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Rural Caregivers Struggle as State Leaves Thousands Waiting For Help at Home: AARP NY Survey

Posted on 10/24/24

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State Data Reflects Especially Long Wait Lists in Upstate Rural Counties

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. - As New York fails to adequately fund basic home services for older adults, rural family caregivers are stressed, cutting work hours or even leaving jobs because they do not have enough help, according to an AARP New York survey released this week.

The survey of registered voters 40 and older in New York’s rural areas mirrors findings of AARP New York’s other caregiving surveys. More than 70% of rural caregivers reported being stressed. Of the 70% who work, 62% have adjusted their schedules, 19% dropped to part-time and 13% left jobs to help an older loved one at home.

Nearly all have paid for transportation, home modifications and other expenses. Most (62%) want more financial help from the state and nearly 90% said New York does not offer enough help or they are not sure, and 90% don’t have faith in nursing homes.

senior woman getting soup served by caregiver

AARP New York says Governor Kathy Hochul could greatly reduce the burden on older individuals and their families by adding $42 million to the Enhanced In-Home Services for the Elderly Program (EISEP) and other programs. EISEP offers affordable delivered meals, transportation, housekeeping and personal care to older adults who do not qualify for Medicaid but cannot afford private help.

But funding for EISEP only increased by $700,000 in the 2024 budget, even as the State Office for the Aging says 16,000 requests for these non-medical services are unfilled – a figure advocates believe is closer to 18,000.

“Thousands of older individuals in our less-populated regions wait months or even longer for help with housekeeping, grooming and meals,” said David McNally, AARP New York Director of Government Affairs & Advocacy, who spoke today at a meeting of the Caregiving Working Group of the North Country. “In our rural communities, and across New York, family caregivers are counting on Governor Hochul to fund these in-home services for middle-class older New Yorkers so no one is left waiting. In addition to keeping people in their homes where they want to be, these services relieve the tremendous pressure family caregivers face.”

Wait lists for EISEP and other programs are especially long in some upstate rural counties, according to the state’s own numbers. The wait list in Cattaraugus County is close to 800, in St. Lawrence County it is around 560 and it is about 240 in Clinton County.

Woman helping her elderly mother in wearing shoes at home

In Chautauqua County, with a population of 130,000, EISEP serves around 700 people, but around 400 are on wait lists, said Dana Corwin, interim director of the county’s Office for Aging Services.

“The challenge is finding workers with reliable transportation able to get to remote areas. They need to work full-time. They need benefits and to be able to pay for their own childcare,” Corwin said. “If we had more funding, we could recruit and retain people who really want to be doing this work.”

Such shortages are also an issue in the rural North Country, where Donna Beal, executive director of Mercy Care for the Adirondacks, said: “It is past time for adequate, accessible and affordable home care to be funded to help elders age in place successfully.”

The rural caregiving report was gleaned from a statewide telephone survey of 1,345 registered voters age 40-plus that AARP New York conducted in fall 2023. Read the full report here.

Connect with AARP New York on X: @AARPNY and Facebook: AARP New York

About AARP

AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering Americans 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to the more than 100 million Americans 50-plus and their families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also works for individuals in the marketplace by sparking new solutions and allowing carefully chosen, high-quality products and services to carry the AARP name. As a trusted source for news and information, AARP produces the nation's largest circulation publications, AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org/about-aarp/, www.aarp.org/español or follow @AARP, @AARPenEspañol and @AARPadvocates on social media.

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