Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed on Wednesday, Nov. 29, a proclamation stating that Nov. 2023 is “Family Caregivers Month in Arkansas.” The proclamation was requested by AARP Arkansas on behalf of the more than 420,000 unpaid caregivers in our state.
“AARP wants to shine a light on the plight of family caregivers,” said Ashley McBride, State Director of AARP Arkansas. “According to our latest Valuing the Invaluable study, Arkansans spend 390 million hours caring for a loved one annually. This unpaid care can be valued at $5.8 million.”
AARP further notes that 61 percent of family caregivers work either full time or part time and face financial risks, such as lost income, reduced career opportunities and savings; and that nearly 36 percent of Arkansans are 50-years of age or older.
“One of the reasons we are so passionate about advocating for this particular group is because by the year 2034, adults aged 65 and older will outnumber children under the age of 18,” said McBride. “As our population ages and the pool of those available to care for those in need decreases, we could find ourselves in a caregiver crisis.”
McBride continues saying, “Caregiving is a bipartisan issue that transcends geography and socio-economic factors. If there is an issue all Arkansans can get behind, it is caregiving.”
