Maine family caregivers provide $2.2B in services yearly, AARP says
Courtesy / AARP
A new report by AARP details the economic impact of unpaid family caregivers in Maine, as summarized in this infographic.
Maine family caregivers provide services worth $2.2 billion per year for parents, spouses, partners and other loved ones, a new report by AARP shows.
The figures were released in a national report, "Valuing the Invaluable: 2019 Update Charting a Path Forward," which includes data for each state, trends in family caregiving and policy recommendations.
In 2017, about 181,000 Maine residents provided an estimated 152 million hours of care, including assistance with a family member's daily activities and hygiene, tasks related to medical care, coordinating health and social services, and more.
Although unpaid, those services translate into an economic value of $14.83 per hour or $2.2 billion each year, a figure AARP described as "staggering."
“AARP Maine is proud to recognize family caregivers whose tireless efforts help older parents, spouses and other loved ones remain in their homes,” said Lori Parham, AARP Maine state director, in a statement.
“Caregiving is a labor of love," she added, "but sometimes it is more than a full-time job. We hope that this latest report will emphasize how much caregivers need support so they can continue to provide care for others.”
Policy solutions
On the policy front, AARP Maine said that in 2018 it backed expanding the spousal caregiver program through legislation introduced by state Rep. Patrick Corey, R-Windham, and signed by Gov. Janet Mills in June. The new law directs the Maine Department of Health and Human Services to request a federal waiver allowing qualified spouses to serve as paid caregivers through MaineCare.
AARP said that in 2020 it will continue to fight for common-sense solutions to give family caregivers more support. Those solutions include increasing access to home health services and respite care that allows caregivers to take a break from their duties.
The group also wants to boost remote access to medical services through technology — an approach known as telemedicine. AARP hopes to break down barriers to telemedicine and calls for investments in technology that will help family caregivers use it to manage the health of their loved ones.
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