National

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Featured Dr. Joanne Lynn

How the National Party Platforms Address Caregiving

The Republican and Democratic parties approved their national platforms at their conventions in July 2016. You can learn more on our pages for the Democratic National Platform and the Republican National Platform.

72 Nonprofit Organizations Call for Caregiving Language

In 2016 the Leadership Council of Aging Organizations (LCAO.org) submitted draft language to the platform committees of both political parties. The LCAO is a coalition of 72 member associations dedicated to preserving and strengthening the well-being of America’s older population. Their recommendations are consistent with the approach the Family Caregiver Platform Project has taken. For example, the LCAO letter has a section titled “Support for Caregiving” that reads, in part:

We are committed to helping family caregivers by developing a long-term services and supports system that both expands access to home and community-based services and ensures a qualified interdisciplinary workforce that is appropriately trained and properly compensated. We believe it is critical to expand federal opportunities to support family caregivers through increasing federal funding for existing programs that help caregivers, including caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. We believe it is important to ensure that family caregivers have an explicit role in care plans and the services and supports they need to provide care; resources to alleviate financial hardships and promote retirement security; and access to flexible employment policies. We also believe it is important to encourage the creation of a volunteer “caregiver corps.”

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Featured Dr. Joanne Lynn

About the Family Caregiver Platform Project

The Family Caregiver Platform Project (FCPP) works to get caregiving issues included in as many state party platforms as possible.

The FCPP is a national collaborative effort between major organizations. Together with its national partners, the FCPP encourages nonpartisan grassroots efforts to educate and motivate policymakers to improve state and federal support for family caregivers and older adults. The FCPP works with individual volunteers and organizations to raise awareness of caregiving issues. It doesn’t matter which party you belong to! We care about the issues, not the parties themselves.

During the 2016 political season, many state parties revised their platforms. In 2016 our volunteers made 29 language submissions in 22 states. Language was officially adopted in eight state party platforms, one state party resolution, and two state bipartisan legislative resolutions. Moreover, both Democrats and Republicans included language in their 2016 National Platforms affirming the importance of family caregiving.

During 2017 and 2018, volunteers continued to work at the local level to encourage discussion of caregiving issues in their political setting. You can download customizable platform language templates to minimize the effort to prepare submissions to local groups, caucus meetings, city councils, and legislative committees.

You can send the FCPP an email message at info@caregivercorps.org.

In 2016, the FCPP was supported by a grant from the Lawrence & Rebecca Stern Family Foundation to The Center for Elder Care and Advanced Illness (CECAI) at Altarum Institute, which continues to support the effort on a pro bono basis. The project was also made possible through the Health and Aging Policy Fellows Program, through the generous support of The Atlantic Philanthropies and the John A. Hartford Foundation.

Why Political Platforms Matter

Adopting better policies in state party platforms can be a first step in creating a positive policy climate nationally. A platform is a declaration of where a party stands on issues. Not all parties adopt a state platform. Some adopt party resolutions that are statements of policy, not “platforms,” but that help guide legislative initiatives within the state. Whatever the parties call them, these statements of values are important guidance mechanisms for political action within a state.

Eventually, aging people need improved federal aging policies, not just state-by-state advances. There is a relationship between state and federal policy in which some improvements will be demonstrated first at the state level, and later disseminated nationally. In other cases, federal rule changes will affect caregiving options across many states.

About Caregiving

As millions of us embrace the gift of longer lives in the 21st century, our communities will increasingly need to support their elderly residents so that these residents can age in place and live in dignity. Seven out of 10 of us will need assistance from another person. We will need help with simple activities such as eating, bathing, and moving from place to place. That’s why we need a community that cares.

Unless we act to make home caregiving more feasible for more people, professional care will be the only alternative. Institutional care comes at a high cost, often supported by taxes. Few people would choose institutional care if home care were possible. Allowing people to remain at home for as long as feasible is both more compassionate and more cost-effective.

There are many kinds of families and community needs. Recognizing diversity is important to all of us. The FCPP uses the word “family” to mean all those who are bound to the person who is ill or disabled by friendship, relationship, or law. There are also many ways to improve the lives of caregivers. Options for action vary by state and community.

