NEW YORK STATE -- More than 70% of rural caregivers in New York are emotionally and financially stressed, according to the results of an AARP New York survey released last month.
Despite resources being available, insufficient funding hinders their effectiveness, according to AARP New York.
The organization said in a news release that funding for the Enhanced In-Home Services for the Elderly Program (EISEP) rose by $700,000 in the 2024 state budget, while the state Office for the Aging reported that 16,000 people are on a waitlist for in-home services. However, according to AARP New York, advocates believe the figure is closer to 18,000.
AARP New York said in its release that the state could "greatly reduce the burden on older individuals and their families" by allocating $42 million more to EISEP and other programs. According to the organization, EISEP offers affordable delivered meals, transportation, housekeeping and personal care to older adults who do not qualify for Medicaid but cannot afford private help.
Robyn Habermann, AARP New York's associate state director for community engagement, said the additional funding would end the waitlist, allowing more people to age in place and reducing the burden on family caregivers.
The need is great, according to the survey that polled 429 registered New York voters 40 and older in rural districts. The survey indicated long-term care services will continue to increase as the population ages. It is estimated that 70% of adults who turn 65 will need some form of long-term care services during their lifetime.
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"People need help with bathing. They need meals delivered. They need transportation. Family caregivers are trying to do it, but there's a wait list through the counties for those services, and throughout the state," Haberman said. "While people are waiting, they might fall, they might get injured, and some of them even, unfortunately, pass away waiting for those services. Others are forced to go into a nursing home because -- while they want to age in place -- their family might not be able to give them that daily care that they need."
Haberman pointed out potential family caregivers, especially in rural communities, might live far from their loved ones. Older people might also live far from places where they can get care.
"We do know that, of the rural caregivers that were surveyed, 70% are still working, and 62% of those that are working have had to adjust their schedules," Haberman said. "13% of them actually quit their jobs so that they could provide care for their loved ones, which is a huge financial burden for people."
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Family caregivers also spend money on transportation costs, on home modifications, on accessibility devices like wheelchairs and hearing aids and other items, Haberman said, so there's a lot of financial burden that goes along with the emotional and time constraints of caregiving.
"Right now, we estimate, in New York state, there's more than 2 million unpaid family caregivers, and they're giving more than 2 billion hours of unpaid caregiving to loved ones," she said.
Haberman said the cost to provide for someone in a nursing home is exorbitantly more expensive than providing in home services.
"If you are just having to bring someone a few meals a day, send someone over to help with bathing and toileting and provide transportation to doctors appointments, rather than providing full time in a facility care, it would save the state probably billions in Medicaid funding that is going to nursing homes," she said. "It's far less of a cost to keep someone in their home with those daily services that they might require to stay in home."
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