Senator Collins Receives Family Caregiver Congressional Champion Award

Honor comes the same week that Sens. Collins, Markey introduced a bipartisan resolution designating November as "National Family Caregivers Month"

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WASHINGTON, D.C. - Last night, U.S. Senator Susan Collins was awarded the Care In Action Congressional Award from the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) at the organization's Caregiver Nation Summit in Washington. Senator Collins received the award in recognition of her work on the Lifespan Respite Act and her longstanding support for our nation's caregivers. The NAC's annual summit comes the same week that Senator Collins and a bipartisan group of senators introduced a bipartisan resolution recognizing the month of November as "National Family Caregivers Month."

"We designate November as National Family Caregivers Month, but your compassion and devotion are evident every day of the year. Those qualities, along with endurance, are qualities that define the 63 million Americans who care for a loved one facing illness, disability, or the natural progression of aging," said Senator Collins during her remarks at the summit. "It is vital that we support the health and well-being of family caregivers. Caregivers provide an estimated $600 billion in uncompensated care each year. Yet, an astounding 85 percent of caregivers have not received any respite services at all. Working together, in Washington and in communities across America, we are creating a shared vision for family caregiving that is centered on health, security, and support."

Earlier this year, Senator Collins introduced the bipartisan Lifespan Respite Care Reauthorization Act with Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI). The bill reauthorizes the Lifespan Respite Care Program for five years at $10 million annually through Fiscal Year 2030. It would also modernize the definition of "family caregiver" to include individuals under age 18. Senators Collins and Baldwin previously coauthored the RAISE Family Caregivers Act, which was signed into law in 2018 and called for the development of a coordinated strategic plan to leverage our resources, promote best practices, and expand services and training available to caregivers.

The complete text of the National Family Caregivers Month resolution can be read here.

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