Looking at some of these posts on this cite with people struggling so hard to care for loved ones in a society that supposedly values life and family, I can't help but think of caregivers as sort of a forgotten domestic army. In case caregivers ever join in one voice, there should be a list of needs. If anyone has ideas, please contribut them. Here are some of mine:
1. For those who chose to care for family members at home who would otherwise be using Medicaid funds to pay a nursing home. Give us, no matter what state we live in, equal funding that you would give a nursing home via Medicaid.
2. For those who had to leave jobs to stay at home to provide care: create a government incentive program that would give tax benefits and grants, etc to companies who don't go overseas for things like call centers where caregivers could work from home, answering those types of calls now given to people in other countries.
3. For those who have to keep their families in facilities: Provide more government oversight of nursing homes and assisted living facilites to prevent them from neglecting or discriminating against loved ones. Pass a law thay says that, if family members want to share info about care in nursing home, they have to provide names and phone numbers of each other so they can communite and join together to correct situations, where strength in numbers will be results, instead of retailiation.
That's enough for now for me. Does anyone else have any dreams or ideas on this topic?
I'm just adding to this by putting it at the top of the pile with my endorsement! Go for it, forum readers - add to the dream list of things family caregivers need - most would save the government a ton of money by keeping elders out of nursing homes (on Medicaid) longer!
Carol