Recognizing caregiving as a profession and the extraordinary contributions of paid and family caregivers.

Recognizing caregiving as a profession and the extraordinary contributions of paid and family caregivers. Whereas 10,000 individuals in the United States turn 65 years old each day; Whereas it is estimated that 40,000,000 individuals in the United States, 13 percent of the population of the United States, are 65 years of age or older; Whereas in 2056, for the first time, the population of individuals in the United States who are age 65 or older is projected to outnumber the population of individuals in the United States who are under age 18; Whereas by 2060, the population of individuals in the United States who are age 65 or older is projected to increase from 1 out of 7 individuals to 1 out of 5 individuals; Whereas the population of individuals in the United States who are age 85 or older is projected to increase from 5,900,000 to 18,200,000 by 2060; Whereas the population of individuals in the United States who are age 85 or older is projected to comprise 4.3 percent of the total population of the United States by 2060; Whereas more than 5,000,000 individuals in the United States have Alzheimer's disease; Whereas by 2050, as many as 16,000,000 individuals in the United States are projected to have Alzheimer's disease; Whereas it is estimated that 60 percent to 70 percent of individuals in the United States who have Alzheimer's disease or dementia live at home, and such individuals may need assistance in their homes with activities of daily living; Whereas 1 out of 5 individuals in the United States who are older than 65 years of age need assistance from a caregiver to complete activities of daily living; Whereas in order to address the surging population of seniors who have significant needs for in-home care, the field of senior caregiving must continue to grow; Whereas it is estimated that there are 65,700,000 adults in the United States who provide care to an individual who is ill, disabled, or aged; Whereas it is estimated that there are 1,800,000 paid caregivers in the United States; Whereas both unpaid family caregivers and paid caregivers work together to serve the daily living needs of seniors who live in their own homes; Whereas employment of caregivers is projected to grow 49 percent from 2012 to 2022, much faster than the projected average growth of all occupations; and Whereas as a senior is able to assume responsibility for more of his or her own care, the burden on public payment systems in the Federal government and State governments decreases: Now, therefore, be it That Congressâ€” (1) recognizes the valuable contributions of caregivers; (2) supports paid caregivers, the private home care industry, and the efforts of family caregivers in the United States by encouraging individuals to provide care to family, friends, and neighbors; (3) encourages accessible and affordable self-directed care for seniors; (4) should review Federal programs that address the needs of seniors and the family caregivers of seniors; and (5) encourages the Secretary of Health and Human Services to continue efforts to educate the people of the United States on the impact of aging and the importance of knowing the options available to seniors when seniors need care to meet their personal needs.

Summary: Recognizes the valuable contributions of caregivers, and encourages individuals to provide care to family, friends, and neighbors. Encourages the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to continue to educate the public on the impact of aging and the importance of knowing care options available to seniors.