Your partner becomes paralyzed in a devastating accident.
You become their full-time caregiver.
You catheter them every 3-4 hours and lift them in and out of a wheelchair several times a day.
Your state says it's a "wifely duty" and refuses to pay you.
washingtonpost.com/business/inter…
@washingtonpost just published my most ambitious project to date. For nearly a year I’ve been reporting on how America treats women caring for paralyzed partners. A spinal cord injury can happen to anyone, but men account for 80 percent of all new cases each year.
Only eight state Medicaid programs allow married people to be paid caregivers to their partners. Eight additional states have private programs that allow spouses to be paid as caregivers, but with strict limitations.
#Interabled relationships aren’t discussed enough. Thousands of women cannot earn a salary simply because they are married. They feel punished for loving someone with a disability.
The pandemic made the situation worse. Many people with a spinal cord injury have reduced lung capacity. Hiring an outside caregiver to come into the home was dangerous. So more women did unpaid work.
I traveled to Portland and filmed Jane and Conner. She makes a little more than minimum wage being her boyfriend’s sole caregiver. If they get married, her pay reduces by half.
Earlier in the year there was hope for these women. President Biden’s original infrastructure bill had provisions to pay family caregivers but Republicans forced that section in the plan to be dropped.
If you want to learn more, read my story featuring three women dealing with the aftermath of a spinal cord injury and how it affects their personal lives and finances.
washingtonpost.com/business/inter…
This story was actually a follow up to a 2018 story I wrote while I worked the overnight shift. I've been in contact with these women regularly for three years. They trusted me to share their story. It's so important to check in with your sources.
washingtonpost.com/news/morning-m…
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