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Arizona Takes National Leadership Role in Family Caregiving
Arizona is set to become a member of an elite group of states, along with Oklahoma,
Nebraska, Oregon and Wisconsin, to provide respite care to family caregivers. With
strong bipartisan support the Arizona Legislature has passed HB 2789, which includes
the Lifespan Respite Care Program. This legislation, awaiting the Governor's signature,
sets a new course for assisting the growing number of family caregivers in the state.
"This legislation makes Arizona one of only five states in the country with a formalized
respite care program," said Bonnie Danowski, Executive Team member of Valley
Interfaith Project (VIP), which conceived and advocated strongly for the bill. "Our state
has recognized that respite care is not a luxury but an absolute necessity. Without relief
from caregiving duties, family caregivers frequently become ill themselves, which results
in two ill people, and no one to care for either person."
VIP, a broad-based organization made up of religious congregations, schools, and other
associations, recognized the "impending tsunami" six years ago when members began to
talk about the crushing need for a well trained and adequate caregiving workforce.
Through thousands of meetings, emails and phone calls to educate state agency heads and
staff, businesses, community colleges, long term care providers, elected officials from
cities, counties, the state legislature and the governor's office, it became clear that
Arizona needed to address some of the long term care industry's problems. This past
September, VIP asked Senator Carolyn Allen (R-Dist. 8) to sponsor legislation to address
one component of the problem, that of respite care.
The legislation appropriates $500,000 towards respite care for Arizona families who do
not qualify for any other assistance in their caregiving duties. Respite care provides
family caregivers a much-needed break from their responsibilities and is frequently the
#1 requested need in caregiving families.
"This will benefit primary caregivers, usually a wife, who just needs to take time for
herself, to get away to the market for a couple of hours or take a break for a day or two,"
said Danowski, who has been a caregiver herself for 36 years. "Senator Allen was
instrumental in leading this course to support Arizona families."
Family caregivers provide the majority of all caregiving for children and adults with
mental and physical disabilities and frail elders. In fact, 546,456 caregivers (1 in 10) in
the State of Arizona provide 5.85 million hours of care per year at a value of $5.8 billion.
Each of these caregivers spends at least 20 hours/week caring for their loved one.
"Family caregivers are the backbone of the Long Term Care industry, providing 80% of
all caregiving. We must protect their health. We want to recognize the State Senate and
House for their leadership in this issue. This will provide a break for Arizona's
caregiving families," said Dick White, VIP President.
The trend from institutionalized living, i.e., nursing homes and assisted living facilities,
to remaining in one's own home has accelerated. This results in the need for more
workers who can come into people's homes and provide the care needed. This kind of
care covers a wide range, all the way from cleaning and cooking to personal hygiene
needs to full skilled nursing care. The majority of that care falls on a family member or
close friend who is not paid. Respite care often makes the difference between keeping
loved ones at home and having to place them in an institution.
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