WEBVTT

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AMNA NAWAZ: We heard earlier
from some front-line health care
workers, but let's turn now to

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a different kind of essential
worker, a few of the more
than 50 million caregivers in

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this country who provide help
to loved ones or to clients.

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We spoke with some who
volunteer, who work
in-home, and some family
caregivers to hear

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what their past few
months have been like

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MATT BERZOK, Caregiver: My
name's Matt. My son Ben is
a 16-year-old with autism.

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When the pandemic
started, Ben went from
being fairly structured
and programmed to all of

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a sudden having no structure.
It was pretty anxiety-provoking,
especially for Ben, who

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over time got more
and more anxious.

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CECILY BAKER, Owner, Be Patient
Caregiving: My name is Cecily
Baker. I am the owner of

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a business called Be
Patient Caregiving.

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Being a caregiver in this
pandemic is all about trust.
The families are worried. We're

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listening to the media about
people dying left and right
in nursing homes, assisted

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living, and in home. That can
affect your mental health.

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MARIA ORTIZ, Alzheimer's
Association of Greater
Cincinnati: My name
is Maria Ortiz. I am a

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volunteer member for the
Greater Cincinnati chapter for
the Alzheimer's Association.

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My father passed away from
Alzheimer's in 2014. It's a way
not only to honor his memory,

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but also to be a voice out
there, to say to others,
you're not alone. There's help.

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EMILY PARSONS, Caregiver: My
name is Emily. My son James
was diagnosed with a terminal

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genetic condition six years ago.

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We do get 24-hour skilled
nursing care. However,
with the pandemic, we
haven't always had skilled

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nurses that were cleared to come
into the home. You don't have
any escape. You're constantly

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in that caregiver role. There
is no break. There's no rest.

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ANNE ADKINSON, Caregiver: My
name is Anne Adkinson. I live in
Oregon. And I am the caregiver

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for my husband, who
is a disabled veteran.

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He served in Iraq in 2003. I
feel like we kind of got into
a groove with the caregiving

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routine over the last couple
of years. But the pandemic
has definitely put a wrench in

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all of that, with
having the kids home.

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MATT BERZOK: At one point, he
was so angry, that he ended up
biting me. And I walked around

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with a bruise on my shoulder
for the better part of a month.

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Even though I might not have
chosen this, he's made me so
much of a better person, brought

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me joys that I never thought
I could have, and sadness that
I didn't expect either, but

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has also taught me
a lot about life.

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CECILY BAKER: So, they want
to know, what are we putting
in a place to make sure that

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their loved one is safe?

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We are getting our caregivers
tested. And we have asked the
families if they would like

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to join.

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MARIA ORTIZ: Caretakers feel
that they are not doing the
proper care sometimes or they're

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not going beyond what
they should be doing. And
that burden is very heavy.

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And now, with the situation of
COVID-19, having people coming
and support the caretaker has

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been a little bit more limited,
due to the fear of contagion.

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EMILY PARSONS: As a family,
my husband was laid off. His
position was in a factory. And

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so we have had
that financial hit.

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So, me and my husband have
been tag-teaming. I typically
take a day shift. He typically

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takes night shift. My son does
require 24-hour care. He cannot
be left alone because of the

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respiratory and
breathing issues.

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Due to the fact that
COVID is primarily a
respiratory disorder,
it's made our movements

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very restricted.

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ANNE ADKINSON: With military and
veteran caregivers, there's 5.5
million of us in our country,

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and we provide $14 billion a
year in free care for veterans.

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Little things, a note, reaching
out, even just saying, hey,
I'm at Target, can I pick

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something up for you, saves
me so much time. And it just
helps me feel supported.

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AMNA NAWAZ: And for a
deeper look at the toll
that this pandemic has
taken on our nation's

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caregivers, Judy Woodruff spoke
recently with Dr. Jennifer
Olsen. She's executive director

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of the Rosalynn Carter
Institute for Caregiving.

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JUDY WOODRUFF: Jennifer Olsen,
welcome to the "NewsHour."

