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STATE LEGISLATION & POLICY
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1. Hawaii data on family caregivers
2. New York posts comments on point of entry project
3. Vermont RFP for caregiver support under federal Alzheimer's grant
FEDERAL LEGISLATION & POLICY
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4. AoA funds for Native American caregiver support programs
5. U.S. Senate names new committee chairs
6. HHS posts reports to website
RESEARCH & REPORTS
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7. NASUA report on consumer direction
8. Kaiser Family Foundation report on internet use among older people
9. Report on lifespan respite
JOURNAL ARTICLES
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10. FCA authors Gerontologist article on family caregiving
11. Communication and caregiver burden
12. Caregiving, employee health risks and productivity
CONFERENCES & TRAININGS
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13. CMS Systems Change conference in Baltimore
FUNDING, MEDIA & MISCELLANEOUS
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14. New website offers updates on reauthorization of OAA
15. Alzheimer's "kit" available for presentations
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STATE LEGISLATION & POLICY
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1. Hawaii data on family caregivers
The Hawaii Executive Office on Aging has drafted the report "Family Caregivers: A Summary of National and Local Data." The publication includes county-level data on family caregivers, impacts of caregiving, characteristics of care receivers and key trends in family caregiving. View:
http://www2.state.hi.us/eoa/information/stats/caregiver2004.pdf
2. New York posts comments on point of entry project
The New York State Office for the Aging and the Department of Health have released results from a request for information to collect input on the design and implementation of a point of entry model for the long-term care system in New York State. Included was a request for ways to integrate informal/family supports into consumers' care plans. Twenty of the 37 respondents stressed the need to include caregiver supports from the start of the initial assessment process into the development of care plans. More information:
http://aging.state.ny.us/explore/health-ltc/rfi_response_summary.htm
3. Vermont RFP for caregiver support under federal Alzheimer's grant
The Vermont Department of Aging and Independent Living is seeking proposals to carry out three components of the statewide Alzheimer's Disease Demonstration Grant to States: Staying the Course in Alzheimer's Care Program. The grant, known as Caregiver Bridges, is designed to support individuals with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder through the creation of effective supportive services programs for caregivers. Proposals are due by February 21, 2005. Details:
http://tinyurl.com/5ktt6
FEDERAL LEGISLATION & POLICY
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4. AoA funds for Native American caregiver support programs
The U.S. Administration on Aging has announced the availability of funds under the Native American Caregiver Support Program. Under the program, grants are awarded to Indian Tribal organizations providing caregiver support services. The deadline for applications is January 31, 2005. More information:
http://www.olderindians.org/
5. U.S. Senate names new committee chairs
The U.S. Senate has named new chairs for committees addressing aging, health and caregiving issues. The Special Committee on Aging will now be headed by Senator Gordon Smith (R-OR), the ranking Democrat is Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI). Meanwhile, Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, the committee with jurisdiction over the National Family Caregiver Support Program, will be chaired by Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY); Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) will continue to serve as the ranking Democrat. More details:
http://www.senate.gov
6. HHS posts reports to website
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Disability, Aging and Long-Term Care Policy (DALTCP) has posted a series of reports to their website. Newly available publications include "Easing the Burden of Caregiving: The Impact of Consumer Direction on Primary Informal Caregivers in Arkansas." View:
http://aspe.hhs.gov/daltcp/whatsnew.shtml
RESEARCH & REPORTS
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7. NASUA report on consumer direction
The National Association of State Units on Aging (NASUA) has made available "States' Experiences Implementing Consumer-Directed Home & Community Services." The report presents the findings of the 2004 Survey of State Administrators, Opinion Survey and Telephone Interviews, conducted under an initiative of the National Association of State Units on Aging and The National Council on the Aging, entitled "Promoting Consumer Direction in Aging Services." Opinions of state aging administrators about consumer direction for older people, the motivating factors and barriers to the development of these programs, and effective practices in providing consumer direction to older people are also discussed. Download:
http://www.nasua.org/consumerdirection.htm
8. Kaiser Family Foundation report on internet use among older people
