In September 2021 in The New York Times, the health care activist Ady Barkan wrote a powerful plea for the United States to make home care more accessible and affordable for the millions of children, adults and seniors living with disabilities. Barkan suffered from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or A.L.S.; over time, paralysis robbed him of the ability to walk, talk and even breathe on his own. And though he acknowledged that the disease could be horrendous to live with, he called his life "beautiful" — in no small part thanks to having 24-hour home care. More than two years later, this past November, Barkan died. But his work to improve the lives of others has not dwindled. Millions of Americans still live without access to affordable home health care. An increasing population of seniors and a crisis in just compensation for caregivers means this problem will only get worse. Since Barkan's essay was published, very little has changed. In an Opinion guest essay this week, Barkan's wife, Rachael Scarborough King, reminds us why this status quo needs to change, and emphasizes how this year's election cycle provides an opportunity to galvanize elected officials into taking action. King demonstrates that legislative solutions to our caregiving system are both feasible and supported by constituents across the political spectrum. All that's needed is a will to follow through on those calls to action — and there is no better time than the present. It is easy to see why King believes so strongly that we need to open up caregiving options to those who need them. Throughout her essay, she shows how the caregivers who were part of Barkan's life became something like family to her. The beautiful life they made in spite of Barkan's disease remains. King hopes more families caring for people with disabilities can share in this experience. "Far from disrupting our privacy, the caregivers and other friends and family who supported us through Ady's illness allowed us to live in a more communal way — one that Americans often idealize while finding it difficult to achieve," King writes. "Rather than living in a traditional nuclear family, my children live surrounded by many loving adults who contribute to their care."
Here's what we're focusing on today:
We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. Games Here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle and Spelling Bee. If you're in the mood to play more, find all our games here. Forward this newsletter to friends to share ideas and perspectives that will help inform their lives. They can sign up here. Do you have feedback? Email us at opiniontoday@nytimes.com. If you have questions about your Times account, delivery problems or other issues, visit our Help Page or contact The Times.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday, January 3, 2024
Opinion Today: America’s caregiving system is in crisis
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment