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Friday, June 2, 2023

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A Wisconsin group criticizes two of its members of Congress, a new report says the Phoenix area cannot meet its groundwater demands, and Nevada's sporting community sends its priorities to the governor.

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The Senate aims to get the debt limit spending bill to President Biden's desk quickly, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis makes a campaign stop in Iowa, and a new survey finds most straight adults support LGBTQ+ rights.

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Oregon may expand food stamp eligibility to some undocumented households, rural areas have a new method of accessing money for roads and bridges, and Tennessee's new online tool helps keep track of cemetery locations.

New Poll Shows Caregiver Concerns Cross Generations

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Tuesday, May 9, 2023   

A majority of U.S. voters say it is important for Congress to expand services to enable seniors to live independently at home. That's according to a new AARP poll that focuses on unpaid caregivers, with concerns not limited to those providing care. 68% of poll respondents backed the idea of giving older populations more of a chance to avoid care facilities. 57% said Congress can make that more of a reality by providing more support to unpaid caregivers.

Jim Flaherty, of AARP Wisconsin, said if state and federal lawmakers do not take meaningful action soon, more strain will be placed on long-term care facilities.

"It's time that we recognize that Wisconsin is getting older as a state and that the services needed to take care of older folks is going to get more and more intense - not less - and we need to recognize that and support family caregivers," he said.

The poll included responses from voters 18 and older. More than two-thirds expressed concern about whether they will be able to get the care they need as they grow older. In the current Wisconsin budget debate, a proposed caregiver tax credit did not advance. But at the federal level, President Joe Biden recently signed an executive order that offers a range of caregiver support.

Not every family is lucky to have enough dependents, relatives or community members step in to provide care, Flaherty said.

"Up in northern Wisconsin, some of these rural towns are aging in place," he explained. "A lot of the younger folks -they are taking jobs outside of some of those rural towns. So, the long-established folks are living there, and they need family caregiving services, but respite care is simply not available."

55% of respondents said they would prefer a candidate calling for required minimum staffing standards in nursing homes so that residents could receive quality care. According to AARP, Wisconsin has nearly 600,000 unpaid family caregivers.

Disclosure: AARP Wisconsin contributes to our fund for reporting on Budget Policy & Priorities, Consumer Issues, Health Issues, Senior Issues. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


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