Some relief in sight…

You may not have realized (probably because it wasn't picked up by the media) but on Thursday of this week, President Bush signed a bill into law authorizing $300M in grants over the next 5 years to aid primary caregivers in hiring temporary support.

$300M, in the scheme of things, may not see like much (according to the Wall Street Journal Article, "Caregivers Get Some Relief", it is estimated that $300B/yr is spent on caregiving efforts by American families). However, as the article points out, "the bill's easy passage signals the growing political force of health-care issues amid a confluence of forces: increasing costs, fraying insurance coverage, the aging of the baby boom, medical advances extending life expectancy and legal and cultural shifts leading more families to try to care for relatives at home. The new law also is part of a growing effort by the federal government to encourage home care as a way of saving money in other programs, especially Medicaid, for the high cost of nursing homes."

This is what our tax dollars should be spent on—on helping American families.

The National Family Caregiver Program created in 2000 is good but it is mostly limited to lower income families. Unfortunately, the middle class families also need financial assistance (though at the rate we're going in this economy, more and more families will be moving from the middle income bracket to the lower income bracket). This new federal law "will provide grants to states for funding for all age groups and all income levels, as well as encourage state agencies that provide respite care -- such as aging and disability groups -- to collaborate services."

We applaud the government for this action. And caregivers thank you, Mr. President.