UsAgainstAlzheimer’s Renews Push for Paid Leave for Family Caregivers after New Coronavirus Legislation Falls Short

Washington, D.C. (March 27, 2020) – UsAgainstAlzheimer’s issued the following statement on the passage of the CARES Act – the $2 trillion federal legislative package to respond to the nation’s COVID-19 public health and economic crisis.

“This latest legislative package highlights the enormous gaps that still exist for family caregivers struggling to balance work while providing care during this unprecedented public health and economic crisis.

“We commend Congress for continuing its bipartisan efforts to deliver solutions to our nation’s COVID-19 crisis with this important $2 trillion legislative package, but we are disappointed that the bill fell short of fully protecting family caregivers of older adults living with chronic conditions such as Alzheimer’s and dementia.

“We are heartened to see some expanded protections for these family caregivers in the legislation. The bill’s Pandemic Unemployment Assistance provision will allow qualifying individuals to claim unemployment in the event they are unable to work (or telework) to due to COVID-19 diagnosis or symptoms, the need to provide in-home care  to an individual (including an adult) who has been diagnosed with COVID-19, or the need to provide care due to closures of facilities, including those that provide adult care for their loved ones.

“UsAgainstAlzheimer’s mobilized more than 20 national aging organizations to call on Congress to expand emergency paid leave provisions to cover family caregivers for individuals vulnerable to COVID-19, including the nearly 6 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Our grassroots network generated more than 1,200 letters to Congress asking them to address gaps in the CARES Act.

“The crisis triggered by COVID-19 underscores the urgent need for a comprehensive paid family leave policy to support vulnerable families, including the nearly 16 million family caregivers providing Alzheimer’s related care. Our fight for a national paid leave policy continues as Congress begins discussions for the next coronavirus response package.”

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About UsAgainstAlzheimer’s (UsA2)

UsAgainstAlzheimer’s (UsA2) is a disruptive advocacy and research-focused organization that is pushing for expanding treatments and accelerating towards a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. UsA2’s transformative programming is laser-focused on proactive brain health across the lifespan and understanding what matters most across the lived experiences of those affected by Alzheimer’s in the service of preventing, treating and curing this disease.  We are working to ensure that all communities have their voices heard, and get a chance to be brain healthy from the earliest years while building resistance against possible cognitive decline.