Elements of the Credit for Caring Act and Newly Introduced Care Act Earn 80%+ support
Madison, WI – Senator Patrick Testin (Stevens Point) and Representative Ken Skowronski (Franklin) joined members of AARP-Wisconsin, as well as the Greater Wisconsin Agency on Aging Resources (GWAAR), and the Alzheimer’s Association (both members of the Wisconsin Aging Advocacy Network) to introduce the Care Act and unveil survey results that indicate broad support for caregiving legislation in Wisconsin.
The Care Act would ensure that hospitals provide instructions to caregivers upon the discharge of their loved ones. According to a recent survey conducted by AARP, more than 80% of respondents believe that the main components of the Care Act should be common practice.[i]
“Wisconsin hospitals are among the best in the country; we’re ranked first in the Midwest and fourth nationally when measured on quality of care,” said Senator Testin. “The Care Act codifies what the majority of our hospitals currently practice, and recognizes the critical role family caregivers play in helping loved ones return safely home.”
In addition to introducing the Care Act, the legislators announced changes to the Credit for Caring Act, a bill introduced this February that would create a tax credit for family caregivers. AARP’s survey indicates that 89% of respondents support such a tax credit.[ii]
“We’ve amended the Credit for Caring Act to enable us to maximize our effectiveness with the resources the state has available,” said Rep. Skowronski. By offering a $500 tax credit and further focusing our target recipients, we feel we can do a lot to help out Wisconsin’s 578,000-plus family caregivers who provide about 538 million hours of care to their loved ones.”
Both legislators hope that the broad support for these bills can push them to the forefront of the legislative calendar this fall.