The USC Family Caregiver Support Center is pleased to celebrate the passage of the Recognize, Assist, Include, Support, and Engage (RAISE) Family Caregivers Act (S. 1028/H.R. 3759). The RAISE Act was signed into law on January 22, 2018 and is aimed at providing more services and support to family caregivers nationwide.
Many thanks to Sen. Susan Collins (R‐ME) and Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D‐WI), and Rep. Gregg Harper (R‐ MS) and Rep. Kathy Castor (D‐FL) for introducing and supporting bi‐partisan efforts to pass the RAISE Act. The new law instructs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to build a nationwide strategy to provide family caregivers with more support, services, education, training, respite options, and financial security.
The passage of the RAISE Act is a clear sign that legislators are beginning to take note of the concerns of an aging U.S. population. A coordinated national strategy to address the needs of family caregivers will also help guide local and state support services. According to AARP, the estimated economic value of unpaid care provided by family caregivers is $470 billion per year.
