November is National Family Caregivers Month, when we celebrate these unsung heroes. It is also a time to elevate the voices of America’s 53 million family caregivers, who contribute a staggering $600 billion in unpaid labor to the U.S. economy each year.
Unfortunately, the contributions of this essential health care workforce go mostly unrecognized.
According to “Caregiving in the U.S. 2020,” a report from the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP, family caregivers average 24 hours of care weekly, while balancing jobs or struggling with overwhelming medical debt. Unpaid caregivers represent every race, gender, age, income and education level.
As a society, we need to recognize the challenges caregivers face and prioritize funding an infrastructure that supports the essential role unpaid caregivers play in our communities. We call on Congress to reauthorize the Older Americans Act, which supports 12 million older adults and 800,000 caregivers each year across the U.S.
In Springfield, we call on the governor and the Legislature to preserve family caregiver funding for Caregiver Resource Centers and the Illinois Area Agencies on Aging.
We need more employers to provide paid family and medical leave benefits, so working caregivers can care for loved ones without incurring financial hardship. We also encourage them to offer training so managers create a more supportive culture for working family caregivers as they juggle many responsibilities.
Together, we can change the narrative to improve the lives of family caregivers and their loved ones.
Amy Brennan, executive director, Illinois Family Caregiver Coalition
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Religious objections can go both ways
So, some groups have filed a lawsuit opposing the state mandated health care for abortion, arguing that such a requirement has their tax dollars being spent for a procedure to which they have religious objection?
Well, I have religious objections to my tax dollars being spent to support school groups, nonprofits, and churches (who don’t pay property/income tax) that preach against abortion, gay marriage, transgender rights and migrants. Strange how I must protect their beliefs, but they have no problem using my tax dollars to go against my beliefs.
Peter Felitti, Ravenswood
Life won’t be cheap under another Trump presidency
The people who voted for Donald Trump thinking it would be good for their pocketbooks are going to be shocked at how much more groceries will cost when there’s no longer anyone to pick their fruits and vegetables, and how much more housing costs will be when builders don’t have enough construction workers.
Daniel Welch, Glen Ellyn
Collecting trash is cash
The discussion of whether or not to raise the sanitation collection fee to Chicago homeowners can be easily justified, given the cost to the city.
City Council should make the right decision and increase the fees accordingly. This brings to mind how cheap parking fees were in the city, but the City Council didn’t have the backbone to increase the fees. Instead, they sold the rights for nearly a billion dollars and let a United Arab Emirates company raise the rates and collect the higher fees.
Maybe the City Council will sell collecting garbage to a third party for a billion dollars and let that business raise the rates and collect the higher fees.
William DeMarco, Rogers Park
Mayoral mistakes
I wonder how many people are having “voters’ remorse” after electing Brandon Johnson mayor of Chicago. His latest faux pas is saying he’d attend the funeral of a dead policeman when the family requested he not come. He did change his position. I would guess his advisers asked, “What the heck were you thinking?” Playing politics with the school board, tax increases etc. Through all of it, Johnson comes across as an arrogant ____. You can fill in your own word.
Lori Lightfoot must be sitting at home laughing.
MJ Smith, Oak Lawn
Grieving for Gaza
While Israel continues to bomb civilians of Gaza with impunity on a daily basis, while an average of 10 of their children per day suffer amputations of one or both legs, while Israel will not even permit a child of 11 or 12, whose face was partially blown away, to be airlifted out of the enclave for medical treatment, and while we witness the Biden administration acting wholly complicit with Israel’s assaults from the air, along with the denial of food and water, how can any level-headed citizen of conscience be expected to react to this apathy and complicity of our government? Grin and bear it — or maybe expect Donald Trump to repair and atone for this insanity? The future, indeed, looks quite bleak from a moral perspective, especially when too many of our citizens remain detached, aloof or even supportive.
Sid Kurdis, Hallandale Beach, Florida
Cat tale
Deepest thanks to Gene Lyons’ for his moving, wonderful tribute to Albert, the coolest cat that ever lived.
How lucky you were that Albert shared his interesting and exciting life with you! He indeed was a very special kitty who will remain deep in your heart forever.
Liz Clark, Uptown