The nitty-gritty of Georgia's response to the needs of over 1 million family caregivers will be on full display come December 11, when the Senate Study Committee on Improving Family Caregiver Services convenes for its final meeting. The goal is to finalize a report that might just be the first step towards giving these unsung heroes of healthcare the recognition and support they deserve.
Putting pen to paper happens at 1:00 p.m. in Room 307 of the Coverdell Legislative Office Building, and those with a stake in the state’s caregiver support strategy can snag a front-row seat, either in person or through the live stream available on the Georgia General Assembly website. The committee has its work cut out, sorting through policies aimed at bolstering the backbone of Georgia’s senior care framework which, by all accounts, isn't getting any lighter as the senior population continues its steady climb.
Heads up to those members of the fourth estate planning to cover this event: [email protected] is where you’ll want to drop a line to confirm your attendance. Scooping the final recommendations of the committee, helmed by Minority Leader Sen. Harold Jones II, means being there come Thursday, soaking in every deliberation, every consensus forged—because the story of Georgia's caregivers is written in these proceedings, in the shared burdens and hopes laid bare.
Under Sen. Jones's direction, eyes have turned to address the reality behind the staggering statistic of more than 1 billion hours of unpaid labor provided yearly by these family caregivers.
