Opinion: Kamala Harris and Tim Walz understand the stress of caring for loved ones—and are fighting to ensure everyone has the resources they need for in-home care

The Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy supports a Harris proposal to have Medicare cover costs that would allow more seniors to stay home longer.

When Maureen’s mother was aging, she and her brother moved in with their mom to provide care for her. It was the only way for Maureen’s mom to live comfortably at home and still receive the care she needed. 

Maureen still lives next door to her brother in the same duplex in Shorewood, and although she is glad she was able to provide care for her mother when she needed it, the experience was difficult. If there had been more resources and accessible help, it would have been a lot less stressful.

Like so many Wisconsinites, Maureen has had to juggle the responsibility of providing care for an aging family member, while continuing to work and often raise a family at the same time. Almost one quarter of American adults belong to the “sandwich generation,” which means they provide care to both their own children, and a parent or a loved one with disabilities. Across the Badger State, nearly 600,000 people make up the sandwich generation.

Most aging adults prefer to stay at home to receive care – it is usually less expensive than residing in a care facility – but Medicare does not currently cover long-term in-home care, and as we know from stories like Maureen’s, the caregiving responsibility often falls on family members.

This even includes folks like Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz, who both provided care to their aging parents while they battled cancer. Because of this experience, they are acutely aware of the need for more investments in our caregiving infrastructure.

Recently, Harris released a plan that would expand Medicare to include long-term and in-home health care for seniors and individuals with disabilities. This is a big deal. Over 67 million American seniors and individuals with disabilities are covered by Medicare, and 105 million Americans currently serve as unpaid caregivers. Covering the cost of in-home care would provide much-needed financial relief to those receiving and providing care, while at the same time lessening the emotional and physical stressors that accompany caregiving responsibilities.

The Harris plan would also bolster the wages for the workers who provide this critical care, improving the overall quality of care for our seniors and individuals with disabilities so everyone has the opportunity to thrive and live with dignity.

Expanding Medicare to cover in-home care services is just one piece of the vice president’s plan to ensure working families can thrive and take care of their families. Harris also advocates for restoring the $3,600 child tax credit that was implemented through the American Rescue Plan Act, as well as establishing a new, $6,000 tax credit for families with newborn children. Additionally, she wants to limit the costs of child care to no more than seven percent of a family’s income, and ensure everyone has access to paid family and medical leave. 

These policies are not only good for families and our economy; they are also very popular with voters, and this is something we have seen in our conversations with folks in the Badger State. Over the past few months, the Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy (CFFE) PAC organizers have had more than 34,000 conversations with Wisconsinites about the issues that matter most to them. Consistently, lowering costs by investing in policies to help families like affordable child care and elder care, lower cost prescription drugs, and paid family and medical leave come up in our conversations.

Fortunately, there’s a team on the ballot who will deliver for working families in Wisconsin and across the country. Voting for Harris and Walz for president and vice president is a vote for investments in care, investments in working families, and the health and future of our economy.

Related: 2024 Guide to Voiting in Wisconsin