In the recent State of the Union speech, President Obama discussed many aspects of the nation’s economy, including the Middle Class Task Force. The MCTF estimates that 38 million Americans are currently providing unpaid care to an aging relative, including approximately 23 million caregivers who also work and 12 million who also care for their own children.
A new $102.5 million program, the Caregiver Initiative, will ease the burden on families with elder care responsibilities and allow seniors to live in their communities for as long as possible. The initiative adds $52.5 million to Department of Health and Human Services caregiver support programs, which provide temporary respite care, counseling, training and service referrals.
The additional funds will provide assistance to nearly 200,000 more caregivers and provide 3 million more hours of respite care. It also brings an additional $50 million to programs that provide transportation assistance, adult day care and in-home services such as aides to help seniors bathe and cook, with the aim of helping caregivers and allowing seniors to remain in their homes.