My sisters and I know the hardships of elder care. The three of us helped our parents. Today, there are 40 million family members giving help to needy loved ones. Whether working a full-time job or being a full-time caregiver, it’s difficult to juggle time and resources between the two demands.

In my caregiving days, the HR department didn’t understand what it was like to do both, and when I asked for Family Medical Leave, rejected my request. That was almost 20 years ago.

In June 2017, Congress passed the bipartisan Recognize, Assist, Include, Support and Engage Family Caregivers Act. And on Jan. 22, the president signed into law the RAISE Family Caregivers Act. It’s the first step in creating a national strategy aimed at the relatives and partners who provide care.

Here is what the act will do:

• Promote adoption of person-centered and family-centered care in health settings and long-term care settings

• Train and education for family caregivers

• Respite options for family caregivers

• Ways to increase financial security for family caregivers

• Workplace policies to help family caregivers keep working

• Share innovative family caregiving models

• Assess federal programs around caregiving

• Address disparities and needs of the diverse caregiving population

Members of the Aging Council at HomeHealthCareAgencies.com shared their hopes for what the act will do.

Marie Senizaiz Sierra: “Create options for the working family caregiver, so they’re not forced to give up their employment. It’s their income as well as respite so often. If they do have to give it up, make payment possible based on the fact they are family caregivers ... period. Not diagnosis based, not years in and not what relational status.”

Stephen D. Forman, CLTC: “I met with Senator Murray (D-WA) and formally presented a plan which would increase the financial security of America’s family caregivers. One of the best financial support they can receive is a future where they aren’t needed. Tax incentives for buying LTC insurance lead to well-documented benefits, especially among family who would otherwise have to leave or reduce work at great sacrifice.”

Bryan London: “Raise the Medicare benefits for these families. Or, give them a way to get an increase in their Social Security benefits. It seems it would be a tremendous help to these families.”

Caryn Isaacs: “The problem with the current support services and financial reimbursement for caregivers is that it all runs through the Medicaid system. You have to be already impoverished to get the little bit of help offered. Opening Adult Day Care centers and offering financial help through unemployment insurance or social security to people above the Medicaid limits would go a long way to provide financial security. It doesn’t seem possible though with Social Security already under attack.”

Carol Marak is an aging advocate and editor at Seniorcare.com.