State Legislation, Policy & Reports

Massachusetts: Legislation to Offer Extensive Family and Medical Leave Benefits

The Massachusetts Senate is considering legislation (S.B. 2499) that would allow all employees in the state up to 12 weeks of paid time off to care for a new child or sick family member. The plan would pay employees their full salary, up to $750 per week, by imposing a small weekly premium on employees. For more information, visit:

Massachusetts State Legislature

Connecticut: Legislation to Modify Family and Medical Leave Policy

The Connecticut Senate is considering a bill (S.B. 463) to modify the state's family and medical leave policy so that employees can take up to 24 weeks of unpaid leave over a two-year period to care for a new child or spouse or parent with serious illness. For more information, visit:

Connecticut State Legislature

Wisconsin: Legislation to Expand Medicaid Pilot Program for Home and Community-Based Services

The Governor of Wisconsin is expected to sign into law a bill (S.B. 653) that expands the State's Family Care program, which provides home and community-based support services to older adults and adults with disabilities. Under changes to the law, the program can serve more than the current 29 percent of the population eligible for the benefits. For more information, visit:

Wisconsin State Legislature

Pennsylvania: Proposal to Create Emergency Telephone Program for At-Risk Older Adults Living in Community

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is considering legislation (H.B. 1326) that would create a wireless emergency telephone program for at-risk older adults who are living independently in the community. The program aims to allow older adults to remain in the community for as long as possible by providing them with free wireless telephone access to emergency services, and will help long-distance family caregivers maintain peace of mind. For more information, visit:

Pennsylvania State Legislature

Federal Legislation, Policy & Reports

Release of National Consensus Report on Caregiver Assessment

FCA's National Center on Caregiving has released a groundbreaking report from the National Consensus Project for Caregiver Assessment to fill a gap in policy and practice. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation provided primary support for the project, with additional support from the Archstone Foundation and The California Endowment. The report, released in two volumes, calls for caregiver assessment as a component of comprehensive care for frail elders and adults with chronic or disabling conditions. The first volume reflects the professional consensus achieved among nationally recognized experts on principles and practice guidelines applicable for practitioners in a variety of settings. The second volume provides four background papers and two personal accounts from family caregivers. For more information, visit:

Principles, Guidelines and Strategies for Change- Volume 1
Views and Voices from the Field- Volume 2

Adult Day Care Services Demonstration Program for Medicare Beneficiaries

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services have announced a new 3-year demonstration program for medical adult day care services for Medicare beneficiaries. Home health agencies in five states will be paid 95 percent of the home health costs for services provided to up to 15,000 Medicare enrollees participating in the demonstration program, which will provide a respite break for family caregivers. Beneficiaries will not have any out-of-pocket expenses for the adult day care services. For more information, visit:

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

House Bill for Reauthorization of Older Americans Act

Representatives Patrick Tiberi and Ruben Hinojosa introduced a bill for the reauthorization of the Older Americans Act of 1965 for fiscal years 2007 through 2011. The bill places an emphasis on self-directed care for older adults and their caregivers, as well as food and nutrition programs and employment-based training programs for older adults. For more information, visit:

House Committee on Education and the Workforce- Bill Summary

Hearing on Reauthorization of Older Americans Act

The U.S. House Subcommittee on Select Education held a hearing on May 2, 2006 to discuss the upcoming reauthorization of the Older Americans Act. Assistant Secretary Josefina Carbonell testified on the Administration's Choices for Independence reauthorization proposal, outlining the proposal's aim to educate older adults about long-term care options, enhance consumer-directed services, and encourage healthy lifestyles. Assistant Secretary Carbonell also highlighted the vital role of family caregivers and the success of the National Family Caregiver Support Program. For more information, visit:

Administration on Aging

Hearing on the Future of Social Services for Older Americans

The U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging held a hearing on May 3, 2006 on the future of social services for older adults in relation to the upcoming reauthorization of the Older Americans Act. Chairman Gordon H. Smith opened the hearing with statements on the need for strengthening the aging network to accommodate the growing number of older adults. The hearing also included testimony from three state aging administrators who discussed the need and availability of family caregivers, the importance of caregiver support services, and consumer-directed care. For more information, visit:

