Care issues to receive holistic approach in new administration

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There are no adequate words to describe what America has experienced over the past week. But it is important to not lose sight that a new administration will be sworn in later this month, and while they will have their hands full with dealing with the aftermath of an attempted violent overthrow of our government and a raging pandemic, there is optimism that the Biden-Harris administration recognizes the need for a comprehensive plan to address caregiving issues. Joe Biden has been a caregiver, so he understands the issue at a personal level. Kamala Harris supported domestic workers’ issues while serving in the Senate. With a slim Democratic majority in both houses, there is a greater chance that some of these initiatives will become law. Let’s take a brief look at how the Biden-Harris administration wants to address caregiving issues. The complete Biden-Harris caregiving plan is available online.

• Holistic approach: Care needs across the age spectrum will not be separated but addressed in a holistic fashion. Many families members are a member of the “sandwich generation,” caring for children and for aging relatives at the same time. There has long been a greater focus on childcare in this country in comparison to aging issues and I hope this imbalance will be corrected.
• Building infrastructure of care: Biden’s plan is designed to address shortcomings in many areas of caregiving by reforming certain programs and launching new initiatives. For aging care, this would include providing more support for aging in place services, in part by reforming Medicaid and reducing the wait list and by establishing a fund to pay for home care and community care. Biden would seek to increase the caregiver workforce by offering better pay and basic benefits such as health care and paid leave. Tax credits and social security credits for caregivers would also be considered. Veterans and people of color would receive special attention to address past inequities.
• Public health jobs corps: I’m particularly interested in the formation of a public health jobs corps. While it first would assist with the COVID-19 pandemic, eventually the corps would be used to support community health programs. A public health corps that served rural areas could be huge in allowing aging loved ones to safely stay in their homes.
• How much will it cost? The ambitious plan has a hefty price tag of $775 billion over a decade. While elements of the plan, like caregiver tax credits, may receive bipartisan support, there will be plenty of pushback from fiscal conservatives on other components of the plan. While I support taxpayer dollars being utilized in an efficient, prudent manner, I also think that caring for its citizens should be a top priority of any country.