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ACL Supports Family Caregiving During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Response
By: Lance Robertson, Administrator and Assistant Secretary
for Aging
Even under the best of circumstances, caregiving can be
challenging. For many family caregivers, the routine tasks they perform
on behalf of their loved ones are more complex because of the COVID-19
pandemic. Not only must family caregivers take extra steps to ensure
their own health and wellbeing, but there are now additional protective
considerations.
Although states and communities have a range of services and
supports for family caregivers, many of the resources – like adult day
programs, respite services, and other in-home services – are stretched to
the limit, or have temporarily curtailed or stopped their services.
Both professionally and personally, the staff and leadership
at the Administration for Community Living (ACL) is keenly aware of, and
we are addressing, the challenges facing all vulnerable people and their
family caregivers at this key time in our nation’s history. .
Over the past weeks, ACL has been working diligently on several
fronts to help ensure people of all ages with long-term support needs,
and their family caregivers, have access to the programs, services, and
resources they need to remain in their homes and communities. We have had
the opportunity to meet one-on-one with aging and disability network
stakeholders to respond to their specific technical assistance needs.
Additionally, ACL quickly disbursed CARES Act and Families First
Coronavirus Response Act funds, ensuring that states and providers have
the resources they need to increase essential services such as home
delivered meals, and to find innovative ways to modify existing services
like virtual caregiver support groups and ensuring that personal
protective equipment (PPE) can be among those supplies that can be
provided.
During two “tele-town
hall” events convened by AARP on March 19 and 26, I shared my
thoughts on caring for family, friends, and neighbors during this
pandemic. I fielded questions about family caregiving, including planning
care, coordinating backup care, and accessing local resources for
additional support. Most importantly, I stressed the importance of
staying connected to isolated loved ones during this difficult time.
Because reliable information is especially critical during
this time, our agency is regularly updating our website
with information specifically for older adults, people with disabilities,
family caregivers, and our network of service providers. Our website also
contains materials for May’s Older Americans Month observance. I know and
appreciate that older adults across the country, particularly during this
pandemic, are making positive contributions in their communities, within
the parameters of safety.
On April 21, 2020, ACL
announced the release of nearly $1 Billion in grants to the
aging and disability networks to help meet the needs of older adults and
people with disabilities as communities implement measures to mitigate
the spread of COVID-19. These additional funds will enable our networks
to meet the increased need for in-home and supportive services, home
delivered meals, family caregiver support and assistance available
through Centers for Independent Living in every state.
Because supporting families and family caregivers is at the
very heart of ACL’s mission, I am particularly proud of the ongoing work
of the Family
Caregiving Advisory Council (FCAC) and the Advisory
Council to Support Grandparents Raising Grandchildren (SGRG).
Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, these two
extraordinary groups remain focused and engaged with ACL on improving our
system of supports and services for families and family caregivers,
grandparents and older relative caregivers. The FCAC recently published a
progress
report outlining their work and accomplishments.
As one example of our work supporting caregivers, I’d like
to describe a collaboration with the National Academy for State Health
Policy’s (NASHP) John A.
Hartford Foundation-funded RAISE
Family Caregiver Resource and Dissemination Center.
NASHP issued a report analyzing more than 800 recommendations from
twenty-seven national, state and international family caregiving
consensus reports, most of which were written during the past
decade. This report will help FCAC’s development of the Initial
Report to Congress and the National Caregiving Strategy, already under
development.
The SGRG Council met virtually for its second meeting
on April 23, 2020. During that meeting, Council members solidified their
vision and adopted a set of guiding principles that will shape their work
on their Report to Congress and other efforts they undertake to improve
our nation’s response to the needs of grandparent and older relative
caregivers.
As I look ahead to the next several weeks and months, I know
that we will face significant challenges as we work to ensure our family
caregivers are supported at every turn, so that they, in turn, can
support their loved ones. I am confident that together we will surmount
every challenge and create a better future for all families who support
older adults and people of all ages with disabilities. The vast majority
of people want to remain independent and active in their communities, and
we salute the millions of caregivers who help them achieve their goals.
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