Policy Series: The RAISE Family Caregiver Advisory Council: Strategies to Bolster Caregivers’ Financial Security

Friday, November 4, 2022

4:30 PM – 6:00 PM ET

Location: 242 CC

CE: 1.5

Chair(s)

PN

Pamela Nadash, PhD, BPhil

Associate Professor
Gerontology
University of Massachusetts Boston
Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Individual Symposium Abstract First Author(s)

Eileen J. Tell, MPH

CEO
ET Consulting, LLC
ET Consulting, LLC
Belmont, Massachusetts, United States
ST

Salom Teshale, PhD

Policy Associate
Behavioral Health, Aging and Disability
National Academy for State Health Policy
Washington, District of Columbia, United States
Rani Snyder, MPA

VP of Programs
Programs
The John A. Hartford Foundation
New York, New York, United States
PN

Pamela Nadash, PhD, BPhil

Associate Professor
Gerontology
University of Massachusetts Boston
Boston, Massachusetts, United States

The RAISE Family Caregiving Advisory Council, created under the Recognize, Assist, Include, Support, and Engage (RAISE) Family Caregivers Act (2018) has been tasked to support the Secretary of Health and Human Services in developing a national family caregiving strategy. The Council began by (in 2021) identifying five key Goals critical to supporting family caregivers, which were reported to Congress in the Council’s Initial Report; the next step (in 2022) was to identify how these Goals are to be operationalized via specific actions, as well as the stakeholders that needed to be involved. This symposium discusses Goal 4, which states that “Family caregivers’ lifetime financial and employment security is protected and enhanced,” a goal incorporating diverse components, including federal legislation (expanding FMLA, for example), enhancing workplace security for working caregivers, and ways to pay family caregivers for providing supportive services. The first paper, by Salom Teshale, PhD, will provide an overview of the Council’s work and the strategies that have been chosen to support the overall national strategy. The second paper, by Eileen J. Tell, MPH, will describe strategies to improve the ability of caregivers to remain and thrive in the workplace. Pamela Nadash, PhD, will report on the research that identified the expansion of self-directed programs to incorporate payment for family caregivers as key, and the fourth paper by Rani Snyder will conclude by identifying the research needed to move these efforts forward. Greg Link of the Administration for Community Living will act as discussant.

Learning Objectives:

Understand the scope, goals, activities, and context surrounding the work of the RAISE Family Caregiver Advisory Council -- specifically, the broad strategies that the Council has committed to in supporting family caregivers and enhancing their financial security.
Describe in detail specific strategies that the Council is focusing on to support the financial well-being of family caregivers: efforts to make workplaces more caregiver-friendly and the need to expand self-direction to pay family caregivers.
Understand the research and data collection activities that are necessary to support policy change to strengthen the financial security of family caregivers.

Presentations:

4:30 PM – 6:00 PM ET

Strategies to Create Caregiver-Friendly Workplaces
Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Eileen J. Tell, MPH – ET Consulting, LLC
4:30 PM – 6:00 PM ET

A Research Agenda to Advance Family Caregivers' Financial Security
Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Salom Teshale, PhD – National Academy for State Health Policy
4:30 PM – 6:00 PM ET

The RAISE Council's Work in Developing a National Family Caregiving Strategy
Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Rani Snyder, MPA – The John A. Hartford Foundation
4:30 PM – 6:00 PM ET

What do Family Caregivers Want? Payment for Providing Care
Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Pamela Nadash, PhD, BPhil – University of Massachusetts Boston