Caregivers in the election spotlight again

When younger, I was a sporadic voter and I still maintain skepticism when it comes to viable government solutions to the major issues impacting our country. As this article from The 19th points out, I’m not the only caregiver who has felt abandoned by lawmakers.

Recently, both the Democrat and Republican presidential candidates offered their plans on how to better support caregivers. As we know from past elections, candidates offer many plans that sound good, but once in office, those plans are often derailed by Congress and/or the courts. Funding for programs supporting caregivers, from childcare to eldercare, always faces an uphill battle.

If the toxic political atmosphere has you feeling down, one empowering action you can take is by helping older folks and disabled people exercise their right to vote.

Without quality, affordable care, millions of caregivers and care recipients in the U.S. may not be able to vote.

Before Election Day, make a plan to help support caregivers, older adults, and disabled voters in your life and yourself – so we can all vote. #WeCareWeVote pic.twitter.com/YSAAQOTepu

— Caring Across Generations #CareCantWait (@CaringAcrossGen) October 10, 2024

I’ll also be voting in honor of my former colleague, who died last month. She so wanted to live until the election, and spent the last month of her life working on a plan to be able to vote. It’s an important reminder to not take the right to vote for granted.

Image by Microsoft Copilot.