Unpaid Caregiving Increases Risk of Poverty in Retirement

1. What if everyone just died when they can no longer work? Including myself who is disabled and in a wheelchair. My husband is working and paying not only for my care, but for the pensions of his parents 🤪

2. I helped Christian sister/mom for some years. She has been gone now 12 yrs. I am sympathetic to the negative. But, I am not kicking myself, like I would have, if I hadn't been there 😢☺️…look at it, like having given them that "cup of water" over and over again. Matt.25: 34-40 God bless

3. Thank you so very much for this extremely important report. It is truly a disgrace that this is so much a feature of our society. When I first began to study economics I was shocked and outraged to learn that economists model 'the decision to work (meaning for money)' as a choice people have between 'work' vs 'leisure'. As someone who had just spent 15 years at home looking after my children (most of the time as a single mother on minimal income) I did not appreciate – to say the least! – having my time looking after my children described as 'leisure'. As this report brings out, this is not just idiocy, it is much much worse than mere idiocy. A society which does not value care of children and other vulnerable people is profoundly sick.

4. I raised 8 children and had a husband on disability and took care of extended family full time and now found myself (due to prioritizing the care of my family and relatives) in the situation of turning 60…very little if no social security paid into the social security system and no safety net to look forward to in terms of retirement benefits (through Social security) or insurance through medicare. Since my husband was on disability when I met him – and therefore paid in essentially nothing over his lifetime working – there no widows benefits available when he passed away some years ago. I am fortunate in that I have adult children who will make sure that I am not destitute or homeless….as long as they can….but in terms of being eligible for benefits because of value contribution by doing the work of raising my children and taking care of and running my home, church and family…its just not there or going to be there. I made the choices in my life. I chose to put my children and my family first. I stand here now and do not regret those choices because I see the fruit of the labor – I see the value in it – even if society or the federal government gives it no $$$ value at all. It would be nice to be able to have something to look forward to – I actually envy those who get social security and/or widows benefits…at least they get a check every month to help them be able to have some ability to be self sustaining….maybe be able to pay their own phone bill or have car insurance or be able to continue to live independently? Or have dental care? or hire an urber to go to the store if they cant afford a car? or insurance?……and God forbid – what happens if you actually get sick enough to where you cant ignore it or take enough ibuprophen to make it better? I am not whining here because I made choices that I made along the way. It just is the way it is…like I said I am fortunate because my children will help to keep me off the street and fed. But I have pursued the question "At what point does age in and of itself become a disability?" How old do I have to become to be considered disabled?…so maybe I could apply for SSI….at least thats something and Medicaid comes with it. I'm starting to feel age pains now – not debilitating but I can feel the precursors of what it yet to come……I put this post here because I hardly ever see or hear any source address these issues. I am on FB is you want to talk further.

5. I was the caregiver for my father my mother and now my older sister with downs. I get nothing and no one cares. I have not been to a doctor or a dentist in over twenty years. I just need to live long enough to do the job I promised my parents, who adopted me and saved my life, that I would do.

6. I have had “healthcare givers & healthcare therapists” come into my home to help by giving my husband their sorry-disinterested version of physical therapy as well as dressing & handling care— NEVER AGAIN‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️
   When people have no personal/emotional ties to maintain they do their job-description-minimum for those who cannot question their methods & means!!! They really don’t care about ultimate outcomes when they know they’re job is supposed to be focused on someone who will die sooner than later!
   When I said, “… yes, I love you and I would love getting married to you… I did NOT preface or set boundaries to my commitment. It is until death us do part—yes, but only & up to if your body/brain don’t function as well as they do now… “. I hear of far too many “spouses” whom have decided to put their physically/mentally-reduced-spouse into a facility- mostly I’m hearing excuses like, “I can’t handle him/her.” Or, “They’re sooo much better at doing THAT job than I could ever be…”. When what I observe is that caring-full-time for their once segnificant other is just more than they really care to do… I’m aware that there are later stages of diseases of old age that all involved can benefit by with the aid of a professional in managing their aging/dying loved one’s condition but still keeping them in the security of the place they feel most comfortable THEIR-HOME in my experienced opinion, is most desirable for all concerned… Having said that, unfortunately there are extended family members that are not involved in the care of this aged loved one that seem to always know more or better how to do the job you’re doing. They’re usually more wrapped up in their personal & family pursuits and have never been required to stop everything else in life to care 24/7 for a seriously declining family member…it’s so much better for “that person” to do it rather than they but, still, they have to throw in their collection of critiques. Or after the fact, say how badly you did your job and they would have been better at it— after the fact, that is…
   For me personally, if there were funds for hiring a really good 2-3 times a week housekeeper, I would be extatic‼️ And someone to spell me for a half-day 2-3 Times per week, those types of AID would be marvelous‼️

7. I'm a caregiver!

8. My husband and I lived well below our means. I had the freedom to choose my path. I chose to raise my children, when they were young, full time. I'm 66yo work 2 jobs and collect my ss. I will work and then die.

9. Bernie & Warren 2020 !!!

10. There are only two ways to control things: Best way, is to desire only enough for a comfortable life and to have the compassion and charity to give all your wealth to a worthy cause in a way that best produces a grateful response. Worst way, is this ingrate world where society norm is a desire to be rich, to enrich ourselves upon the misery of those with less education, less wealth or less whiteness of skin. And to approve of the more educated upper-half of society hoarding all the land, wealth, political power and healthcare, thereby creating the 59% working poor. And to be among the seven billion sinners who do nothing, while the one billion least educated human beings slowly starve to death.

