CAPITOL HILL REPORT
Congress Passes The Family Caregiver Law;
Small, But Helpful Step On Road To Reform
By Congressman Bill Delahunt
Before closing the books on the 109th Congress, legislators passed a small but important measure—the Lifespan Respite Care Act—which provides modest assistance to families struggling to pay for home health care for seniors and the disabled.
With the retirement of the baby boom generation now upon us, the Congress will no longer be able to delay enactment of comprehensive health care reform. Over the next 10 years, health care costs will explode and put more pressure on an already overburdened system. Among issues that need urgent attention, there is the rapidly growing financial burden of costly home based health care for seniors and the disabled.
Each year, more than 29 million Americans provide direct health care services to an adult family member. More than 18 million parents have a disabled child who needs health care services in the home. In many cases, families could opt for Medicaid financed assistance in an institutional setting such as a nursing home, but choose not to for a variety of reasons. Families increasingly are finding fewer health care delivery options for parents and the disabled.
Studies estimate that the cost of health care services provided in the home by a private company would be at least $300 billion annually. While home-based care is of high quality and saves billions of dollars, many children of seniors, or parents of the disabled, find themselves increasingly exhausted, emotionally and financially.
The Lifespan Respite Care Act creates a National Resource Center for Lifespan Care. The Center will maintain a comprehensive national respite database and provide more training and technical assistance to state, community and non-profit based respite care programs. The law also provides additional financial assistance for existing respite care programs.
We owe a great deal of credit for the passage of this law to advocates such as the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Alzheimer’s Association, and the ALS Association. In addition, my colleague Congressman, Jim Langevin, also deserves significant credit.
While the federal government needs to do more for home-based health care, the Lifespan Respite Care Act is an excellent step forward in addressing an urgent national health care issue that affects many on the Cape and Islands.