Caring For The Caregivers - Uncared For

Summary

Podcast Summary: Uncared For – "Caring For The Caregivers"

Introduction

In the compelling episode titled "Caring For The Caregivers" from Season 3 of Uncared For by Lemonada Media, host SuChin Pak delves deep into the multifaceted challenges facing America’s caregiving workforce amidst a rapidly aging population. Released on June 19, 2024, this episode brings to light the urgent need to reevaluate and invest in caregiving as a cornerstone of the nation's healthcare infrastructure.

The Aging Population Crisis

The United States is experiencing an unprecedented demographic shift, with one out of six Americans now over the age of 65—a number projected to rise in the coming decades. SuChin Pak sets the stage by highlighting the strain this places on both family caregivers and professional care workers, who are already operating under significant pressure.

The Overburdened Caregiving Workforce

Ai Jen Poo, president of the National Domestic Workers Alliance and author of Preparing for the Elder Boom in a Changing America, provides a sobering overview of the caregiving landscape. She states, “[04:35] “We have 53 million overstretched working family caregivers and more than 7 million underpaid professional care workers.” Poo emphasizes that the majority of these caregivers are women, particularly women of color, making the system not only unsustainable but also deeply inequitable.

Ai Jen Poo's Personal Perspective

Poo shares her personal upbringing, immersed in a "care village" comprising grandparents, parents, and extended family members. “[04:54] “All of my grandparents played a really significant role in raising me... It really normalized this idea that care is a collective endeavor.” This intergenerational approach contrasts sharply with the prevalent nuclear family model in the U.S., underscoring the cultural shifts necessary to better support caregiving.

The Value of Caregiving as Infrastructure

A pivotal moment in the discussion is when Poo frames caregiving as fundamental infrastructure. “[10:25] “If access to care is infrastructure, what could be more essential and fundamental?” She argues that just as bridges and utilities are critical to society’s functioning, so too is the caregiving workforce indispensable. This perspective shifts caregiving from being seen as "soft" or "special interest" work to being recognized as essential to national well-being.

Katrina Mouzon's Experience as a Caregiver

The episode features Katrina Mouzon, a dedicated home care worker from Charlotte, North Carolina, who provides firsthand insight into the demanding nature of caregiving. “[12:08] “You just can't be like, oh, I'm going to leave. You're the only person that really cares.” Mouzon recounts working up to 70 hours a week with low wages, highlighting the emotional and physical toll of the job. She shares poignant moments, such as giving a client his first shower in two years, illustrating the profound impact caregivers have on individuals’ lives.

Policy Solutions and State Initiatives

Ai Jen Poo discusses potential policy reforms to address the caregiving crisis. She advocates for significant investment in the Medicaid program to support home and community-based care. “[24:40] “If we put more funding into Medicaid, we could build out the infrastructure and workforce to have good pay, living wages, benefits, and job security.” The conversation also highlights Washington State's pioneering WA Cares program, a social insurance initiative designed to provide long-term care benefits similarly to Social Security. Poo envisions this model as a blueprint for national adoption, promoting equitable access to care.

Individual Action and Planning for Care

Beyond policy, Poo offers practical advice for individuals to prepare for their own future care needs. “[27:47] “Start having conversations now when you're not in the midst of a crisis... Approach it with real curiosity.” She encourages building a supportive care network and fostering open dialogues about personal care preferences, making the process less isolating and more collaborative.

Conclusion

"Caring For The Caregivers" is a heartfelt and informative episode that underscores the critical need to value and support those who provide care in our society. By reimagining caregiving as essential infrastructure and advocating for systemic changes, the episode offers a hopeful vision for a future where caregivers are rightfully recognized and compensated. SuChin Pak effectively balances personal narratives with policy discussions, making the episode both engaging and enlightening for listeners seeking to understand and address the looming caregiving crisis.

Notable Quotes:

Ai Jen Poo on the scale of caregiving: “[04:35] We have 53 million overstretched working family caregivers and more than 7 million underpaid professional care workers.”
Ai Jen Poo on caregiving as infrastructure: “[10:25] If access to care is infrastructure, what could be more essential and fundamental?”
Ai Jen Poo on policy investment: “[24:40] If we put more funding into Medicaid, we could build out the infrastructure and workforce to have good pay, living wages, benefits, and job security.”
Katrina Mouzon on the emotional demands of caregiving: “[12:08] You just can't be like, oh, I'm going to leave. You're the only person that really cares.”

Final Thoughts

This episode serves as a crucial call to action, urging society to recognize the indispensable role of caregivers and to implement meaningful changes that ensure their well-being and sustainability. By listening to Uncared For, audiences gain valuable insights into the challenges and potential solutions surrounding America’s caregiving crisis.

Transcript

Soo Jin Pak (0:02)

Lemonade.

Ai Jen Poo (0:08)

For as long as I can remember, people who have been talking about this aging demographic shift have compared it to natural disasters of different sorts, like the Silver tsunami, the age wave. Like, there's so many metaphors that I've read.

Soo Jin Pak (0:25)

I'm like, wow, this is. Someone's had a lot of fun with, with the. The imagery of this doom, right, that's coming.

Ai Jen Poo (0:32)

And it's always some kind of major natural disaster. And I think the only way that it's a disaster is. Is actually man made. It's unnatural. This is an opportunity, a massive opportunity for a long overdue culture change.

Soo Jin Pak (0:52)

This is uncared for. I'm your host, Soo Jin. Pakistan. As a country, we are older than we've ever been. One out of six Americans are over 65, and that number is only expected to increase over the next few decades. So how are we going to care for everyone? Especially when family caregivers and professional care workers alike are already stretched thin? Our guests today believe we have to change the way we value caregiving to see it as the backbone of our country, the literal infrastructure holding everything up, and then we need to invest in it. We'll hear from Katrina Mouzon, a professional care worker. She knows firsthand how low wages and long hours take a toll on caregivers.

Katrina Mouzon (1:43)

It'll burn you out because your clients need you and more clients need you. So I'll probably work like 70 hours a week.

Soo Jin Pak (1:52)

But first, we'll turn the mic back to AI Jen Poo, who you heard from up top. AI Jen is the president of the National Domestic Workers alliance and author of the Age of Preparing for the Elder Boom in a Changing America. She knows the ins and outs of the problems stacked against caregivers today and the long overdue policy solutions we need to support them. So can you give me a sense of the scale around how much older we are becoming as a country and what this means, like, what is at stake? Because they're not just numbers, right?

Ai Jen Poo (2:34)

That's right.

Soo Jin Pak (2:34)

Can you talk about that? Yeah.

Ai Jen Poo (2:35)

The big picture there, basically what has happened is we today, 10,000 people will turn 65 and 10,000 babies will be born, give or take. And we have experienced such advances in healthcare and technology that people are living longer than we ever could have imagined. We have more generations to care for and less care to offer because most people, most adults work outside of the home just to make ends meet. So we've got 53 million overstretched working family caregivers, more than 7 million underpaid professional care workers. This social worker named Jessica Calarco often says other countries have a safety net, and the US has women because the overwhelming number of those family caregivers are women. And the overwhelming number of the professional care workers are also women and majority women of color. So we are in a situation where we are a country that needs more care than ever before, and we have less of it. Women and women of color are filling the gaps, and it's completely unsustainable.