Today Survival Coalition of disability organizations, Wisconsin Aging Advocacy Network, and the Wisconsin Family Caregiver Alliance are releasing the fifth of six short videos focused on the daily challenges faced by Wisconsin’s family caregivers.

We need Survival Coalition members’ help to distribute this video and facts about Wisconsin family caregivers on social media, to grassroots, and to reporters.

This week’s video exposes the volume and kind of care families provide, and the lack of paid help available to hire.

Watch this four-minute video on
All On Our Own: Part Time Help for Full Time Care

The lack of quality direct care workers has increased pressure on family caregivers to an unsustainable level. Families have been forced to fill in the gaps, even though they already provide 80% of all the care needed. 85% of families do not have enough direct care workers to staff all authorized hours.

Action steps you can take to help Wisconsin family caregivers be heard!

• Share this video https://youtu.be/KptgGUP-06U on your organization’s social media pages

Suggested post language: “Family caregivers spend their evenings, nights, and weekends providing care for loved ones. They pick up the pieces and provide care when direct care workers don’t show up, quit, or there’s no one to hire. The amount of care families provide is already unsustainable; the direct care workforce crisis pushes it to the breaking point. “

• Directly Tweet video to local reporters, national aging and disability organizations, and influencers

Suggested post language: “All On Our Own: Part Time Help For Full Time Care. Watch this four minute video to meet family caregivers across Wisconsin who spend their days, nights, and weekends caregiving with no break and no help to hire.”

• Directly Tweet and post video on your Legislator’s social media

Suggested post language: “The amount of care families provide is already unsustainable; the direct care workforce crisis pushes it to the breaking point. Three things you could do that would help people like me include 1) Broaden Family Medical Leave 2) Make sure all caregivers can get help at ADRCs 3) create a Caregiver Tax Credit. These are a few of many needed policy changes.”

• Send a message out to your grassroots or member networks with a link to the video, and ask them to tell their caregiving story using this easy step by step take action link: https://p2a.co/cx0fstc

Important details legislators include where you live, your age, a little about the person(s) you care for, how many hours per day you spend caregiving, and how being a family caregiver affected your physical and mental health, and overall stress levels.

Quick facts: On Our Own, No Help to Hire

• 85% of families do not have enough workers to staff all authorized hours.
• Families fill in the gaps.
• Families work long hours, every day doing complex personal and medical care.
• 93% of personal care providers reported difficulties in filling job
• openings.
• The annual direct care workforce turnover rate is more than 50 percent.
• Few direct care jobs have any benefits.
• 50% of direct care workers rely on public assistance programs.
• 25% live below the poverty line.
• In 2020, the average wage for Wisconsin direct care workers is $13.22 per hour.