Millions of Ohioans are caregivers for family members or neighbors in Ohio. As Ohio AARP Executive Director Jenny Carlson put it, “That’s one in four adults … holding up our healthcare system.”

As public officials demand greater scrutiny over how Medicaid funds are used for at-home caregiving, AARP has conducted a study that shows many of the adults who are caring for aging parents and other family members are struggling financially, and nearing burnout.

“Right now, it’s reaching a breaking point,” Carlson said in an interview with Statehouse News Bureau.

When they step into the role, 93% of them are spending their own money to provide care, meals, household items, transportation, housing, prescriptions and even home modifications. For approximately 70% of those people, being a caregiver presents a financial hardship. To top it off, approximately two-thirds of them are still working. That’s a mental health balancing act, too.

“If caregivers don’t get the necessary support, the consequences are impacting us all because burnout leads to workforce loss, financial stress leads to instability, and … more people end up in costly, institutional care,” Carlson told Statehouse News Bureau.

Surely that is not policymakers’ goal.