Even though Judith Wong and her husband saved for retirement, they didn’t account for the cost of caregiving after her husband was diagnosed with a degenerative muscular disease.

“In-home care is so expensive. My husband will live a long time and we very possibly will run out of money,” Wong said.

A recent AARP study found the cost of home care and assisted living costs have surged about 50% since 2019, putting the ability to afford paid care out of reach of many middle-class families. For example, the average cost of a home health aide in Hawai‘i is $66,300 annually and the cost of housekeeping services is about $62,400.

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AARP Hawai‘i has been advocating at the state Legislature to support family caregivers with a modest tax credit. House Bill 1972 passed both chambers unanimously. But it won’t be enacted unless the House and Senate agree to resolve differences in their versions of the bill in conference committee.

The bill is a first step to show support for caregivers that the Legislature has so far been unwilling to take. A similar bill died in conference committee last year.

AARP Hawai‘i also supports House Bill 1804 to create a Long-Term Care Financing Advisory Commission to examine the feasibility of different financing options for long-term care services and supports.

Another proposal to help family caregivers is included in House Bill 2306. It would make it easier for lower- and middle-income taxpayers who are still working to claim a $10,000 dependent care tax credit for caring for a dependent adult who is living in their home.

The changes to the dependent care tax credit are part of a larger tax proposal to repeal income tax cuts starting in 2027. The bill would give tax cuts to lower and middle-income families, but raise taxes on higher income families. AARP Hawai‘i supports the improvements to the dependent care tax credit, but is neutral on the other parts of the bill.

AARP’s family caregiver tax credit and the proposed changes to the dependent care tax credit compliment each other. Lower- and middle-income taxpayers who don’t qualify for the dependent tax credit might benefit from the family caregiver tax credit. Taxpayers wouldn’t be able to claim both credits for caring for a single individual.

Proposals to support family caregivers have widespread impact.

About one in four Hawai‘i residents is or has been a caregiver in the last year. Without unpaid family caregivers, our entire system of long-term care would collapse. They allow kupuna to age at home, where most want to be and keep them out of expensive, taxpayer -supported nursing homes.

Another recent AARP study estimated that Hawai‘i’s family caregivers contribute 210,000 hours of unpaid care each year. If paid, that care would be worth nearly $5 billion.

Hawai‘i’s population is aging and as it ages, there will be fewer people of caregiving age as the demand for caregiving services increases.

You can help us in our fight. Go to action.aarp.org/iamacaregiver to be updated on our state and national fight to support caregivers and go to action.aarp.org/hikupuna to send an email to your lawmaker.

Hawai‘i’s lawmakers must act now to recognize and support those who care for others.