Many older adults in New York depend on the care provided by a family member, a job that, although full of love, has a hard impact on the caregiver.
An AARP New York survey, conducted among voters over the age of 40 residing on Long Island and released last week, shows precisely that many of them, who care for their elderly loved ones, feel stressed and need help from the state.
According to the results, more than 40% of respondents said they currently care for an older loved one (11%) or have done so previously (31%). Additionally, nearly eight in ten (77%) said they are or were emotionally stressed due to those responsibilities, which is an increasingly common scenario for family caregivers across the state as New York’s population ages rapidly. .
The majority of family caregivers who responded to the survey for the report “Long Island Caregivers 40 and Older: Their Challenges, Struggles and Needs” reported that they care from a relative, probably a father or mother between 80 and 90 years old. 61% of them expressed that they do not believe that the state government offers enough support to unpaid family caregivers. When given the option to choose between financial support to help cover the costs of care or support to give them more time, 64% of caregivers chose financial support, compared to 24% who chose time to do other things. things.
Reminder
“This survey is a reminder of the challenges faced by Long Island residents who have taken on the responsibility of caring for a loved one who may be chronically ill, injured or declining. Those who make this commitment do so without much support from the state despite their dedication. As someone who helps a loved one, I know the pressure that comes from this act of compassion, and I understand that much more must be done to support these caregivers,” said state Sen. Monica Martinez, whose district includes part of Suffolk County. . The legislator was present at the press conference held at the Family Service League at the Iovino South Shore Center in Bay Shore, where the results of the survey were announced.
AARP New York State Director Beth Finkel said too many of these Long Island caregivers, most of them women, don’t have access to the respite care, transportation or other help their family members need because there is no funding from the status for those services or are on a waiting list.
“On Long Island and across New York State, caregivers are raising their own children and trying to earn a living while providing essential help to a mother or father, or both. They should not have to carry this burden alone,” Finkel said.
recommendations
AARP New York also released a series of recommendations to address the challenges faced by family caregivers. Between them:
- Eliminate Waiting Lists: Providing $51 million will eliminate the waiting list on which too many New York seniors languish, as they and their family caregivers wait for basic services such as transportation, housekeeping and personal care.
- Greater Transparency: Require the State Office on Aging to develop and publish detailed reports of where there are waiting lists, by county and service requested, and to provide this information to the governor and the legislature annually, as well as an accounting of the expenditures of the previous year, by county and service, on how to address the waiting list.
- Direct Financial Assistance: Create a program to provide direct financial support to unpaid family caregivers who on average spend more than $8,000 annually caring for their loved one.
Key findings from the report:
- 76% of current and former caregivers say they worked while providing care
- 80% believe it is extremely or very important to have home and community-based services available locally
- 96% say it is extremely or very important to provide care so their loved ones can remain in their own homes
- 97% of caregivers say they have incurred personal expenses while caring for a loved one, including transportation, home modification, and medical equipment
- 1,345 New York registered voters age 40 and older participated in a statewide AARP survey from which data for Long Island was obtained
The report
To read the full report (in English) and learn more, visit: www.aarp.org/NYWomenCaregivers
2024-02-13 20:18:33
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