11. We need UBI = $1,000/month. Google Andrew Yang! #Yang2020

12. It also opens the door for other family members, who had little or no involvement in a parent's care, and who also may be a Psychopath, to accuse you of stealing money and sue you and make your life miserable for years and also to steal much of your own money that you saved for retirement by requiring you to pay lawyer's fees for years on end. And in the end you may be found to have done nothing wrong but you have already spent much of the money you saved in addition to not working and you are doubly screwed. In addition to having the time you spent on elder care being stolen from you, you also have all the time that is taken from you by working on the lawsuit. Triply screwed. And unless you are a professional money manager, don't even think about accepting power of attorney because you can be held to the same standards as a professional, actually probably higher. It is a thankless job and after the last parent dies your siblings are apt to tear into you for no reason. Oh, and lie, lie ,lie. I had a brother who praised me for what I did for our mother and after she died sued me claiming I abused her. Watch your backs and cover your a$$es at every turn.

13. I think long term care should be covered under your health insurance plan. We pay for theses highly expensive policies our entire life and then when we need most we are told we need another policy known as long term care. Care is care and the insurance industry needs to stop ripping off the public. Most of us have no more to give to this greedy industry.

14. I take care of my 86 year-old Mom with advanced Parkinson's disease. It's full time in my home. She receives social security, and has her own bills, and healthcare to pay for. She gives a small portion for food that averages 1.46 for each meal which is impossible.
    My two older siblings contribute zero dollars for her around the clock care. I am ONE of those. I claimed bankruptcy though I was current with debt though could not keep charging food or utilities. I have zero in savings and I'm 56. The future is abysmal and austere. I know I'm not alone in this situation. I recently have began once a week food bank visits. I have a degree in Medical Technology, but must care for my Mom. No social life or friends, just dr. Appointments, meals,laundry, housekeeping and health management (Not my own). Bless every caregiver HERE Heavenly Father. 💞💖💗

15. Caregiving lowers retirement saving by ten percent? More like 90 percent in my case. I was an instructor and dean at an Ivy League university when my parents' illnesses and disabilities required me to "pause" my career to care for them. Six years later, I couldn't get a job ANYWHERE because of the "employment gap" in my resume. I now do whatever I can to survive, and saving is out of the question. Meanwhile, siblings who refused to help out have enough wealth and property for a comfortable retirement, confident that justice reigns in the family because I "chose" caregiving. Christian Weller's suggestions are good, but we really need a sea change in the way we value caregiving for the old, ill, and disabled.

16. This is becoming my favorite news channel. Great topics on REAL issues that matter.

17. Outsourcing caregiving to low wage strangers is cruel. It is also cruel to not compensate the family members like a corporation would be compensated. We need to become less dependent upon corporations and live all stages of our life holistically and naturally. Governments job is to relieve the burdens a capitalistic society puts on human beings, not mold us to conform to the profit-making schemes of the elite classes and big industries.

18. Excellent topic, thank you! I suggest people (@AOC) tweet this news video to their Representatives in #Congress, like I just did.

19. Thank you. God bless the caregivers who work so hard for so little. Without them, my parents would be dead. Where I live, most of these people working as caregivers are from countries such as Ghana and Brazil.

20. I’ve been a PCA caregiver for years.. I had to fight along with my union to get 15$ an hour in Massachusetts. We won but it’s still not enough. Not even close. I live in poverty. I’ve taken care of stage 4 cancer patients and paralyzed veterans and children with cerebral palsy etc. I did this so they could all stay in their home with their family- so they weren’t put in hospice care and hospitals or nursing homes that cost a crazy amount of money. I know people who worked their entire lives only to sell everything and be put in a nursing home.
    But I can no longer afford to pay my bills.
    So I’m thinking of giving it up. It’s very depressing. No one cares about the care givers. Trust me. Sad fact. But this is what America wants. Go fund me healthcare and predatory capitalist healthcare. Get used to it. It’ll only get worse. I honestly don’t think anything will change.

21. All setup system by the Racist Elititist DEVILS to have such a system that will do this.

22. In general, Family members (preferably grandparents ) taking care of children illiminates the trust issue they may have w/strangers watching their kids. How much is that worth?
    Capital’s MO is to undervalue everything.

23. for some caregivers, there is no time for work, no time for socializing, no help, and continuous stress. i am one of those.

24. And does it happen in the "best country of the world"? I can't believe it.

25. David Graeber has been talking about the caring classes for years. Human activities with the greatest social benefit are the least rewarded as a rule. You will never legislate this away, and discussing it in terms of retirement savings shows the stupidity and complicity of traditional economics.

26. Exactly. The social workers in the interests of the state's goals, push care for autistic and learn disabled children onto grandparents who managed their lives successfully as to have a home which then becomes endangered due to the state requirements of legal control of the dependents which allows state insurance but at a recovered cost from—of course—the grandparents assets.
    The child's parents are often run off from the area due to constant warranting and court requirements which means that their social security is disallowed due to 'flight to avoid' legal statue. It is ALL DIRECTED TO OBTAINING THE GRANDPARENTS ASSETS.
    This is a despicable ploy for assets!!!!

27. Unpaid caregiving is welfare for the rich.
    It shifts the financial burden from society to family members, allowing tax cuts for the wealthy.
    Good societies carry the burden for the net benefit of the society.

28. If trump has his way, people will have no choice but to give up employment to look after sick or elderly relatives, there will be no immigrants left to do the low paid, difficult unappreciated work. 😔

Comments are closed.