Giving caregivers the care – and resources – they/we need

At some point in our lives, most of us will look to others for help as we or our loved ones age, acquiring special needs related to medical treatment, mobility, transportation, nutrition, and social interaction. 

Caregivers — whether a family member, a community volunteer, or paid helpers — provide life-enhancing, indeed often life-saving, in-home support. Finding capable, compassionate care is a concern for many here in Santa Clara County, especially now.

By 2030, more than 400,000 of our County’s residents will be aged 65 and up, making up one-fifth of the population — and outnumbering children for the first time. Further, the pandemic placed additional financial and health-related burdens on many of our families, and strained the already limited number of caregiving providers available for in-home support services.

Last year I proposed that the County commission the Older Adult Caregiver Study to assess our caregiving needs and capacity. Typically, ‘let’s do a study’ isn’t all that exciting. But the report that came back to the Board of Supervisors last month was an eye-opening call to action.

There are currently an estimated 177,000 family caregivers and 40,000 direct care workers in our County. That may sound like a lot, but, as things stand today, that’s not enough to cover the current needs of older adults — and the shortage will quickly get worse if we don’t step up. Of equal concern: there’s not adequate support for the caregivers we already have. 

The report highlights the benefits of home-based care, which has been shown to improve health outcomes, lower rates of depression and isolation, decrease hospitalizations and emergency room visits, and reduce healthcare costs. But, access to professional home-based care is hampered by chronic labor shortages due to low wages and poor benefits, as well as the high cost of services, which leaves older adults with moderate, fixed incomes with few options. 

As the need for affordable and dependable caregiving grows, the burden has fallen more and more on family caregivers who often provide unpaid care while continuing to work outside of the home, taking on the additional costs of care, and performing complex tasks for their loved ones.

Love is not enough to care for a family member or friend. It takes training, resources and an understanding of the system. These folks are asking for a little help, and where we can, the County should lend a hand.

The study — conducted by consultant Dr. Monique Parrish in collaboration with the County Department of Aging and Adult Services, and caregiving experts from partner organizations across the County — is comprehensive, offering 13 recommendations to be addressed as part of a five-year plan. 

Given the sense of urgency, however, I’m advocating for immediate action.  When you have 175,000-plus family caregivers, they need to know what they need to know in order to take care of the older adults they’re responsible for. So, we’re going to focus on two top priorities in the coming months: 

• Develop a centralized information hub to connect people with referrals and information about caregiving resources.
• Create options for ‘respite’ for caregivers, who often provide care at the expense of their own physical and emotional health.

Of note, Adult Day Programs (ADPs) were specifically highlighted in the report as a key way to address both priorities. In addition to directly benefiting older adults through wellness checks, nutritious meals, socialization, and cognitive stimulation, ADPs also provide vital respite opportunities for caregivers, allowing them to take care of errands, work, and themselves.

Family caregivers often find themselves caring for a loved one with little if any notice, and are often wholly unaware of how the elder care system works. They need information, fast, from a trustworthy and reliable source. And given the heavy burden that caregiving can impose, they definitely need some form of respite. Our goal is to develop resources now so we’re on top of the situation for the long term. 

Joe Simitian
Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors

This article was originally published in Los Gatos Living and Saratoga Spotlight in October 2023.