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STATE LEGISLATION, POLICY & REPORTS
1. Pennsylvania: Adult Day Resource and Referral Act (H.B. 1604)
http://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/BI/BT/2005/0/HB1604P3303.HTM
2. Ohio: Establishment of an Older Ohioans Behavioral Health Network
http://www.goldenbuckeye.com/news/2005-12-06behavioralhealth.html
3. Ohio: New Website with Information and Services for People with Disabilities
http://www.connectmeohio.org/en/oh/cgi-bin/index_ohio.asp
FEDERAL LEGISLATION, POLICY & REPORTS
4. White House Conference on Aging Concludes with Resolution Supporting Family Caregivers
http://www.whcoa.gov/
5. House Approves Appropriations Bill for Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education; Senate to Vote on Budget Soon
http://thomas.loc.gov/home/approp/app06.html
6. National Council on Disability Releases Report on Financing and Systems Reform of Long-Term Care Services and Supports
http://www.ncd.gov/whatsnew.htm
7. CMS Unveils New User-Friendly Website
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
8. Canada: Report on New Strategies to Support Future Caregivers of the Elderly
http://socserv.socsci.mcmaster.ca/sedap/p/sedap140.pdf
9. Mexico: Congress Approves Bill Requiring Families to Care for Elderly
http://tinyurl.com/by43a
RESEARCH REPORTS & JOURNAL ARTICLES
10. Report on Social Trends and Attitudes of Baby Boomers
http://pewresearch.org/socialtrends/socialtrends-boomers120805.pdf
11. Study Panel Reports on Improving Long-Term Care System and the Supports Offered to Family Caregivers
http://www.nasi.org/usr_doc/Developing_a_Better_Long-Term_Care_Policy.pdf
12. Caregiving Education May Improve Family Caregivers’ Quality of Life and Decrease Distress
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/abstract/112167728/ABSTRACT
STATE LEGISLATION, POLICY & REPORTS
1. Pennsylvania: Adult Day Resource and Referral Act (H.B. 1604)
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives introduced the Adult Day Resource and Referral Act (H.B. 1604), which would create a statewide adult day resource and referral system and establish a central adult day services database. One intent of the bill is to assist working family caregivers in making informed choices about adult day services through an easily accessible resource database. The bill would also require the provision of information to caregivers about Federal and State funding sources for day services. For more information, visit:
http://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/BI/BT/2005/0/HB1604P3303.HTM
2. Ohio: Establishment of an Older Ohioans Behavioral Health Network
The State of Ohio has created a behavioral health network to coordinate mental health and substance abuse information and services for older adults. The network will fund demonstration mini-grants to local area agencies on aging to increase service capacity. It will also promote information sharing and technical assistance for clinicians, caregivers and the aging network with behavioral health information needs. For more information, visit:
http://www.goldenbuckeye.com/news/2005-12-06behavioralhealth.html
3. Ohio: New Website with Information and Services for People with Disabilities
A new website has been created to provide up-to-date and localized information about programs and services for people with disabilities and their caregivers. While comprehensive information is available for individuals living within Ohio, the website also provides regional resources for people living throughout the country. To access the website:
http://www.connectmeohio.org/en/oh/cgi-bin/index_ohio.asp
FEDERAL LEGISLATION, POLICY & REPORTS
4. White House Conference on Aging Concludes with Resolution Supporting Family Caregivers
The 2005 White House Conference on Aging was held December 11-14, 2005 in Washington D.C. Over 1,200 delegates convened to recommend aging policies to the President and Congress. Included in the top 15 resolutions were: reauthorization of the Older Americans Act within six months; development of transportation options to help older individuals retain their mobility and independence; strengthening of the Medicaid and Medicare systems; promoting innovative models of non-institutional long-term care; and development of a national strategy for supporting informal caregivers of seniors. For more information, visit:
http://www.whcoa.gov/
5. House Approves Appropriations Bill for Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education; Senate to Vote on Budget Soon
The House of Representatives has approved a FY2006 appropriations bill for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education. The bill includes cuts to Medicaid and changes in Medicaid eligibility requirements, resulting in savings of $4.7 billion over five years and approximately $23 billion over ten years. If passed, states could require higher out-of-pocket payments for Medicaid services. In addition, individuals with more than $750,000 in home equity would no longer be eligible for Medicaid health care or long-term care services. Family caregiver support programs would receive about $2 million more in funding. A Senate vote on the appropriations bill is now being scheduled. To view current federal budget information, visit:
