skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Sunday, July 21, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

VP Kamala Harris says she plans to 'earn and win' Democratic nomination after Joe Biden drops out and endorses her; New Alabama bill threatens voter rights, legal challenge ensues; Fact-checking GOP claims on immigrants; Water contamination a concern in Midwest flood aftermath.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

President Joe Biden drops his 2024 re-election bid. He's endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris to take his spot on the ticket, and election experts say they see benefits to this decision.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

It's grass-cutting season and with it, rural lawn mower races, Montana's drive-thru blood project is easing shortages, rural Americans spend more on food when transportation costs are tallied, and a lack of good childcare is thwarting rural business owners.

Event cites VA family caregivers’ work, reviews supports

play audio
Play

Monday, May 20, 2024   

For Older Americans Month, AARP Virginia is hosting an event today about family caregivers.

Virginia caregivers provided $14 billion of unpaid care in 2021.

The roundtable discussion addresses a new Centers for Medicare and Medicaid regulation. It calls for reimbursing medical providers for time spent training family caregivers on certain responsibilities.

Jim Dau, state director of AARP Virginia, said being an unpaid family caregiver can be an arduous struggle with the unknown.

"Frequently, family caregivers will say, they're not really sure they know what they're doing," said Dau. "They leave a care setting, maybe with a stack of documents. It could be 25 pages deep without a real great sense of how to do everything on there."

He added that state-level initiatives such as a family caregiver tax credit can also help.

It would offer people an up to $1,000 tax credit on eligible expenses - such as putting in shower bars or a chair lift, or renting or leasing medical equipment.

The event is from 1 to 2 p.m. at the VHC Health Auditorium. People interested in attending can register online at AARP Virginia's website under the events tab.

Federal legislation is also being considered that could assist family caregivers.

One such bill is the Alleviating Barriers for Caregivers Act - which AARP's Healthcare, Family and Government Affairs Vice President Megan O'Reilly said helps caregivers navigate different information from federal agencies.

"It would really call on federal agencies such as the Social Security Administration and CMS," said O'Reilly, "to look at ways in which they can reduce that burden on caregivers when they're interacting with them."

Other legislation aims to reduce family caregivers' expenses and establish
a federal family caregiver tax credit.

Higher utility and everyday costs only compounded caregivers' strained finances during the pandemic.



Disclosure: AARP Virginia contributes to our fund for reporting on Consumer Issues, Health Issues, Hunger/Food/Nutrition, Senior Issues. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
Vice President Kamala Harris spoke at a political event in Grand Rapids, Mich., in early 2024. (The White House/Wikimedia Commons)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Vice President Kamala Harris focused on reproductive rights at a campaign event in Michigan Wednesday. Her remarks come as President Joe Biden has …


Environment

play sound

Construction could begin in Minnesota later this year in the final phase of one of the nation's largest solar energy developments, after state …

Social Issues

play sound

Thousands of educators from across the nation will be in Houston starting this weekend for the American Federation of Teachers annual convention…


The Illinois State Board of Education report card said O'Fallon Township High School HSD #203 is currently only funded at 64%. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

By Kristy Alpert for Arts Midwest.Broadcast version by Terri Dee for Illinois News Connection reporting for the Arts Midwest-Public News Service Colla…

Health and Wellness

play sound

Counterfeit medicine sales are on the rise, in Connecticut and nationwide. The state faced trouble with growing sales of counterfeit Xanax pills …

"Arizonans understand that it is insane to risk Phoenix or Tempe for Odesa or some corn field in Ukraine. It is not in our national interest to get involved," said U.S. Rep. Alexander Kolodin, R-Ariz. (Gage Skidmore / Flickr)

Social Issues

play sound

More than 2,400 delegates gathered in Milwaukee this week for the Republican National Convention and delegates from around the country, including …

Environment

play sound

So far, states like Wisconsin have largely escaped the worst of the summer heat affecting much of the nation but a group of scientists wants regional …

Social Issues

play sound

Postsecondary enrollment data for 2023 shows community college enrollment increased nationwide by more than 100,000 students, and a large percentage …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021