March 21, 2024- Ashley Johnson has always found fulfillment in her role as a caregiver to various family members. That’s why her role as Long Term Care Coordinator for the Division of Aging and Adult Services at Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) is so fitting.

“I’m a family person through and through,” Ashley says. Good thing, because Ashley is lucky enough to come from a huge family. In addition to many aunts, uncles, and cousins, each of her grandparents remarried, so she ended up with four step-grandparents for a total of eight grandparents. And for a long time now, at any given time, she was responsible for caregiving to one or more of her many family members. 

Still, Ashley was surprised when she received an invitation —  “the opportunity of a lifetime,” as she puts it — from Rhonda Richards, Government Affairs Director, who leads AARP’s federal advocacy to support family caregivers. The event, entitled “Capitol Careverations: An Inside View of Family Caregiving in America,” took place on Capitol  and consisted of a panel and fireside chat with family caregivers, organizations and other staffers. The panel was led by Rita Choula, Senior Director of Caregiving with AARPS’s Public Policy institute and the briefing was organized by the Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues (Bipartisan Women’s Caucus). Both Representative Kat Cammack (R-FL-3) and Representative Monica De La Cruz(R-TX-15) joined the discussion and made remarks at the briefing in support of family caregiving. The discussion focused on the financial and emotional well-being of family caregivers.  

The panel discussed how their local Area Agency on Aging can provide support and resources to lessen the burden of caregivers. Using personal experiences and her role at DCHS, Ashley led organic discussions of ongoing issues such as finances, guilt, self-care, and the need to address systemic barriers to support. Ashley spoke specifically to the challenges faced by many family caregivers who often have tough decisions to make when responsible for the health and wellbeing of a loved one.   

Ashley shared a quote by former First Lady Mrs. Rosalind Carter, who founded the Institute for Caregivers. “I like to say that there are only four kinds of people in the world- those who have been caregivers, those who are currently caregivers, those who will be caregivers and those who will need caregivers.” Ashley aspires to see changes in legislation that support caregivers.  

The fireside chat portion of the event introduced personal stories from caregivers, sharing the daily struggles and triumphs faced by those on the front lines of caregiving. Hearing the firsthand accounts from the caregiving community resonated with the attendees and further highlighted the need for systemic change. Fortunately, there are caregiving advocates like Ashley who are working tirelessly to effect change.  

Ashley's career has focused on education, advocacy, and awareness campaigns across the caregiving spectrum, from clinicians to families. Before her current City position, she worked at Hospice of the Chesapeake, a large nonprofit hospice organization in Maryland where Ashley was a liaison and patient advocate. She’s currently pursuing a PhD in human and social services and gerontology. “Some people are afraid of change,” she says. “But I think you have to meet that pushback with passion and positive intent.”