2015 Submissions

The FCPP had a busy year in 2015. Many volunteers helped to submit language proposals in 2015. Volunteers found that the process was easy and fun. Most parties welcome participation by people within their state and are quite grateful for suggestions.

● The FCPP submitted language to the National Republican Party via the party website in December 2015, with the help of caregiver advocates in New York and Illinois.
● The Arizona Democratic Party received a platform submission in August 2015 and a resolution proposal shortly thereafter.
● The Arkansas Republican Party received a platform submission in December 2015.
● The California Democratic Party received platform submissions in October and November 2015.
● The California Republican Party received a platform submission in September 2015 but subsequently adopted its 2016 platform without including language relating to caregivers.
● The Georgia Democratic Party received a platform submission in December 2015.
● The Maine Democratic Party received a platform submission in December 2015.
● The New Mexico Republican Party received a platform submission in December 2015.
● The Oregon Democratic Party received a platform submission in December 2015.
● The Vermont Democratic Party received a platform submission in October 2015.

Want to Know More?

  • Visit the Family Caregiver Platform Project website at caregivercorps.org.
  • Send an email message to info@caregivercorps.org to learn more about how to get involved.
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Dr. Joanne Lynn

Focus on Community Catalyst

The Family Caregiver Platform Project (FCPP) is pleased to have Community Catalyst as one of our National Partners. Working together we can bring about changes to better serve the needs of family caregivers. Community Catalyst is a consumer advocacy organization working in 40 states. Kate Villers, President and Founder of Community Catalyst, says of their mission, “Each state is different, with a different political environment, so there is no single, cookie-cutter approach.“

Community Catalyst’s state-based partners provide leadership to state and local consumer organizations, policymakers, and foundations. Their experts assist state activists with research information, technical support, and political strategies to ensure consumers have a voice in decisions that affect their health. They share our view that community leadership is essential to transform the health care and social services that caregivers depend on.

Community Catalyst ran a guest editorial about the FCPP in the January 14, 2016 issue of their newsletter, The Dual Agenda. The piece by Victoria Walker, MD, explains how the goals of the FCPP overlap with those of Community Catalyst. You can subscribe to The Dual Agenda newsletter at communitycatalyst.org.

If any issue can unite communities across America it is caregiving. It’s easy and fun to bring caregiver issues to the attention of your local representatives. Many states are organizing now in preparation for caucuses and conventions. Go to Find Your State to discover upcoming events you can attend. You can download model language that can be customized for platform plank or resolution submission in your own state.

We urgently need your help. You can make a difference!

Dr. Joanne Lynn

Caregivers and the White House Conference on Aging

This year’s White House Conference on Aging will be unique. Instead of being shaped by legislation directed by Congress, it has sought broad public engagement. During the past year, issues and ideas important to older Americans have been gathered at listening sessions around the country and through comments submitted on the event website, whitehouseconferenceonaging.gov.

The White House Conference on Aging is eager for individuals to view and participate in its webcast on July 13. Viewers are encouraged to comment and ask questions via Twitter and Facebook.

Caregiving affects all four of the policy areas that will be discussed: Healthy Aging, Long Term Services and Supports, Elder Justice, and Retirement Security. The conference recognizes caregivers’ stress, their need for navigation of services, and the financial hardships they endure.

Organizations and businesses taking new actions around caregiving and other issues of aging are invited to let the White House know at info@whaging.gov.

Policy Briefs can be found at:
http://whitehouseconferenceonaging.gov/issues/index.html

Webcasts of the regional forums held earlier this year are online at:
http://whitehouseconferenceonaging.gov/happening/index.html

Elizabeth Rolf

PBS: Caring for Mom and Dad

“Caring for Mom and Dad” tells the important story of caregivers of dementia patients, and PBS does a god job raising the difficult questions caregivers face every day. The hour-long special covers the challenges adult children face caring for their aging parents, including raising young children, caring for dementia patients in their homes, and the frustrations and challenges of caregiver support. The episode calls for local communities to raise the bar to meet the challenges of family caregivers.

“Caring for Mom and Dad” can be viewed on the PBS website, and it is wonderfully narrated by Academy Award winner Meryl Streep. PBS also shows short clips of caregiver profiles, interviews with caregiving experts, and helpful resources.

To watch “Caring for Mom and Dad” please follow this link to the PBS website: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/caringformomanddad/watch/