November is National Family Caregivers Month.
I just returned from Washington DC where I participated in the Caregiver Nation Coalition Hill Day!
I was the only representative from Arizona to advocate for the Older Americans Act Reauthorization Bill, which supports family caregivers and their loved ones.
Caregiving in the US 2025 shows us that 63 million Americans are providing care valued at $600 billion each year. That’s a 45% increase since 2015.
In Arizona alone, there are 1.2 million family caregivers.
I worked with the National Alliance for Caregiving and said YES to five meetings with Arizona representatives.
I sat across from public official teams and shared what happened to Gavin, to me, how hard I had to fight not just him but the system to get him through cancer treatment and admitted to the long-term cancer wing for a feeding tube.
I only cried in one meeting!
Family caregivers are balancing work and caregiving, often with little support. One in four provides 40 or more hours of care weekly. Four out of 10 family caregivers have 9-5 jobs on top of their caregiving duties.
It was a thrill to be at the Capitol.
And I can’t wait for the next Hill Day!
Next time, I’ll know what to expect and come prepared with the mindset that I’ll be drained at the end of the day and for days afterward.
Sharing stories is important and if it makes a difference in the lives of other caregivers, I’m happy to continue sharing mine.