The Kaiser Family Foundation has made available a survey of older Americans regarding Internet usage. Researchers found that as the Internet becomes an increasingly important resource for informing decisions about health and health care options, less than a third (31%) of seniors (age 65 and older) have ever gone online, but that more than two-thirds (70%) of the next generation of seniors (50-64 year-olds) have done so. The survey also found that 15% of respondents were caregivers for someone in the household with a chronic health condition. Access:
http://www.kff.org/entmedia/7223.cfm
9. Report on lifespan respite
The ARCH National Resource Center for Respite and Crisis Care Services has made available "Statewide Lifespan Respite Programs: A Study of 4 State Programs." Programs in Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oregon and Wisconsin are included the report, with information about state lifespan respite legislation, availability of respite services within the programs, demographics of the populations served, and other issues. Download:
http://www.archrespite.org/LifespanRespiteReportFINAL9_30_04.pdf
JOURNAL ARTICLES
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10. FCA authors Gerontologist article on family caregiving
Lynn Friss Feinberg and Sandra Newman of the National Center on Caregiving at Family Caregiver Alliance (FCA) have co-authored "A Study of 10 States Since Passage of the National Family Caregiver Support Program: Policies, Perceptions, and Program Development." The article appears in the December 2004 edition of The Gerontologist. The article is based on case studies that describe the preliminary experiences of 10 states in providing support services to family or informal caregivers of elderly adults and adults with disabilities; it focuses on the newly created National Family Caregiver Support Program, state general funds, Medicaid-waiver programs, and other state-funding streams. Abstract:
http://gerontologist.gerontologyjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/44/6/760
11. Communication and caregiver burden
The January 2005 edition of the Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences includes "Investigating the Effects of Communication Problems on Caregiver Burden." According to the authors "the study findings not only lend further support to the existing literature that has documented problem behaviors as strong predictors of burden but also emphasize the importance of communication problems in the caregiving process." Abstract:
http://psychsoc.gerontologyjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/60/1/S48
12. Caregiving, employee health risks and productivity
The October 2004 edition of the Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine includes "Caregiving for Ill Dependents and Its Association with Employee Health Risks and Productivity." The authors found that "caregiving for an ill dependent is associated with increased absenteeism and significant work limitations while on the job. Programs and work organization that helps employees balance their caregiving responsibilities for ill dependents may have a positive effect on health and productivity." View abstract:
http://tinyurl.com/46g6p
CONFERENCES & TRAININGS
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13. CMS Systems Change conference in Baltimore
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will sponsor the 2005 Systems Change conference from February 28 - March 2, 2005 in Baltimore. The theme of this year's conference is Building Sustainable Systems for Independence. Presentations will feature various Systems Change grantees, and will include a presentation on family caregiving by Lynn Friss Feinberg and Sandra Newman, of FCA's National Center on Caregiving. Conference information:
http://www.nashp.org/cmsconference2005/
FUNDING, MEDIA & MISCELLANEOUS
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14. New website offers updates on reauthorization of OAA
The Center for Social Gerontology has launched a website on the reauthorization of the Older Americans Act (OAA). The site was created to provide, in one place, comprehensive information on and access to materials concerning the OAA, the reauthorization of the OAA during the 106th Congress (1999-2000), and information particularly related to legal assistance to vulnerable older Americans, elder rights advocacy, and the role of Legal Services Developers under the OAA. OAA, which includes the National Family Caregiver Support Program, is scheduled to be reauthorized in 2005. Website sponsors plan to provide up-to-date information on activities related to this. View:
http://www.tcsg.org/updatesreauth.htm
15. Alzheimer's "kit" available for presentations
To help volunteers, health educators, program directors, and other community speakers convey basic information about Alzheimer's disease, diagnosis, treatment, and current and future research, the Alzheimer's Disease Education & Referral Center (ADEAR) has developed a Speaker's Kit. The kit contains a PowerPoint slideshow, Alzheimer's Disease: Unraveling the Mystery, based on the ADEAR Center's popular booklet of the same name. The kit is designed for presenters speaking to lay audiences, such as community groups or clubs, volunteers, members of senior citizens' centers, and residents of retirement communities. More info:
http://www.alzheimers.org/unraveling/speak_kit.html
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For questions or further information about Family Caregiver Alliance's National Center on Caregiving, contact us at [email protected].
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©2005 Family Caregiver Alliance. All rights reserved.
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