From bakers to bankers, it seems like Americans working in all types of professions are concerned about caring for their aging loved ones. And the people running for president are no exception.
This article in December’s AARP Bulletin offers an inside look into these individuals’ caregiving experiences, and how it has influenced their work for their elderly constiuents and those who care for them.
Take Arkansas’ Governor Mike Huckabee. His mother, who sold her home so she could afford assisted living, was mere months away from exhausting her resources while living in a nursing home. That experience, Huckabee says, inspired him to support Project IndependentChoices, an innovative program where “you can live in a facility or with a relative, and the state would reimburse [the family member] for the cost of care.”
Then there’s Senator Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) Clinton’s mother, Dorothy, wanted to stay in her own home for as long as possible, but she was having difficulty getting around. ““She (told us) couldn’t always be asking people to take her places. ” Clinton says, I think that was what really convinced her that she should come and live with us.”
That experience was part of Clinton’s inspiration for developing a long-term care platform that includes, among other policies, tax-credits for caregivers whose family members live with them.
But it’s not just about parents. Sen. Christopher Dodd’s (D-Conn.) brother moved in with his family after suffering a stroke. Together, Dodd tells the Bulletin, “we decided that it was the best option.” That experience must have inspired for his plan, which promises a ““A Secure, Dignified Retirement for Every Senior.”
Democrat, Republican or somewhere in-between, caregiving will affect us all where we live, including the White House.







2 comments
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December 11, 2007 at 7:52 pm
mike magge
Larry-
You make an extremly important point here. There is nothing that educates like a real life experience. We would routinely see a change in young doctors approaches after they themselves had been a patient. Similarly, for politicians, who operate in the world of policy and ideas, nothing rings as true as a fact checker as does real hands on experience. The good news is that our politicians are human. And being human, like almost all other Americans today, they are being personally challenged to keep the multi-generational family healthy and intact, with marginal help and little organization. Hidden in this fact is more good news, and that is, a little anticipation and organization can go a long way to beginning to improve the lives of seniors and their extended families.
Mike
December 14, 2007 at 8:58 pm
Long-Term Care and Presidential Candidates » Changing Aging - Ecumen
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