State Legislation, Policy & Reports

Massachusetts: Bill to Create Interagency Agreements to Increase Access to Home and Community-Based Services

Massachusetts' House of Representatives is considering a bill (H.B. 4982) that would establish interagency agreements between the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Elder Affairs to provide increased access to home and community-based services for adults with disabilities, including case management, information and referral, respite care, personal care, home modification, and assistive technology. For more information, visit:

Massachusetts Legislature

New Jersey: Bill to Reallocate Long-Term Care Expenditures to Expand Home and Community-Based Services

Two companion bills (S.B. 1642; H.B. 2823) currently under consideration in the New Jersey Legislature would reallocate Medicaid long-term care expenditures to create a different balance between funding for institutional care and funding for care provided in the community, effectively expanding community care services. The bills would also modify the Medicaid long-term care intake system to promote increased use of home and community-based services. The modifications would initially be implemented in two counties in 2007, and then implemented across the state in 2008. For more information, visit:

New Jersey Legislature- Senate Bill
New Jersey Legislature- House Bill

Vermont: Update on State's Progress in Improving Long-Term Care Services

The fourth edition of Vermont's Shaping the Future of Long-Term Care & Independent Living 2005-2015 has been released, which includes updates to the goals set in the previous edition. The report outlines the efforts of the State's Department of Disabilities, Aging & Independent Living to create a balanced system of care for elders and adults with disabilities. It discusses the Department's successes and obstacles in increasing home and community-based services, including respite care and consumer-directed services for care recipients and caregivers, and shifting away from institutionalized care. It also outlines the services that Vermont's five Area Agencies on Aging provided to older adults and their family caregivers. For more information, visit:

Report from Vermont Department of Disabilities, Aging & Independent Living

Federal Legislation, Policy & Reports

Reauthorization of the Older Americans Act Could Include Changes to National Family Caregiver Support Program Eligibility

The Conference Report on the House bill (H.B. 5293) to reauthorize the Older Americans Act includes language that would change the eligibility criteria for the National Family Caregiver Support Program. The current term of "family caregiver" within the Act means an adult family member, or another individual, who is an informal provider of in-home and community care to an older individual (60 years or older). If enacted, the bill would expand the definition to include caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder with neurological and organic brain dysfunction. Similarly, the eligibility age of grandparent caregivers would decrease to 55 years, from the current 60 years of age. This bill has been placed on the calendar for further consideration. For more information, visit:

U.S. House of Representatives- Committee on Education and the Workforce

House Appropriations Committee Cuts Funding for National Institute on Aging Research

The House Appropriations Committee voted to approve the funding cuts to National Institute on Aging research that were proposed in the FY07 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill. The National Institute on Aging will receive about $7 million less in funds than in FY06, which will effect funding for Alzheimer's disease research. The full House will now need to vote on the Appropriations Committee's report. For more information, visit:

U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Appropriations
Alzheimer's Association Policy Update

Congressional Research Service Report on the Changing Demographic Profile of the United States

A new Congressional Research Service report for Congress details the changing demographic profile of the United States. The report offers updated information on fertility and mortality patterns, and indicates that Alzheimer's disease is ranked among the leading causes of death and the trend for the disease continues to increase. In addition, the population of the United States has been shifting in the last several decades from a relatively "young" population structure to an older one. The number of persons aged 65 and older has been steadily increasing, and by year 2050 it is projected that about one in every five people in the U.S. will be 65 years or older. These health and population trends will have a significant impact on the demand and availability of caregivers for older adults. For more information, visit:

The Changing Demographic Profile of the United States

International News

New Zealand: Progress Made Toward a National Carer Strategy

The New Zealand Carers Alliance, made up of over 35 national organization members who primarily support family caregivers, is working with the New Zealand government to create a Carer Strategy to better recognize and support family caregivers. The Alliance has support from the Ministry of Social Development, which focuses on disability issues, programs for older adults, youth development, and the community and voluntary sector. In New Zealand's 2001 Census, over 420,000 people self-identified as family carers. For more information, visit:

