Testimony of Vanessa Hogan

In support of

Senate Bill No. 1530 and House Bill No. 1643 An Act to Establish the Family Caregiver Tax Credit

Before The Joint Committee on Revenue

Boston, MA July 11, 2017

VANESSA HOGAN, Boston

My name is Vanessa Hogan. My sister Dianna L. Hogan at the age 57 was diagnosed with Lymphoma. All her life she was a hard worker as she worked for Raytheon for 30 years. I assured my sister that we would fight the illness and that she should move in with our elderly mother with health issues of her own and myself and that I would take care of her. I promised that if the situation arose, that she would not be placed in any type of nursing facility and we would take care of her until we beat the disease. In addition to lymphoma, my sister had been battling lupus, Chronic COPD and congestive heart failure. My sister couldn’t walk 10 feet without being completely out of breath. So I paid to have stair-lifts installed in my home as well as hers in hopes that she would one day return to her home. She suffer greatly with more emergency visits then I can count, more hospital stays than I can count as well as several stints in nursing rehab facilities.

Being self-employed, I was constantly juggling my schedule to accommodate her numerous hospital visits and appointments. I felt like my life was not my own as I was constantly on the go caring for two people who had serious illnesses. I was exhausted. I own a small business where I am the sole proprietor with no employees. My business suffered as I was always canceling, rescheduling and just not showing up due to some medical emergency. I cannot imagine how it would be working a traditional 9-5 job and still trying to care for my loved ones. I was able to keep my sister out of full-time live in nursing facility because I was able to do so. I cannot imagine the additional stress of working a traditional 9-5 and having to report my every move and to come up with reason/excuses because I needed to leave abruptly. I have admiration and can appreciate the difficulties of those who do have those circumstances.

On June 14, 2016, after over 4 years of severe illness, my sister passed away at the age of 61. Not a day has passed since then that I don’t cry or wonder how I was able to care for her through it all. Although, those were scary, difficult and stressful times, I would not change a thing because I was able to care for her under her terms and mine.

I hope that can understand the burden financially and emotionally in caring for chronically sick loves ones. Please support the Caregiver Act.

Thank you.

Vanessa M. Hogan Boston, MA 02119