While paid home caregivers have been prioritized for the COVID-19 vaccine, family caregivers — many of whom are too young to qualify so far — have not. That puts them in a difficult position of having to care for loved ones while being at risk of contracting the virus, according to a recent news report.
Just a few states have moved family caregivers into the top priority tiers of their vaccine rollouts. Among them are Illinois, which has given that designation to families caring for relatives of all ages with significant disabilities. Arizona also is trying to accommodate caregivers who accompany older residents to vaccination sites. Meanwhile, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced plans to offer vaccines to family caregivers if veterans they look after are age-eligible, a spokesperson said.
That such programs are far and few between isn’t lost on Katherine Ornstein, a caregiving expert and associate professor of geriatrics and palliative medicine at Mount Sinai’s medical school in New York City.
“In all but name, [these caregivers] are essential healthcare workers, taking care of patients who are very sick, many of whom are completely reliant upon them, some of whom are dying,” Ornstein told the Kaiser Health News outlet. “Yet, we don’t recognize or support them as such, and that’s a tragedy.”
