OUR WORK
Policy + Advocacy
There are 105 million family caregivers in the United States who provide compassionate care to tens of millions of people each year – and yet systems to support them are fragmented, inaccessible, and oftentimes nonexistent. Resources needed require policies to support family caregivers and their needs.
RCI is changing how policies can support caregivers – by making sure that lawmakers are aware of the issues that impact family caregivers most.
OUR WORK
Policy + Advocacy
There are 105 million family caregivers in the United States who provide compassionate care to tens of millions of people each year – and yet systems to support them are fragmented, inaccessible, and oftentimes nonexistent. Resources needed require policies to support family caregivers and their needs.
RCI is changing how policies can support caregivers – by making sure that lawmakers are aware of the issues that impact family caregivers most.
We Can Change Systems for Caregivers
Our advocacy efforts focus on redesigning structures and systems to proactively center caregivers’ health and wellbeing. Caregiver support programs are scattered across federal agencies and caregivers struggle to navigate them with ease, don’t receive the benefits they urgently need, or are not able to access resources at the pace required by their situation.
Recognizing the need for better systems, our late founder, former First Lady Rosalynn Carter made a bold proposal: establish an Office of Caregiver Health within the federal government. This office would be responsible to elevate and center caregivers across agencies.
“An Office of Caregiver Health would ensure that family caregivers are represented in discussions of health policy, legislation and budget negotiations. It also would help break down the silos that can obstruct progress by creating ways to help caregivers regardless of payer or condition.”
– Rosalynn Carter, Former First Lady of the United States
How Policies Will Create Change
A focused approach to caregiver health would elevate and focus unprecedented federal representation, investment, and coordination of caregiver support across federal agencies. Leadership at this level would ensure that family caregivers are represented in health policy, regulation, program, and budget negotiations. The proposed model – of a centralized office focused on this issue – can dismantle silos that are barriers to progress by creating ways to consider the universal needs of caregivers, regardless of care recipient condition and payer.
With a focus on family caregivers, the Office of Caregiver Health could coordinate programs, reduce complexity, prevent duplication, and offer caregivers a clear point of entry for resources and supports.