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More than one in three voters 40 and older in Vermont have experience as a family caregiver. Just over one in ten say they are currently providing care to an adult loved one, and one in four say they have been a caregiver in the past.
Most caregivers in Vermont care for their loved ones while working either full- or part-time. Two in three current and former caregivers (66%) say they provided care while working.
Most Vermont caregivers are caring for their parents who are in their 80s or older. And these caregivers help their loved ones with many activities of daily living, such as bathing, dressing, toileting, or eating. Most caregivers also provide companionship, and help with shopping, household chores, and transportation.
Most caregivers in Vermont feel stressed due to their caregiving responsibilities. Three in four caregivers say they feel stressed emotionally, and one in three say they feel strained financially. Three in four working caregivers say they feel stressed in balancing their job and family responsibilities. Many caregivers also feel lonely, and find it difficult to get enough rest, take care of their household, and exercise regularly.
Voters in Vermont across political parties overwhelmingly support a paid family and medical leave program run by the state. Such a program would allow eligible workers to take paid leave up to 12 weeks to recover from a serious illness or injury, care for a family member, recover from birth and bond with a new child, or when a family member is called to active military duty. Nearly eight in ten voters strongly or somewhat support such a paid leave program in Vermont.
When voters were told how this program would be funded by a payroll deduction where an employer and an employee would both contribute less than one-third of 1%, they still supported it.
Many voters (44%) would also be more likely to vote for a candidate for the Vermont state legislature who supported such a paid family and medical leave program.
Methodology
The AARP 2023 Vermont Survey on Caregiving and Long-Term Care was conducted by American Directions Research Group (ADRG) among registered voters of Vermont ages 40 and older. The survey collected the opinions of Vermont registered voters on their views on families and older Americans, and related proposals being considered by the Vermont state legislature. Telephone survey interviews averaged 20 minutes in length. The interviews were conducted in English by ADRG November 15–30, 2023. The data were collected using a registered voter list. A total of 1,002 people completed telephone interviews.
For more information, please contact Terri Guengerich at tguengerich@aarp.org. For more information about family caregiving or paid medical and family leave in Vermont, please contact Charlie Gliserman at cgliserman@aarp.org or (802) 689-6242. For media inquiries, please contact External Relations at media@aarp.org.
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