AARP to Push for Tax Credit to Help Family Caregivers
In 2001, Meari Avery, 69, left her job as a psychiatric nurse in Denver and moved home to Connecticut to be closer to her mom as she aged.
Avery’s stepdad had died unexpectedly of a heart attack the year before, and at first, her mom just needed help with small things, such as reviewing her medications and paying bills.Eventually, it became “all-consuming.” After her mother was diagnosed with vascular dementia, Avery decided to move in with her in 2010. She was still working full-time as a nurse, and the juggling act took a toll.
“Even when you’re at work, unless there’s someone with them, you’re worried about [them],” says Avery, whose mother died in 2015. Avery, of West Haven, now helps AARP with advocacy work and caregiving presentations.
AARP Connecticut is highlighting the experiences of Avery and other caregivers—along with key resources—to mark National Family Caregivers Month. Expanding support for caregivers will also be a key AARP priority during next year’s legislative session in Hartford.
