America CARES Forum

This event was cosponsored by Caring Across Generations

A new Administration means new opportunities – and just in time! Caregiving for persons living with disabilities is rapidly becoming the defining shared experience of tens of millions of adults in the U.S. Yet, in this country, being a caregiver is extremely difficult: We don’t pay caregivers reasonably and we don’t provide back-up for working family caregivers. We don’t even identify caregivers in medical records.

It is time to create a substantial movement to amplify the voices of tens of millions of caring Americans across the country. It is time to pull together, to formulate our leading issues, and to insist on more attention and change from policymakers. This is the Forum to move that work along.

At the Forum, we will aim to engage families, workers, advocates, local and national leaders and others to develop a rolling campaign built around diverse voices and views who are “on the ground,” and who want to coalesce around a robust policy agenda that will focus more attention on both care workers and family caregivers. What is most important? What will galvanize support? What is it that various people and organizations bring to the cause?

Guest Speakers

• Spencer Blalock, Mississippi Family Caregiver AdvocateBen Chin, Political Engagement Director, Maine People's Alliance
• Jennifer Dexter, Assistant Vice President for Government Relations, Easterseals Office of Public Affairs
• Judith Feder, PhD, Professor, McCourt School of Public Policy, Georgetown University
• Sarita Gupta, Co-Director, Caring Across Generations
• Josephine Kalipeni, Director of Policy and Partnerships, Caring Across Generations
• Celinda Lake, President, Lake Research Partners
• Jim Lee, Vice President and Director, Systems Research & Initiatives Group, Altarum
• Joanne Lynn, MD, Director, Altarum Center for Elder Care and Advanced Illness
• Anne Montgomery, Deputy Director, Altarum Center for Elder Care and Advanced Illness
• Brian Nienaber, Vice President, Tarrance Group
• Carol Regan, Senior Advisor, Community Catalyst
• David Rolf, President, SEIU 775
• Kevin Simowitz, Political Director, Caring Across Generations
• Edwin Walker, Acting Assistant Secretary for Aging and Acting Administrator, Administration for Community Living, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services