I was searching for a doctor who makes house calls for my hubby and stumbled across something called the RAISE ( Recognize, Assist, Include, Support, and Engage (RAISE) Family Caregivers Act) that President Trump signed into law this January. The Secretary of Health has 18 months to research and put together a program for us caregivers. It would include, among other things, caregiver training, financial support and respite care. This sounds like a dream come true. I’m wondering how one would sign up to be included, or if we just wait.
This is the most recent info (March of this year) that I could find.
From AARP website;
March 26, 2018
This January, Congress passed and the President signed the RAISE Family Caregivers Act into law.
Across America, family caregivers help parents, spouses, children and adults with disabilities and other loved ones to live independently. They prepare meals, handle finances, manage medications, drive to doctors’ appointments, help with bathing and dressing, perform complex medical tasks and more — all so loved ones can live at home.
These family caregivers have a big job, but some basic support — and commonsense solutions — can help make their big responsibilities a little bit easier.
The Recognize, Assist, Include, Support, and Engage (RAISE) Family Caregivers Act (S. 1028/H.R. 3759) requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop, maintain and update a strategy to recognize and support family caregivers. The law brings representatives from the private and public sectors, such as family caregivers; older adults and persons with disabilities; veterans; providers of health care and long-term services and supports (LTSS); employers; state and local officials; and others together to advise and make recommendations regarding this new strategy. The advisory council meetings will be open to the public, and there will be opportunities for public input. The strategy will identify recommended actions that communities, providers, government, and others are taking and may take to recognize and support family caregivers, including with respect to:
promoting greater adoption of person- and family-centered care in all health and LTSS settings, with the person and the family caregiver (as appropriate) at the center of care teams,
assessment and service planning (including care transitions and coordination) involving care recipients and family caregivers, information, education, training supports, referral, and care coordination, respite options, financial security and workplace issues.
The development of the initial strategy will take up to 18 months, followed by updates of the strategy biennially. The law will improve the collection and sharing of information, including information related to evidence-based or promising practices and innovative models regarding family caregiving; better coordinate, assess, maximize the effectiveness, and avoid unnecessary duplication of existing federal government activities to recognize and support family caregivers. The strategy and work around it could help support and inform state and local efforts to support family caregivers.
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It's about time. The stay at home caregivers are saving the government millions by not having them apply for Medicaid and the government paying for nursing homes.
Since the new Secretary of Health, Alex M. Azar, will be doing the research, one important piece of the puzzle will be obtaining funds to accomplish what is on the list. I hope funds can be found,
I went on the HHS.gov website and the last update regarding the RAISE Family Caregivers Act was back in January. An article from Forbes.
So, we just sit and wait for information.
eg
1 day and night off every week - with a trained professional doing the stand in duty
2 weeks holiday a year- if with the loved one then professionals to assist.
Money for treatments and medicines
More knowledgeable accounts of what are available and all side effects.
Transport to and from appointments.
Correct equipment for home and travel
A small wage
I could just carry on and on.
But I will stop now as I see the pink pigs flying over our house.
I wish it great success. (and all who sail in her)
Rotflmao. Unless there is dedicated funding for it in a federal public law (a PL with a # attached) based on a designated formula for payment to the states with states required to coshare costs to have RAiSE go into effect nationwide, it’s all just photo op window dressing.
Not happening imho & experience as a old health policy planner. I’m more likely to get back into my size 8’s. There will be 5-7 yr cycle demonstration projects in some cities or states that are funded. Articles written up, meetings held, yada, yada, yada. Until there is a universal, single payor system for health care costs & meds in the US there can’t be a system that works. It’s all too piecemeal for billing & payments. The progressive states that do a good job of concern for their citizens, like MN, will make a RAISE type of program work.
As an aside on this, article this week in Nyt that US is on track to be below population replacement in 20/25 years. And this study before taking into account if immigration shuts down (1st generation and recent immigrant tend to have larger family’s). So just where are the all the workers needed for future caregiving & all that low wage support staff in NH, MC, AL coming from?? We’re going to all be older... gee whiz maybe what we can all do is to file (like MaraLago filing for 61 foreign workers) to get our own H2-B visa worker @ $ 12.68 or $ 13.31 hr for full time caregiver from Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Katkawhateverstan.
The whole issue of caregiving is still and will for some time an issue, with those who need relief the most being the most powerless as we don't really have our own organization (besides AARP) or political base or power.
Wouldn't hurt to rechannel funding for the horrendous Wall and allocate it for something that would help caregivers and their loved ones.
FF, I wonder if the same name for the two acts is a coincidence? One never knows.
Now, type in FUND, see what you get.
Cynical here too! Prefer to be on the cynical side than be drawn in and taken by the hype.
But this sounds good Ahmijoy! Good find! I will be sure to actually read it later. Very fine work on behalf of caregivers. I am impressed!
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