A Voice That Matters: The Impact of Family Caregiving in Alabama

An update for public policymakers presented by the Alabama Lifespan Respite Coalition, the Alabama Department of Senior Services, and Alabama Lifespan Respite

For more than 761,000 Alabama caregivers, the need for support services and respite continues to grow as more individuals and families choose for their loved ones with disabilities and chronic conditions to remain at home versus receiving institutional care. An extended network of family and friends is not always available to help provide the care, relief, and support that is needed. Thus, respite is a lifeline for the family caregiver. Respite care provides the pause that the single mother needs after taking her child to daycare and rushing back home to care for her aging mother, all before going to work. Respite is the occasional break for the cashier at the pharmacy who is working as much overtime as possible to pay for her disabled child’s incontinent supplies that no other funding source will cover. It is for the 75-year-old neighbor who has been up all night keeping her spouse safe due to his wandering, confused, and combative state because he suffers from dementia.