Disability in Focus: November 2018

One in five adults acts as a caregiver to a friend or family member who lives in the community and has a disability or health difficulty. Informal caregivers can provide transportation and take care of day-to-day activities like meal preparation.

November is National Family Caregiver Month and the NH Disability & Public Health (DPH) project has published a new Disability in Focus data brief which highlights the impact of family and informal caregivers and shares policy options to facilitate their contribution.

 “It is important to make sure that policymakers support informal caregivers,” explains Kimberly Phillips, DPH Principal Investigator and co-author of the report. “This could include better access to high-quality, affordable home supports, more flexible work arrangements, and training to allow health care providers to better identify support needs for caregivers.”  

You can download the report and learn more about issues affecting the health and wellness of people with disabilities at www.nhdisabilityhealth.org.

The NH Disability & Public Health Project (DPH), funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cooperative agreement number 1NU27DD000007, is a collaboration between the Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire and the NH Division of Public Health Services (DPHS). The project goal is to improve the health and quality of life of people with disabilities in NH by developing and strengthening the capacity of the state’s public health programs and initiatives to be accessible and include people with intellectual disabilities and mobility limitations. The contents of this report are the responsibility of DPH staff and do not necessarily represent the views of the CDC or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The Institute on Disability (IOD) at the University of New Hampshire was established in 1987 to provide a university-based focus for the improvement of knowledge, policies, and practices related to the lives of persons with disabilities and their families. Its mission is to promote full access, equal opportunities, and participation for all persons by strengthening communities and advancing policy and systems change, promising practices, education, and research.

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