skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Wednesday, May 21, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Trump pushes House GOP to pass his budget bill; Medicaid critical for maternal and infant health in rural CO; Fear of detention prevents some WA migrants from getting food; Report says many AL adults want college degrees but face barriers; MT Native leaders say civic engagement brings legislative wins.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Kristi Noem incorrectly defines habeas corpus during a Senate hearing. Senate passes a bipartisan bill to eliminate taxes on tips, and Native American civic engagement fosters legislative wins in the West.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

New Mexico's acequia irrigation system is a model of democratic governance, buying a house in rural America will get harder under the Trump administration's draft 2026 budget, and physicians and medical clinics serving rural America are becoming a rarity.

Caring for Caregivers: Legislation Aims to Help Arkansas Families

play audio
Play

Thursday, March 12, 2015   

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Nearly 500,000 Arkansans play the role of caregiver for an aging parent or family member with a disability and they're not paid for that job. Legislation recently filed aims to make things a bit easier.

Herb Sanderson, associate state director for advocacy with AARP Arkansas, says the Arkansas Lay Caregiver Act would ease transitions from hospital to home, where caregivers provide services that used to be traditionally administered by professionals, such as wound-dressing changes and injections.

"Require the hospitals to let them know when somebody's going to be discharged ahead of time," says Sanderson. "Go over what needs to be done and, if necessary, demonstrate how it should be done."

Sanderson says hospitals support the legislation because quality after-care reduces re-admissions. He expects it will receive a hearing soon.

AARP research pegs the value of Arkansas caregiving at $4.5 billion a year. Sanderson describes the legislation as one step in recognizing the enormous commitment.

"Every day, this silent army performs a great labor of love, taking care of their parents and loved ones," he says. "They do it while working full-time or part-time; some are on-call 24/7."

Another way caregivers are being recognized is through AARP's "I Heart Caregivers" campaign, which encourages caregivers to share their stories. Experiences can be submitted online at aarp.org/iheartcaregivers.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
The 2025 Florida hurricane season, from June 1 to Nov. 30, is predicted to be above average with 17 named storms. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

As Florida emergency response officials conduct their annual statewide hurricane preparedness exercise this week, emergency managers are grappling …


Health and Wellness

play sound

Groups fighting for immigrants' rights and health care access asked lawmakers in Sacramento on Tuesday to reject proposed cuts to Medi-Cal for undocum…

Health and Wellness

play sound

A new report showed programs serving domestic violence survivors in Ohio are stretched thin, with hundreds of people who need help being turned away …


Nearly 20% of Washington's labor force is foreign-born. (DisobeyArt/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Immigrants' rights advocates are voicing concerns that migrant communities in Washington may be avoiding visiting food banks or getting food assistanc…

Social Issues

play sound

According to researchers from Michigan State University, Yale and Johns Hopkins, ransomware is now the leading culprit behind U.S. health data …

About 19% of electricity in the United States is produced by nuclear plants. (Maksym Yemelyanov/Adobe Stock)

play sound

As Oregon legislators consider the possibility of allowing a nuclear reactor in Umatilla County, opponents rallied at the State Capitol this week to …

Social Issues

play sound

By Frankie (Amy) Felegy for Arts Midwest.Broadcast version by Mike Moen for Minnesota News Connection reporting for the Arts Midwest-Public News Servi…

Social Issues

play sound

Education is a major challenge for kids in foster care in Pennsylvania, according to a new report. Nearly 20,000 children and teens are served by …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021