FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 30, 2021
Contact:
Neil Sroka, Communications Director
neil@paidleave.us or 847-219-8491
Arizonans, AARP, Paid Leave for the US (PL+US) to Participate in Roundtable Discussion on the Caregiving Crisis in the US
Timely roundtable discussion will feature personal caregiving stories and highlight how a national paid leave policy is vital for aging in America
On August 31st at 12:30 PM MST/3:30 PM EDT, Paid Leave for the US (PL+US) will host an open press virtual roundtable to spotlight the untold stories of millions of aging adults and family caregivers across Arizona, a state representing the broader caregiving crisis happening across the United States. As Congress debates potential national paid leave policy, this timely discussion will feature opening remarks from AARP Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy & Engagement Officer Nancy LeaMond, and stories from veteran, small business owner, and Latinx caregivers, moderated by PL+US Executive Director Molly Day.
Nancy LeaMond, AARP Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy & Engagement Officer of AARP, will open the discussion by highlighting the challenges facing working Americans who are also caring for older parents, spouses and other loved ones. “More than 60% of America’s 48 million family caregivers are also in the paid workforce,” said LeaMond. “They are juggling a lot and need help keeping all the balls in the air. Having the flexibility to take some time off work – without risking their jobs or their paychecks – would make a tremendous difference.”
Molly Day, Executive Director at PL+US, will moderate the conversation with caregivers on how a lack of paid leave affects veterans, small business owners, and Latinx communities. “Across America, millions of families – 1 in 6 Americans – struggle to provide care for an aging relative, and this population will double over the next twenty years. We have to take a hard look at our policies currently in place and rebuild our structures and systems to better support our aging loved ones and their caregivers, and that starts with passing a national paid leave policy,” said Day.
Panelists include Arizona State Rep. Diego Espinoza, a small business owner providing care for his aging father; Consuelo Hernandez, a Sunnyside governing board member who juggles caregiving responsibilities for both of her parents with her siblings; and David Lucier, a veteran who also serves as President of the Arizona Veterans & Military Leadership Alliance.
Details
When: Tuesday, Aug. 31 @ 12:30 PM MST/3:30 PM EDT
Where: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhJknqSziMo
OPEN PRESS: Press are encouraged to attend, and individual interviews with any of the participants on Tuesday’s call, including the AARP’s Nancy LeaMond and PL+US’ Molly Day, can be scheduled to take place after the event.
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About PL+US
PL+US (Paid Leave for the United States) is the national campaign to win paid family and medical leave for every working person in the US. PL+US has helped win paid family leave for nearly 8 million people through our transformative workplace campaigns at companies like Walmart, Starbucks, CVS and more in partnership with employees, employers, consumers, and investors. Learn more at: http://paidleave.us/