Caregiving touches everyone, Rosalynn Carter said. We need a national strategy (Your Letters)

To the Editor:

“There are only four kinds of people in the world — those who have been caregivers, those who are currently caregivers, those who will be caregivers and those who will need caregivers,” said Rosalynn Carter

As the late First Lady said, caregiving touches everyone. Nationwide, some 50 million people are unpaid family caregivers, taking care of loved ones with chronic illness, disability or a medical emergency. I found myself in that circumstance when my father, who had a stroke in his 40s, began needing 24/7 care in his 70s.

Caregiving for a loved one with a serious medical problem is both emotionally draining and expensive. And when caregivers give up their own savings and careers to provide care, the financial toll is compounded. Without support, a caregiver’s long-term health and financial well-being suffer.

Ironically, the American health care system relies on this unpaid labor and sacrifice. Family caregivers keep the system afloat.

Now is the time for us to advocate for caregivers. This fall marked the one-year anniversary of the National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers, which grew out of the RAISE Family Caregiving Act and the Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Act. We must harness the energy of this moment and put words into action. Odds are, each of us will benefit someday from improved supports for caregivers.

I hope Gov. Kathy Hochul, the New York state Legislature and our congressional leaders do their part to invest in this national caregiving strategy.

Rebecca Hyde

Cortland