New Zealand Carers.Net

United Kingdom: Wales Announces Appointment of a Carers' Champion in Government

Wales has announced that it will be the first country in the United Kingdom to appoint a Carers' Champion, a person in government who will act as a liaison between the different departments that work on issues affecting caregivers. John Griffiths AM, the Deputy Minister with Responsibility for Older People in the Welsh Assembly, will serve as the first Carers' Champion and will have overall responsibility for carers' issues. For more information, visit:

Carers UK Update

Research Reports & Journal Articles

Report on Access to Long-Term Care Services for People with Dementia

The Alzheimer's Association has conducted a study of six states' level-of-care criteria and assessment processes to determine whether people with Alzheimer's disease or other dementias can qualify for Medicaid funding for nursing home care and home and community-based services. The analysis of the six states revealed a variety of approaches to assessing service needs and determining eligibility for people with dementia, including some approaches that were deemed inappropriate. The report offers summaries of each state's processes, as well as recommendations for modifying eligibility criteria to include a greater number of dementia patients. For more information, visit:

Alzheimer's Association Report on Access to Long-Term Care Services for People with Dementia

Research on Early-Onset Dementia and its Effects on Patients and Their Caregivers

A new publication from the Alzheimer's Association details data from the Health and Retirement Survey and a second survey and personal interviews conducted by the Alzheimer's Association to highlight the experiences of people under age 65 who have dementia or a cognitive impairment, estimated to be as many as half a million Americans. This particular population faces unique obstacles in finding care and support services. For instance, getting a diagnosis for early-onset Alzheimer's disease or dementia can often take months or years because health care providers generally do not look for these conditions in younger patients. Many of these patients are still working when their symptoms emerge, which can impact the working environment. It is not often understood that early onset Alzheimer's and other dementias qualify as a disability under Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income programs. In addition, family members and friends of patients often lack the information and support services they need to provide care. For more information, visit:

Alzheimer's Association Report on Early-Onset Dementia

Study of Family Caregivers of Stroke and Brain Injury Patients Shows Unpreparedness for the Caregiving Role

The Milbank Quarterly (Volume 84, Number 2) includes a study by the United Hospital Fund of family caregivers of stroke and brain injury patients when home care cases were opened and closed. Researchers found that even when family caregivers received formal, short-term in-home care services, they still provided three-quarters of the care. Further, between one-third and one-half of family caregivers reported being inadequately prepared for the case closing and subsequent termination of in-home care services. At all stages of the caregiving experience, family caregivers expressed significant isolation, anxiety and depression. For more information, visit:

The Milbank Quarterly

Stress from Family Caregiving May Contribute to Poor Oral Health

A study in the Journal of Periodontology (Volume 77, Number 6) indicates that the stress of family caregiving may also have harmful effects on caregivers' oral health. The study of 230 caregivers of people with dementia shows that stress was a significant risk indicator of elevated levels of plaque and gingivitis. The results of this study support other research on the negative physical and emotional effects of caregiving. For more information, visit:

Journal of Periodontology

Conferences & Trainings

Gerontological Society of America's Annual Scientific Meeting: November 16-20, 2006

The Gerontological Society of America will hold its 59th annual scientific meeting November 16-20, 2006 in Dallas. The theme of the conference is "Education and the Gerontological Imagination" and workshops will be organized around the behavioral and social sciences; social research, policy and practice; biological sciences; and clinical medicine. For more information, visit:

Gerontological Society of America's Annual Scientific Meeting

Funding, Media & Miscellaneous

Alzheimer's Association Launches New Web Tool on Care Options for Families

The Alzheimer's Association has developed a new Web tool to help individuals and family caregivers find care options ranging from home and community-based care to assisted living and nursing home care. The tool allows users to input personalized information, special needs, abilities and preferences, and receive a customized summary report with care recommendations and specific questions to ask potential care providers. For more information, visit:

Alzheimer's Association CareFinder