the average time spent caregiving).”
LTC Comment, Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform:
Articles like this one never ask “how did we get into this mess?” So they never find answers and end up with nothing more to say than we need more government money and regulation. To make sense of what ails LTC, read the Paragon Health Institute’s “Long-Term Care: The Problem” and “Long-Term Care: The Solution” and watch this “virtual LTC event” featuring age wave visionary Ken Dychtwald and leading LTC researchers. To find ample private funds for LTC, check out Medicaid’s $100+ Billion Leak.