♪ john: tonight on "pbs news weekend." the burden on women across the country as the primary caregivers for loved ones. then, what's at stake for the tens of millions of americans who rely on medicaid, the nation's biggest government safety net program. >> i go to the hospital a lot. i am in and out of appointments constantly. and so without it there's a lot , up in the air about what i could even do, what medications i could have if i could still afford my medications. john: and the story of a black women who dedicated a lifetime

to serving her country and her community. ♪ >> major funding for "pbs news weekend" has been provided by . >> certified financial planner professionals are proud to support "pbs news weekend." they are committed to working in their clients' best interest. >> and with the ongoing support of these individuals and institutions. and friends of the newshour. ♪

this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting and by corporations to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. john: good evening. i'm john yang. tensions racheted up today along the border between lebanon and israel. three un military observers and a lebanese interpreter were wounded in an explosion. they were patrolling the lebanese side of the border as part of their peacekeeping mission. a u.n. spokesperson said they're investigating the source of the explosion, and that the observers' vehicle was clearly marked and that all parties had been told about the patrol. israel's military denied any involvement. israeli troops and hezbollah fighters have been trading attacks across the border for weeks. meanwhile, a convoy of three ships carrying 400 tons of food and other aid set sail for gaza from cyprus today. the un has warned of imminent famine in gaza.

ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy fired more of his top aides in his ongoing government reshuffle. it comes as russia launched more drone and missile attacks on eastern ukraine overnight, killing two people in donetsk. over the last 24 hours, there's been a barrage of strikes from russia, many targeting energy infrastructure. ukraine has put planned power outages in place for about 120,000 people in the region. in peru, government agents raided the home of president dina boluarte as part of an investigation into a collection of luxury watches and whether they had been disclosed. last night, a team used a battering ram to break down a door as they sought multiple rolex timepieces. boluarte has been president for a little more than a year, and she said she has owned at least one rolex watch that she bought with her own money when she was 18 years old. today, boluarte defended herself, saying she's an honest woman with "clean hands." and in rome, pope francis presided over an easter vigil service in st. peter's basilica. he missed last night's good friday procession as a health

precaution. the 87-year old pontiff has mited his public appearances lately, even skipping his palm sunday homily, while struggling with respiratory problems. still to come on "pbs news weekend." the role of the nation's largest health insurance program in america's safety net. and the hidden history of a black nurse who served her country in a variety of ways. ♪ >> this is "pbs news weekend," from weta studios in washington home of the pbs newshour, weeknights on pbs. john: america's population is aging. currently, one in six is older than 65. by 2050, that's projected to be one in four. women bear the biggest part of the burden of caring for older americans and their growing need for medical care and other support. ali rogin looks at the often unseen costs of caregiving. ali: in the united states, women make up almost 60% of unpaid

caregivers and over 80% of paid in-home caregivers for seniors, according to a recent wells fargo report. taking care of loved ones often takes a financial, physical and emotional toll. we spoke to some women about their caregiving experience. >> my name is ruth, and i'm in virginia, and i take care of my 82-year-old dad. it started about 12 years ago when he had prostate cancer. >> kenya servia, i'm from vaporeon, north carolina, and i'm caring for my mom. i've been a caregiver since i was eight years old. i started taking care of my great grandma, and, then i was taking care of my grandma. and now i take care of my mom. >> i'm deanza valencia. i live in albuquerque, new mexico, and i am a family caregiver from my mother, linda valencia, who is set is 75 years old. one day, our family learned that

she was going to need a liver transplant, and she wasn't going to live much longer without it. so at a moment's notice, this responsibility fell on me. i was the one that had, you know, the resources,he ability to leave home for a period of time and take care of my mom. >> my name is aileen ruess, and i took care of my mother for 15 years, and i'm currently taking care of my husband. >> my biggest struggles have always been that this kind of also happened at the same time that i was finishing college and entering the workforce. >> the hardest part is just sort of stepping into that, being in charge role when they're, you know, essentially they're your parents. so you're used to them being, you know, the person in charge. >> you start neglecting your own doctor's appointments and you neglect your own personal care. it's not good for the person that you are taking care of, and it's not good for yourself. >> at times i feel like i was not doing a good job and sometimes i feel like i'm not doing a good enough job. i cannot focus at work, my dad, something happened this point that worries me. my job is stressing me and not

