Sec. 2. Findings
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/bill/115/s/1606/is/section-2·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Congress finds the following: More than 43,000,000 unpaid caregivers provide care for a chronically ill, disabled, or aged family member or friend during any given year. Sixty percent of unpaid caregivers are women. More than 37 percent of caregivers live with children or grandchildren who are under 18 years old. Ethnic minority caregivers, particularly African-American and Hispanic-American caregivers, experience greater strain and worse physical health than their counterparts.
More than 50 percent of African Americans are sandwiched between caring for an older person and a younger person under age 18. The needs of caregivers and care recipients vary by several factors such as race and ethnicity, age, social class, sexual orientation, geographical location, gender, military or veteran status, relationship between caregiver and care recipient, health status, and other factors. Unpaid family caregivers spend an average of 24 hours per week caring for their loved ones, and about 23 percent of family caregivers provide 41 or more hours of care per week.
Forty-nine percent of caregivers care for a parent. Fourteen percent of caregivers provide care for a special needs child, including an estimated 16,800,000 caregivers who care for a special needs child under 18 years of age. In 2016, the average caregiver for someone 18 years or older spent $6,954 per year on out-of-pocket caregiving expenses, which is nearly 20 percent of the average annual income of caregivers. Sixty percent of caregivers who provide care for an individual over the age of 18 are currently working or have worked while providing care.
Three in five caregivers have had to make some modifications to their work schedule, from arriving late to work to leaving their job entirely. Almost half of employed caregivers have had to take time off from work. Fifty-three percent of caregivers have experienced a decline in their health as a result of caregiving, which has affected their ability to provide care. Thirty-five percent of caregivers report having difficulty finding time for oneself, and 29 percent report difficulty managing emotional and physical stress or balancing work and family responsibilities.
Forty-six percent of caregivers of adults perform medical or nursing tasks for patients with multiple physical and chronic conditions. Of these caregivers, 78 percent were in charge of managing a patient's medications, administering fluids, or administering injections. Nearly 20 percent of caregivers of adults who assisted with medication management and 33 percent who assisted with changing dressings or bandages received no training about how to perform these tasks. The vast majority of caregivers (84 percent) indicated they need more support related to caregiving.
Home visiting programs are cost-effective and have been proven to improve outcomes for children and parents in different domains ranging from child development to family violence.