HR0506 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0506 LRB103 35245 LAW 65244 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Family caregivers providing care to loved ones help make it possible for older adults, people with disabilities, and veterans to live independently in their homes and communities, and they are the backbone of the care system in Illinois and across the United States; and

WHEREAS, AARP, a national nonprofit dedicated to empowering people to choose how they live as they age, has released data to show the significant challenges family caregivers experience; and

WHEREAS, There are approximately 1.3 million family caregivers in Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Family caregivers in the State provide an estimated 1.21 billion hours of unpaid care annually at an economic value of $21 billion; and

WHEREAS, Providing care to a loved one can create a financial challenge for family caregivers, with them spending more than $7,200 per year in out-of-pocket costs on average nationally, or a quarter of their income on caregiving activities, with African American and Hispanic/Latino caregivers on average spending a higher percentage of their income on caregiving responsibilities; and

WHEREAS, Family caregivers include all unpaid individuals of all ages who are caring for individuals with disabilities, chronic or other health conditions, and/or functional limitations; and

WHEREAS, Family caregivers, who perform a wide range of care, from providing assistance with a variety of activities such as meal preparation, bathing, dressing, transportation, and managing finances to handling more intensive tasks such as nursing and wound care, medication management, and care coordination, are vital to enabling older adults and persons with disabilities to remain living in their homes and communities; and

WHEREAS, Despite the fact that providing care in homes and communities is generally less costly than providing care in institutional settings, financial strains associated with family caregiving arise from several factors, and these may include needing to cut back on hours at work, taking unpaid leave, retiring early, or even quitting a job; and

WHEREAS, In the workplace, family caregivers often face loss of earnings, job insecurity, and a lack of promotions, health insurance, and employer retirement contributions; and

WHEREAS, Many family caregivers report that financial challenges from caregiving have caused them to resort to adverse financial strategies, such as withdrawing savings, cutting back on their own health care spending, decreasing contributions towards retirement, and taking loans to make ends meet; and

WHEREAS, The emotional toll of family caregivers rises when the responsibilities of the caregiver role increase, including the amount and duration of care and the performance of medical or nursing duties, in addition to the perceived lack of choice in taking on the caregiver role; and

WHEREAS, Chronic stress caused by family caregiving may have negative health impacts on the caregiver which may result in depression, psychological distress, decreased self-care, and poorer physical health; and

WHEREAS, Caregiver training, respite care, and other supports are powerful tools that make an intensely difficult job easier and enable family caregivers to carry on with their responsibilities, prevent burnout and injury, and better manage the variety of duties they take on in order to provide the best possible care to their loved ones; and

WHEREAS, It is important for Illinois to be committed to enacting solutions to support family caregivers in their efforts to provide care to loved ones, allowing residents to safely and comfortably age in their own homes, helping to preserve communities, and avoiding the expense of institutional care; and

WHEREAS, Demand for these programs is high, but funding is limited, and more needs to be done to improve the plight of family caregivers; and

WHEREAS, It is imperative to understand, recognize, and support the compassionate and difficult work done by family caregivers in Illinois and throughout the U.S.; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois Family Caregiver Coalition was created in December 2021 and now includes over 300 members who make up a diverse representation of unpaid, informal caregivers and organizations who serve and/or interact with unpaid family caregivers across the State; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois Area Agencies on Aging have developed a statewide network of caregiver resource centers to serve unpaid family and informal caregivers; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois Family Caregiver Coalition and the Illinois Area Agencies on Aging were selected to represent Illinois and were recognized at the inaugural National Family Caregiver Conference in Washington, D.C. in late October 2023, with Illinois being one of only 10 states invited to participate in this national conference and advocacy day; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the passage of important policies to better support family caregivers, particularly by enacting policies that:

(1) Provide increased funding for Illinois' Community Care Program, Home Delivered Meals, the Illinois Family Caregiver Act, Illinois Area Agencies on Aging, Illinois Case Coordination Units, Long-Term and Home Care Ombudsman, and other older adult programs and resources for Illinois caregivers at the Illinois Department on Aging and other State agencies, and examine policy changes to improve the navigability of these resources;

(2) Improve the inclusion of family caregivers in their loved one's care and hospital discharge and planning, and provide them with the education, training, and support they need, including as their loved one moves from one place of care to another, in Hospital at Home programs, in Medicare more broadly, and in measures of provider engagement with and in support of family caregivers and family caregivers' experience of care and support, and support veterans and their caregivers;

(3) Increase access to options and eligibility for care at home, including but not limited to providing permanent financial protections for the spouses of individuals receiving Medicaid Home and Community Based Services, incentivizing Home and Community Based Services expansion, expanding caregiver and senior support options and resources in the State's Community Care Program, and more;

(4) Attract and retain direct care workers through increased pay and benefits, improved training, career pathways, and other job improvement initiatives; and

(5) Provide financial relief for family caregivers, such as through a family caregiver income tax credit, to help offset a portion of caregiving expenses paid by caregivers; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to all Illinois constitutional officers, the Speaker and Minority Leader of the Illinois House of Representatives, and the President and Minority Leader of the Illinois Senate.