U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging

International News

United Kingdom: Research on the Business Benefits of Supporting Working Caregivers

New research conducted by the University of Sheffield Hallam's Social Inclusion Centre demonstrates that there are business benefits to supporting working caregivers. Flexible working environments attract and retain skilled workers, and contribute to reduced employee stress and sick leave. Leave policies can also increase productivity and improve service delivery, with some companies involved in the research reporting savings of over £1 million. For more information, visit:

Carers UK

South Korea: Estimated Cost of Caring for Someone with Dementia

According to a recent survey conducted by the Alzheimer's Association of Korea, the average yearly cost for families caring for a loved one with dementia is 7.87 million Won (equivalent to roughly $8,500 in the U.S.). This amount includes the medical treatment, transportation, and other support services that family caregivers often must pay for out-of-pocket. For more information, visit:

The Korea Times

United Kingdom: Carers' Week June 12-18, 2006

June 12-18, 2006 is Carers' Week in the U.K., emphasizing the importance of carers' health and well-being. As part of the week, carer organizations are campaigning for every carer to receive a health check-up within 12 months of becoming a carer. For more information, visit:

Carers UK

Research Reports & Journal Articles

Flexible Leave Benefits Impact Whether Working Women who are Also Family Caregivers Leave the Workplace

An article in Research on Aging (Volume 28, Number 3) includes a study of whether young employed women are more likely to leave the workforce when they start caregiving for an ill or disabled family member. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Young Women, researchers found that employed female caregivers are more likely to leave the workforce, but that workers in jobs that provide access to more flexible leave benefits are more likely to remain employed and maintain work hours over a two-year period. However, while such benefits do increase employment retention, they have little impact on women's distress. For more information, visit:

Research on Aging

Collaborative Care for Alzheimer's Patients May Decrease Caregiver Stress

A new study in the Journal of American Medical Association (Volume 295, Number 18) concludes that a collaborative health care plan for older adults with Alzheimer's disease may improve behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia. Patients were cared for by an interdisciplinary medical team that worked with both the older adult and the caregiver to provide information, training and access to resources. The collaborative care approach also helped caregivers, with improvements observed in depression levels and reported stress levels. For more information, visit:

Journal of American Medical Association

Unmet Needs of Caregivers Caring for Stroke Survivors

The Journal of Gerontological Nursing (Volume 32, Number 4) reports on a study of the unmet needs of family caregivers of stroke survivors and the stresses that these caregivers commonly face. Caregivers considered the most difficult time to be the hospitalization or the first few months after hospital discharge, with new responsibilities and emotional stress contributing to the difficulty of caregiving. Nearly 60 percent of the caregivers surveyed reported unmet needs, revolving around the themes of preparing for caregiving responsibilities, enhancing the survivor's emotional and physical function, and sustaining the self and family. For more information, visit:

Journal of Gerontological Nursing

Report Focusing on Women, Long-Term Care and Caregiving

A new report from OWL, with funding from AARP and the Service Employees International Union, brings together five organizations that represent key stakeholders in the realm of long-term care. The report focuses on navigating the long-term care system, the experiences and struggles of family caregivers, and perspectives from direct care workers in modifying the long-term care system to better support patients and long-term care workers. The report offers policy recommendations, as well as several personal accounts from family caregivers and direct care workers. For more information, visit:

OWL Mother's Day 2006 Report

Conferences & Trainings

Call for Presentations for ASA/NCOA Joint Conference in 2007

The deadline to submit proposals for the 2007 Joint Conference of the American Society on Aging and the National Council on Aging in Chicago is June 5, 2006. The theme of the conference is "Let's Rethink Aging", and submissions for presentations will be accepted in more than 50 categories. For more information, visit:

ASA⁄NCOA 2007 Conference

Funding, Media & Miscellaneous

Publication Highlights Family-Friendly State Leaders

The National Partnership for Women & Families has released a publication honoring several state leaders for their work in making workplaces more family-friendly, such as the enactment of paid family leave legislation for working caregivers who need time off of work to care for a loved one. For more information, visit:

National Partnership for Women & Families