giving me the flexibility to be a good caregiver. >> i literally had to leave a business that i had started up. i left the workforce completely to move to another state. i left behind a husband and my marriage suffered because of it. >> it's almost impossible to take care of someone else all by yourself. you really need to surround yourself with, a community, a village. >> thankfully. i have uncles, cousins, aunts, in-laws, my brother, neighbors. even if, you know, they're only able to come along enough to allow me to get a shower. >> i wish that i would have known that there were others out there like me, that were still struggling with the same financial issues, struggling with what to do next and we are frankly tired and could have used a little relief. >> i also try to give myself as much grace as i can because, you know, i think just showing up is already like 50% of the effort. >> just take it one day at a time. there'll be times when, you know

you will get frustrated. there will be times when you'll be overwhelmed. stop. take as many breaks as you can. do not be afraid to ask for help. you'd be surprised how willing people are to help. ali: joining me now is emily kenway, author of who cares? the hidden crisis of caregiving and how we solve it, and a former caregiver herself. emily, thank you so much for joining us. can we start with your own caregiving journey? what did you go through and when did you realize that this indeed a crisis? emily: yes. i cared for my mother she was a single mom, which meant i needed to step in as her daughter when she was diagnosed with cancer in 2016. and obviously that was incredibly difficult personally, but it also woke me up politically to what's going on with caregiving around the world today. and we know that this is just going to get worse over time as well, right? so we have aging populations around the world. you know, one demographer has called it the graying of

america. and so we can all expect a greater and greater load of these caring responsibilities. and to be in the crisis that i was in, unless we introduce major changes. ali: and when you talk about who's taking on those responsibilities, it is disproportionately women. why have you found that to be so? emily: we have this historical heritage whereby around industrialization, we created this cultural norm, right? that the man goes to work and does waged work, and a woman stays at home and does unpaid care. and we haven't caught up with today's reality at all, because of course, today more women are working. many households need the women to work. you know, those wages are not things that can just be tossed aside. and so, this idea that we can carry on ascribing to one gender all of the weight of care for our entire species is really outdated. ali: given all those realities you just laid out, what are some of the challenges that women tend to face when they become caregivers? emily: of course there's a

financial impact. most of the time, if you're a caregiver, you'll need to reduce your working days and you may give up your work entirely. in the u.s. on average, women , caregivers lose about $320,000 in lost income and lost social security benefits. and that doesn't just harm us right now. that means we're going to have a real problem in retirement, right? our security in old age is harmed just because we stepped and did the right thing. there's also a massive psychological toll. you may be having to constantly monitor and watch your loved one's condition. you're experiencing what we call role reversal. so you suddenly become the mother of your mother, right? and you're dealing with that strange dissonance. and then, of course, you're moving through a world that doesn't recognize or support this. so your employer may well not accommodate your caring responsibilities. and it bears out in the statistics too. we know that caregivers have higher rates of depression and

anxiety for these reass. ali: given the fact that so few resources exist, i would imagine that also comes with a lot of assumptions and misperceptions. what are some of the most pervasive that you've come across when it comes to caregiving? emily: i think one of the most pervasive assumptions is that, caregiving is kind of something that doesn't have any costs when it's performed by the family, right? it is free, we are not being paid but there are enormous costs. when you're very elderly or very unwell, you need to be kept warm. there's higher energy costs there's mobility aids there's special diets as all of this kind of thing. so there's a material practical reality there. the other misperception i encounter a lot is this idea that some cultures can manage this more naturally than white western cultures, right? so, that would typically be countries in the global south. and it is very much more noalized that they would perform care, for example, for their parents in law, not just their parents, but when you actually listen to them, they are struggling in exactly the same ways as i was, the same way

as women everywhere are because care is hard. so we have to be very careful of making assumptions based on people's culture, ethnicity, nationality and so on, and instead see that women around the world, we're all in the same fight here together. ali: and emily, here in the u.s., 1 in 5 adults right now are working as caregivers. how can we better prepare for the to care for these aging populations in the years to come? emily: what we need to do here is really recognize that humans are going to have to provide care. we need to embed policies that recognize that. that's things like paid caregivers, right? so at the moment, the family and medical leave act only provides unpaid leave. and inact, the department of labor found that 41% of private sector employees aren't even covered by it. so there are these fundamental economic policies that we shouldn't even be having to ask for, frankly, because it's so obvious that they're necessary. but basically, we've arranged

our work world as if we're not actually humans who love people who love people who need us to step in. and that's got to change. ali: emily kenway, author of who cares the hidden crisis of caregiving and how we solve it. thank you so much for joining us. emily: thank you. ♪ john: medicaid is the nation's biggest health insurance program, covering nearly 80 million people, that's more than one in five americans. for many people who have low-incomes, are disabled or who are either very young or very old. it's a vital government program in "america's safety net." >> i felt like that would work.