http://thomas.loc.gov/home/approp/app06.html
6. National Council on Disability Releases Report on Financing and Systems Reform of Long-Term Care Services and Supports
The National Council on Disability, an independent federal agency, released a detailed report on current long-term services and supports (LTSS) for people with disabilities and the future need for affordable LTSS. The report finds that most Americans do not currently understand the LTSS system or the costs associated with aging and disability. Demographic changes due to aging, reduced fertility rates, increased number of women in the workforce, and changing family makeup will likely result in greater strain on family caregivers and an increased demand for direct care workers. One recommendation by the Council is to increase support for families and significant others in their role as informal and unpaid caregivers for individuals with disabilities over and under the age of 65. For more information, visit:
http://www.ncd.gov/whatsnew.htm
7. CMS Unveils New User-Friendly Website
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has redesigned its website to be more user-friendly. The website now features one-stop shopping “centers” targeted to specific professionals, such as providers and researchers, and improved search functions. To view the site, visit:
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
8. Canada: Report on New Strategies to Support Future Caregivers of the Elderly
The Program for Research on Social and Economic Dimensions of an Aging Population (SEDAP) has published a paper on new strategies to support family caregivers in Canada. Research suggests that there will be a gradual but significant increased demand for informal caregiving support in coming years. Recommendations for public policies that support family caregivers include: increasing caregiver services such as respite; expanding eligibility criteria for support services; including caregiver assessment within home care policies; expanding family leave policies; and creating nontaxable caregiver compensation programs. For more information, visit:
http://socserv.socsci.mcmaster.ca/sedap/p/sedap140.pdf
9. Mexico: Congress Approves Bill Requiring Families to Care for Elderly
Mexico’s Congress unanimously approved a bill to reform the Law on the Rights of the Elderly that would require children to care for their elderly parents. Families that have sufficient resources must provide care for their elderly parents, while families unable to do so would receive government aid to assist in caring. The Senate is now considering the bill. For more information, visit:
http://tinyurl.com/by43a
RESEARCH REPORTS & JOURNAL ARTICLES
10. Report on Social Trends and Attitudes of Baby Boomers
The Pew Research Center has published the first in a series of reports on the social trends of baby boomers and their intergenerational family relationships. Survey results find that 13 percent of baby boomers have a parent or parents who need help handling their affairs or caring for themselves; the figure rises to 20 percent when accounting for parents or parents-in-law. Among these baby boomers, 18 percent report that their parent or parents reside with them. Furthermore, 77 percent of boomers say they or another family member provide the majority of the caregiving, while just 15 percent report that most of the help is provided by a paid caregiver. For more information, visit:
http://pewresearch.org/socialtrends/socialtrends-boomers120805.pdf
11. Study Panel Reports on Improving Long-Term Care System and the Supports Offered to Family Caregivers
A study panel convened by the National Academy of Social Insurance has completed a report on the future of the long-term care system. The panel concludes that the current system is lacking in several areas, including failure to fully address the needs of informal caregivers. Among the panel’s recommendations is increased research and recognition of the importance of family caregivers and their support needs. For more information, visit:
http://www.nasi.org/usr_doc/Developing_a_Better_Long-Term_Care_Policy.pdf
12. Caregiving Education May Improve Family Caregivers’ Quality of Life and Decrease Distress
A randomized clinical trial led by Dr. Susan McMillan at the University of South Florida followed two sets of family caregivers caring for relatives with cancer and receiving hospice services. One set of caregivers received additional training in assessing and coping with cancer symptoms, while the control group received standard hospice care. The treatment group of caregivers showed significantly higher measures of quality of life and decreased caregiving task burden. For more information, visit:
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/abstract/112167728/ABSTRACT
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