Last Sunday was Grandparents’ Day. I’m 72, a Grandparent of 4, and in June, I moved in with my niece to help her care for her newborn – my four-month old great nephew. I’m also a member of TakeAction Minnesota’s Senior Caucus. And last Sunday, in honor of Grandparents’ Day, I did a lot of reflecting on care and caregiving.
As I reflected, I realized how much is uncertain. You might think that by my age there are fewer questions. There’s a stereotype out there about old, wise, women. And though I do consider myself wise in many ways, as I think about my own life and the lives of those around me, I was struck by how many unanswered questions I have.
There are the simple ones. “What were the words to that lullaby?” And, “what tricks did I use to soothe a fussy baby?” And, “where the heck did I put my walking stick?”
But there are also tougher questions about my own future. “What will happen when I can’t take care of myself anymore?” “Do I have enough saved?” “What living situations will make me happiest as I get older?”
And perhaps most importantly, there are some questions that I think must be asked of people who are in positions of power. I don’t believe it’s enough to just ask questions about care and caregiving of ourselves and our families. We also need to look to elected officials and candidates and ask them how we, as a society, will tackle care over the next decade. Today, we have more people over the age of 65 than ever before (and more grandparents than at any other point in history!). Yet as we face the Elder Boom, we have refused to seriously grapple with how we will meet our long-term care needs as a nation. Our society needs to reinforce values that are central to both aging and caregiving with dignity.
So now I invite you to ask some questions. Ask yourself about your own plans, but also ask elected officials what they plan to do to ensure that seniors can age with dignity and that caregivers get the support they deserve. How will they help seniors live independent, dignified, and joyful lives? How will they increase support for family caregivers? How will they address the severe shortage of homecare workers in Minnesota? How will they make sure homecare jobs provide workers with the dignity that this critical work deserves? Will they protect and expand social security, Medicare and Medicaid so that fewer seniors have to live in poverty? Will they support policies like paid family leave that allow people time to care for themselves and their loved ones?
Next Grandparents’ Day, I can’t wait to see how much my grand-nephew has grown up – he’ll be walking by then! And by next year, I may have more answers about my own care plans. But I also want to see more movement from elected officials to address the growing care crisis. Now is the time for real change. It’s time for in-home training, paid time off, and increased awareness of the burdens of family caregiving. It’s time to make homecare a job that people can last in – a job that pays a living wage, a job that is safe, and a job that allows workers to build their skills and move up a career ladder. And finally, it’s time for bold new programs that will increase access to the services that will allow seniors like me to stay in our homes, and for affordable, universal long-term care coverage that really meets people’s needs. Families like mine can’t wait. I can’t spend more time pondering unanswered questions. By next Grandparents’ Day, I don’t want a card or flowers, I want answers. It’s time for elected officials to get serious and start caring about care.