>> there are definitely concerns about my ability to hold a job if i do not have the proper accommodations or just kind of figuring out the life as a 21-year-old with a chronic illns. >> woods has a rare inflammatory skin condition called hidradenitis suppurativa that causes painful cysts on their body. they take experimental medications and go to an atlanta hospital every month for infusions of a drug to reduce inflammation. john: can you imagine doing this without medicaid? >> absolutely not. that has been the one thing like geing me through this entire process. without medicaid, i wouldn't be able to receive this medication. >> medicaid is often the unsung hero of our public coverage system. john: joan alker is the executive director of georgetown university's center for children and families. >> not many people are aware that all poor children in this country have a right to medicaid. medicaid is also the primary payer for long term care and

it's a key backbone of health care for low-wage workers. >> the harry s truman library in independence, missouri is about a historical event. john: medicaid was one of president lyndon johnson's "great society" programs. he signed the bill creating it in 1965, offering states federal funds for providing basic health care services to families on public assistance and people with disabilities. it's voluntary, but by 1982, all 50 states and the district of columbia had adopted it. since then, both democratic and republican presidents have signed coverage expansions. by the late 1980's, the program had expanded to cover all poor children and all low income pregnant people. >> on many many of the basics, , for example, access to primary preventive care, medicaid is performing about, as well as private insurance. ere are differences. dental care is very hard to access, particularly if you're

on medicaid. affordable dental care is hard to access. but the answer is not to not give people medicaid because then they are in worse shape. john: in 2010, president barack obama's affordable care act expanded medicaid even further, offering states a generous subsidy if they covered all poor adults. >> we are done. [applause] john: today, more than 21 miion adults have medicaid because of the aca. >> the marketplaces were kind of the new shiny toy, but medicaid was kind of the workhorse, because the medicaid expansion for poor adults was really the way in which more uninsured people access coverage. we see congress turn to medicaid time and time again, because it's a system that's been in place. it works. most recently, congress adopted a new option to allow states to cover postpartum women and people for 12 months after birth. >> pain? sometimes. john: dr. keila brown is chief

ob-gyn at the family health centers of georgia. many of her patients either are on medicaid or pay on an income-based sliding scale. >> pregnancy can be very trying on a patient, whether it's emotionally or physically, and there are a lot of medical issues that can arise during pregnancy or that may have even existed before pregnancy that need continual treatment. john: georgia is one of at least 47 states that expanded medicaid to cover women for a full year after giving birth. before, georgia covered only six weeks. >> that finite period was just not sufficient in order to be able to treat any of those things that may have come about during pregnancy, or even to put them in a better place post pregnancy whether it be for any cardiovascular issues diabetic , issues, which primarily afflict the population that we serve. there's also some mental health issues that go along with being postpartum. >> so how are we doing today? >> i am ok.

postpartum, it's been a little different this time around. john: jarica williams gave rth to her son, bryce, 2 months ago. bryce is also covered by georgia's medicaid program. >> i really appreciate medicaid, it takes a large burden off of me. takes some weight off my shoulders when it comes to making sure that my child is getting proper health care. john: during the pandemic, the federal government increased medicaid funding to states and prohibited them from kicking recipients out of the program even if they were no longer eligible. but, when the covid-19 public health emergency ended last may, states resumed checking eligibility, a process known as unbinding. so far, 11 million people have lost medicaid coverage -- including more than 4.5 million children. some were no longer eligible, but others were dropped for bureaucratic reasons, like re-enrollment forms sent to an old address. >> there are many, many ways that medaid is working really to essentially prop up our private health insurance system

for people who don't have enough money to be able to afford private coverage or for people who are disabled, for whom the services that you typically get in an employer sponsored package simply don't meet their needs. in our healthcare system, having coverage is the price of admission, andou're just not going to see a good show in our healthcare system if you're uninsured. john: college student marrow woods will soon have to have their eligibility checked. they can't bear to think about the possibility they may lose coverage. >> it is definitely terrifying. i go to the hospital a lot. i am in and out of appointments constantly. and so without it there's a lot , up in the air about what i could even do, what medications i could have if i could still afford my medications. so definitely a very stressful time. john: tomorrow, we continue our series "america's safety net" with a look at georgia's unique, and controversial, program that expands medicaid coverage, but

