Tampa Bay Times and AARP Florida to host Spotlight on family caregiving

Family caregiving, an issue that confronts nearly 3 million people who provide support for aging parents and adults or children with disabilities, will be the subject of a free community conversation hosted next week by the Tampa Bay Times and AARP Florida.

The conversation on Wednesday will feature U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Tampa; Keith Gibson, director of diversity, equity and inclusion at the Alzheimer’s Association; Amanda Singleton, attorney at Singleton Legal PLLC; Noemi Cruz, senior director of health care services at Florida Blue and Rhonda Richards, government affairs director, family & caregiving at AARP.

Justine Griffin, the Times’ business and health editor, will moderate the Spotlight Tampa Bay Family Caregiving Forum, which will examine how national and state policies can be strengthened and the true cost of caregiving.

According to AARP, there are 48 million family caregivers in the U.S. and 2.7 million in Florida.

“The Spotlight Tampa Bay Family Caregiving Forum is a crucial opportunity to address the challenges these unsung heroes face every day,” said Jeff Johnson, AARP Florida state director. “By bringing together experts and community voices, we aim to find commonsense solutions that will support caregivers and help them continue providing the care their loved ones need to live independently at home.”

The forum will take place Wednesday at Higgins Hall, 5225 North Himes Avenue at 6 p.m.

Doors open at 5:00 p.m. for a Family Caregiving Resource Center featuring local community services and organizations. The panel discussion, which will include questions from the audience, will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. Attendees should register at tampabay.com/spotlight. Admission and parking are free.