I’m here today to compliment the good work of the Alzheimer’s Association and to lend my support to this important legislation.
Caregivers are silent heroes. This bill breathes federal support into the lifeline they offer ailing family members each and every day. Family caregivers make tremendous sacrifices to help older and ailing loved ones stay at home. They make possible a much better quality of life even under difficult circumstances. I saw it first-hand in my own family. My two sisters made the difference between night-and-day with their at-home care for my brother after he spent a year in a nursing home following a stroke. The tax credit for family caregivers in this legislation says we recognize what you do for the people you love, as well as how much your labor saves the health care system. Three-thousand dollars is a spit in the ocean compared to the contribution you make.
Here in Congress we also need to do a lot more to help individual Americans manage their own risk as they age. The long-term care tax incentives in this legislation are a big step in that direction. I’ve never met anyone who wants to move to a nursing home, but when that kind of care is needed, it’s very expensive, and individuals need to be prepared so they can access the services they need.
There’s no doubt that Alzheimer’s Disease is among the most heart-wrenching conditions suffered by millions of Americans. Increased federal support for Alzheimer’s research is important and could make a meaningful difference for the extraordinary efforts underway to find a cure.
Again, thank you for your good work and leadership. I’m happy to continue my work for this kind of legislation with Senator Bond and Senator Mikulski.
Senator Grassley was chairman of the Senate Committee on Aging from 1997 through 2000, where he championed caregivers and built support for the federal tax credit included in the Ronald Reagan Alzheimer’s Breakthrough Act introduced today. He is the original co-author of federal tax incentives for the purchase of long-term care insurance. Today Senator Grassley chairs the Senate Committee on Finance, where tax legislation is considered.