only to those who meet a work requirement. ♪ john: finally tonight, as women's history month comes to a close, the next in our series: hidden histories. tonight, michelle san miguel of rhode island pbs weekly introduces us to a woman who embodies what it means to live a life of service, even when that service wasn't always welcome. ♪ >> at the age of 100, bennie fleming knows by heart all the notes to "over the rainbow." ♪ a song that, much like her own life story, embodies hope. but the life that fleming's created for herself in providence is one she says she never could have imagined as a child. >> that's the family home in san

antonio, texas, which was just sold four years ago. >> growing up in south texas, fleming dreamed of being a nurse, but she learned it wouldn't be an easy path for a black woman. >> there were no hospitals in san antonio that would hire a nurse, a black nurse. the only thing i could do was private duty, and that was very expensive. and you're doing private duty for black patients, so you didn't have a lot of people who could afford a private nurse. >> it was 1945. the united states was engulfed in world war ii. >> noble women doing a hard job and serving their country in a time of need. >> fleming's friend had joined the u.s. cadet nurse corps and she decided she wanted to do the same. fleming was 21 when she enlisted

in the army as a second lieutenant. at the time, the armed services were still segregated. >> you lived in a black dorm while other nurses lived in a white dorm. you were separated that way. >> when she was stationed at fort huachuca in arizona, she met the man who would become her husband -- lieutenant theodore fleming, a doctor in the army. the two went on to witness an historic moment. in 1948, president harry truman signed an executive order banning segregation in the military. by 1946, fleming had left the army and relocated to providence, rhode island, and eventually took a job working full timat rhode island hospital's school of nursing, but after two years -- >> somebody came into my husband's office and said, i see you've got your wife working. that was it. i had to quit. >> because? your husband did not want you working? >> no, he was not too happy

anyway. my husband is just, so he was of that era. that's my daughter, jackie. my son, theodore. >> fleming became a stay-at home mother for a few years, raising her two children, and then made a career change. >> i decided, well, maybe if i went into public education, maybe that would help because i would be out the same time that my kids would be out. >> for more than four decades she served in various roles from , teaching to overseeing the district's science curriculum. she also made history as the first black nurse to teach at rhode island hospital. service, she said, is in her blood. >> i was taught that you give something back. >> fleming remains sharp and mobile at 100. she still drives and goes for a

two-mile walk in providence three times a week. she lives with her 75-year-old son. she credits him with being able to maintain a high quality of life. >> i'm so lucky because people my age are stuck in nursing homes. nobody to see them, nobody to do anything for them. but yet i still have people around me and i have young people around me. >> as you reflect on your life, the people you've met, the experiences you've had, what is the most important lesson you think that you've learned? >> you have to be kind. i try not to hurt people's feelings. and i know my kids don't think that. [laughter] and i try not to get into people's business. ♪ >> she says she remains focused

on enjoying her own. >> at this stage in my life, happiness is all i'm looking for. ♪ >> for "pbs news weekend," i'm michelle san miguel in providence, rhode island. ♪ john: and that is "pbs news weekend" for this saturday. i'm john yang. for all of my colleagues, thanks for joining us. see you tomorrow. >> major funding for "pbs news weekend" has been provided by. >> consumer cellular, this is sam, how can i help you? >> this is a pocket dial. with consumer cellular you get nationwide coverage with no contract. that is kind of our thing.

have a nice day. >> certified financial planner professionals are proud to sponsor "pbs news weekend." professionals -- acting in their clients' best interests. >> and with the ongoing support of these individuals and institutions. ♪ this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy.] ♪

>> you are

>> emily: we're going on a road trip across south carolina >> alexis: to interview different people who do what they love. >> emily: to learn about you know, how they got there and get to see south carolina in all it's glory. >>megan: people are coming here because there's opportunities and a lot of these people have different skill sets than what we'd seen 20 years ago. >>rodney: i do hear negative things. i do see negative things, but i don't let it steal my joy because i love what i do. >>bonita: eventually, the truth of who you are is gonna come. >> narrator: roadtrip nation is made possible by the south carolina council on competitiveness. sc competes; a nonprofit organization that drives the state's long term