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These stories from caregivers,
people who take care of
others, they're -- it's just

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overwhelming. It takes
your breath away.

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And they're normally the kinds
of stories we don't hear.
I mean, these happen in the

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privacy of families.

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DR. JENNIFER OLSEN,
Executive Director, Rosalynn
Carter Institute for
Caregiving: You're right.

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The stories we just heard are
often bedroom or kitchen table
conversations, despite the

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fact that there are over
50 million caregivers
in this country.

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And that was the
number before COVID-19.

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JUDY WOODRUFF: Give us
a sense of the range
of things caregivers
are called on to do and

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what it can mean when
the day knows no end.

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DR. JENNIFER OLSEN: Yes, I
think what we have heard is
increases in stress in this time

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of COVID, with a couple of main
drivers, fears about someone
getting sick themselves, so

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they want to be able to provide
the care that do for others.

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Individuals worried about their
care recipient getting sick.
Lack of access to services,

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as we just heard, people unable
to come into the home or day
programs not being available.

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Last week, we released a
report, "Caregivers in Crisis,"
which is a hard read, but not

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surprising. Over 80 percent
of the caregivers we talked to
mention this increased stress,

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as well as fears about a lack
of ability to go for medical
treatments or appointments

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that they were expecting to
bring their loved one to. So,
the stress is compounding.

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JUDY WOODRUFF: And the
work that these caregivers
do, it's not as if they
can be socially distanced.

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I mean, they are doing some
of the most personal kinds
of help that you can imagine.

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DR. JENNIFER OLSEN:
That's right.

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I think many caregivers had
created structures that gave
them respite or breaks. Even the

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drive to the grocery store
provided a moment of break for
returning to their caregiver

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role. Those breaks
aren't as available.

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The services that people relied
on for certain people who came
into your home not as available,

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just an ongoing list of
reasons that things are
becoming more challenging.

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JUDY WOODRUFF: You, the Rosalynn
Carter Institute, have called
this an emergency room moment

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for caregiving.

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What did you mean by that?

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DR. JENNIFER OLSEN: I'm
a public health person.

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And in public health,
we constantly try to
keep people out of the
emergency room, whether

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through prevention or education
and awareness campaigns,
or mild treatment options.

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Unfortunately, caregivers tend
to reach out for help or get
support when they're at their

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stress point, when they are
experiencing physical or mental
health ailments themselves.

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I think this is the point
for the country to see that
caregivers, if supported, won't

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get to those stress points,
won't show up in that emergency
room of their caregiver

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journey.

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JUDY WOODRUFF: What
can be done about it?

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I mean, these are -- it's not
as simple as the government
passing one law. I mean, these

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are people -- again, it's in the
family. It's children. It's the
elderly. It's so many different

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kinds of circumstances.
What are the kinds of
things that would help them?

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DR. JENNIFER OLSEN: Our work
for caregivers will require
an engagement on thinking at

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the population level about
policies and programs,
as well as listening
to and learning from

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individual caregivers' stories.

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But you're right, Judy. This is
going to take an effort amongst
different sectors, employers

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engaging directly,
legislators and lawmakers,
health departments,
social service departments

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and community organizations,
working to see caregivers.

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How often are caregivers
thought of? Not nearly
enough. We don't engage
in caregiver conversations

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at many boardrooms and companies
across this country, nor in
the hallways of governments

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at the federal and state
level. And that's the change
that we're calling for.

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Across this country, there have
been caregivers who have immune
compromised loved ones that

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they have figured out innovative
solutions for, whether
that's drive-through services

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or drop-offs.

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So, wouldn't it be
amazing if we started
to look to caregivers
as the problem-solvers

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that they are and
to learn from them?

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JUDY WOODRUFF: Well, there's
no question they are doing
extraordinary work, as you say,

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for millions and
millions of Americans.

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Jennifer Olsen with the
Rosalynn Carter Caregiving
Institute, thank you
so much for joining us.

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DR. JENNIFER OLSEN:
Thank you, Judy.