Rich Fitzgerald: Pa. leaders and presidential hopefuls should commit to aiding America’s caregivers

Pennsylvanians have a long tradition of taking care of our neighbors, all the way back to our founding. Today we continue that tradition, especially when it comes to caring for those who can’t take care of themselves.

A little over a million Pennsylvanians act as caregivers for their friends and family members, and while it’s the right thing to do, it can be financially burdensome as well as physically and emotionally taxing for those who have stepped into a caregiving role.

Next year being an election year for all members of the House of Representatives, a third of the U.S. Senate, the White House and our Harrisburg representatives, Pennsylvania will be spotlighted for issues that voters care about. Our most vulnerable and their caregivers need to be part of that conversation.

At the national level, President Biden, Sen. Bob Casey, Congresswoman Susan Wild, and Congressmen Chris Deluzio and Matt Cartwright have already indicated their support for solutions to this problem, a worthwhile issue they should continue fighting for.

They know that caregivers in Pennsylvania spend almost 1,400 hours each year individually providing care for their loved ones, often helping with basic activities like getting dressed, eating, bathing and traveling to doctors, as well as providing emotional support.

All that time has a real cost. It is estimated that Pennsylvanians provide approximately $22 billion in unpaid labor providing care for family and friends.

Aside from the time commitment caregiving requires, it also cuts into Pennsylvanians’ finances, and that kind of monetary stress can put a caregiver’s own financial stability in jeopardy. This often comes from dipping into their own hard-earned savings to help pay for costly medical bills or home alterations to make life easier for loved ones, while other funds go toward paying for prescription drugs, transportation and essential medical devices.

Caregivers are providing more than their fair share with little to no return, and in Pennsylvania and all across the country, the burden is becoming too much to bear. Our caregivers need help, and we need our friends in Washington, in a bipartisan fashion, to help.

While we hope next year’s elections will focus on issues instead of personality and theater, let’s hope that issues become the issue and the caregiver challenge gets some attention.

Some possible solutions could be tax credits directed to caregivers or increasing funding to assist with caregiving for people with disabilities. Both incentives would go a long way toward easing some of the burden faced by caregivers every day, and advocating for those and similar support would be helpful.