Opinion: Harris’s Medicare plan to cover seniors’ home care would be a miracle for families like mine

From our Letters to the Editor: The vice president’s initiative isn’t getting a lot of media attention, but it’s connecting with the many families dealing with an emotionally and financially draining ordeal.

As someone living with a chronic illness while being the primary caregiver for my mother, who has Alzheimer’s and type 2 diabetes, I know firsthand the struggles of balancing work and caregiving. My mother needs daily support for basic tasks like bathing and eating, but finding affordable and adequate care is impossible. Kamala Harris’s plan to have Medicare cover home care services would be life-changing for families like mine.

The vast majority of seniors who need long-term care can continue living at home with just a few hours of help each week. Harris’s proposal to design a plan that provides coverage for families of modest income recognizes the needs of everyday Americans. It would ensure my mother—and millions like her—could receive essential services.

Contrast this with Trump’s priorities, which are more focused on giving tax breaks to the ultra-rich instead of supporting hard-working Americans and seniors in need. We should be making it easier for families like mine to care for our loved ones, not lining the pockets of billionaires. Harris’s plan is a step in the right direction to ensure seniors can age with dignity and families can thrive.

Lillian Cheesman

Milwaukee, WI