TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — In Florida, caring for a loved one often means balancing compassion with sacrifice, and now, state leaders say it’s time to give caregivers the care they deserve
- 1 in 4 adults in the U.S. provides unpaid care for aging or ill loved ones.
- Florida could need 500,000 more caregivers by 2030 as its senior population grows.
- Watch the video below to see how local leaders and caregivers feel about the importance of caregiving.
Florida Caregiving Summit focuses on supporting caregivers as demand rises
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
One in four adults is a caregiver, looking after aging parents, spouses, or loved ones, often without pay or support.
Tuesday night, state leaders and advocates gathered in Tallahassee to support those caregivers through training and resources.
Hosted by AARP Florida and the FSU Claude Pepper Center, the summit focused on the economic and emotional toll of caregiving — and the policies that could make a difference.
Dr. Dawn C. Carr, Director of the Claude Pepper Center, said “Caregivers do some of the hardest jobs of any of us…bring their loved ones to doctors appointments their taking time away from work a lot of time they’re spending lots of money, their doing physically demanding care work there doing the work that the rest of us should be thankful for and we’re hoping we can find ways to make everything a little bit easier for them.”
Experts say Florida will need an additional half million caregivers by 2030... and 30% of Florida's population is projected to be at least 60 years old by 2045.
Secretary Michelle Branham, Florida Department of Elder Affairs, said, “I think Florida is the tip of the spear for caregivers, and it’s important. Every one of us has the experience in our families, we’re either going to need care or be providing care, so in Florida, with our aging population, I think we do an incredible job of wrapping services and support around our caregivers."
Current caregivers like Kip Corriveau say it’s about being there for family.
“Caregivers do what they do out of love and I really think that’s where it starts is and so we have cared for my father-in-law in our home for the past nine years going on 10 years, but he has stage Alzheimer’s and were really coming to the end of that journey with him, really is for us an important expression of love,” Kip Corriveau said.
He believes it's important for employers to speak directly with caregivers.
Kip Corriveau added, “If we want this state to grow, if people want to find employees, they want to retain employees. Being sensitive to the needs of caregivers is one of the most important things they can do as an employer.”
Organizers say this summit is just the start. The goal is to turn today’s ideas into action, so caregivers across Florida don’t have to do it all alone
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