State Legislation, Policy & Reports

Hawaii, Kansas, Rhode Island, Washington: Four States Chosen to Administer New Caregiver Module as Part of the World's Largest, On-Going Telephone Health Survey System

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the University of Florida are partnering to produce the first-ever population-based surveillance data on family caregiver health. Four states - Hawaii, Kansas, Rhode Island, and Washington - have been selected to administer the new Caregiver Module of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), the world's largest, ongoing telephone health survey system. Those states will include eight questions specific to caregiving on the 2007 BRFSS to improve understanding of the health effects of caregiving at a population level. These questions will provide information on the relationship between caregivers and care recipients, the time intensity and burden associated with providing care, the areas in which care recipients need help, and the types of difficulties caregivers face. For more information, contact Erin DeFries at 352-273-5279, [email protected], or Elena Andresen at 352-273-5359, [email protected], both at the University of Florida.

California: Caregiving in California Report on the National Family Caregiver Support Program Released

The University of California at Berkeley's Family Caregiver Support Project recently released its final report, Caregiving in California, on the implementation of the National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP) in California, with a particular focus on caregiver needs and service utilization patterns. In general, the report shows that the NFCSP appears to be having a positive impact on the lives of California caregivers. Family caregivers reported an increase in service use, a decrease in unmet needs, a decrease in barriers to service use and a decrease in caregiver distress. However, many caregivers continue to lack the community support necessary to provide the best possible care for their loved ones. The report includes recommendations for policies and programs to better meet the needs of California's caregivers. For more information, visit:

University of California Family Caregiver Support Project

Michigan and Pennsylvania: Fact Sheets Highlight the Lack of Health Care for Formal Caregivers

Two new fact sheets from Health Care for Health Care Workers, an initiative of the Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute, provide information about why many direct-care workers in Pennsylvania and Michigan lack health insurance. Both fact sheets make the point that "quality long-term care depends on healthy direct-care workers" and note that the states' direct-care workers average about $10 an hour and are often employed part-time, putting insurance out of reach for many. For more information, visit:

Health Care for Health Care Workers

Report on State and Local Strategies for Improving Wages and Benefits for Personal Care Assistants

A report released by AARP in October 2006 "examines state and local initiatives for improving wages and benefits of direct-care workers delivering Medicaid personal care services." The report provides an analysis of state and local practices, and it reviews the benefits and drawbacks of seven strategies for improving personal care assistants' wages and benefits. For more information, visit:

AARP

Federal Legislation, Policy & Reports

November is National Family Caregivers Month

The theme of this year's National Family Caregivers Month is "Believe, Protect, Reach Out," emphasizing the need to help family caregivers protect their health in order to have a more satisfying life and to provide their loved ones with the best care possible. President Bush officially proclaimed November National Family Caregivers Month and honored family caregivers "who take time out of their lives to improve the lives of family and friends." For more information, visit:

U.S. Administration on Aging

International News

Japan: Caring for Aging Population Leads to Depression and Suicide

According to a Reuters news article, family caregivers in Japan often suffer from depression, isolation, and, in extreme cases, contemplate or attempt suicide. More than 2.7 million Japanese require elderly care services in their homes, and there are relatively few residential options for the elderly in Japan. As a result, many Japanese citizens end up providing caring for an elderly parent or a spouse with a chronic condition. Recognizing the changing needs of its people, Japan has introduced nursing services for the elderly funded by a tax on citizens over 40 years old. For more information, visit:

Reuters Canada

Australia: Increased Funding for Home and Community Care Services

The Australian government announced an increase of 58.1 million Australian dollars ($44.7 million US) for Home and Community Care (HACC) services. The funding is divided between New South Wales (7% increase over last year's funding), the Australian Capital Territory (8.5% increase), and Victoria. The new funds will help frail older people, younger people with disabilities and their caregivers continue to live independently in their own homes and communities. HACC services include social support, center-based day care, respite care, transportation, home modification and maintenance, domestic assistance and food services. For more information, visit:

Australian Minister for Ageing Press Release - New South Wales
Australian Minister for Ageing Press Release - Australian Capital Territory
Australian Minister for Ageing Press Release - Victoria

Research Reports & Journal Articles

Camps for Caring: An Alternative Respite Option for Alzheimers' Caregivers

Donna Schempp, Program Director at the Family Caregiver Alliance's (FCA) Bay Area Caregiver Resource Center, authored an article on alternative respite options for caregivers in the October/December 2006 issue (Volume 7, Number 4) of Alzheimer's Care Quarterly. In "Camp for Caring," Schempp explains a program developed by FCA to provide "a weekend away for the care receiver at a homelike retreat center." This retreat is not only enjoyable for the campers, but it also allows caregivers some needed relaxation time without having to leave their homes. For more information, visit:

Alzheimer's Care Quarterly

New Dataset: Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer's Caregiver Health

The Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) at the University of Michigan is housing a new dataset called Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer's Caregiver Health II (REACH II). The dataset is now available for further data analysis. This research, a follow-up to an earlier study from 1996-2001, designed and tested caregiver interventions among Hispanic, African-American, and white family caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease or related disorders. The study matched intervention components to five areas of risk - depression, burden, self-care, social support, and patient problem behaviors - which are indicative of caregiver well-being and quality of life. The intervention components included education, skills to manage troublesome care recipient behaviors, social support, cognitive strategies for reframing negative emotional responses, and strategies for enhancing healthy behaviors and managing stress. The research was funded by the National Institute on Aging and coordinated by Dr. Richard Schulz at the University of Pittsburgh. For more information, visit:

Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research

A Literature Review of Research on African-American Caregivers of Persons with Dementia

In the October 2006 issue (Volume 14, Number 10) of Annals of Long-Term Care: Clinical Care and Aging, Dr. Rita Hargrave reviews the current literature on African-American caregivers of persons with dementia, keeping in mind that the population of elderly persons of color in the United States is expected to rise dramatically in the coming years. The article focuses on caregiver characteristics, explanatory models of dementia, attitudes towards caregiving, caregiver burden, positive aspects of caregiving, treatment recommendations and high-priority areas for future research. For more information, visit:

Annals of Long-Term Care: Clinical Care and Aging

"Long-Term Caregiving After Stroke: The Impact on Caregivers' Quality of Life"

In the October 2006 issue (Volume 38, Number 5) of the Journal of Neuroscience Nursing, Carole White and colleagues present their study on the health-related quality of life and overall quality of life of family caregivers of stroke survivors, focusing on changes over time. Caregivers were interviewed after one and a half and two years of caregiving. "The most important predictors of quality of life were the stroke survivor's behavioral disturbances and reintegration into normal patterns of living." Caregivers who reported fewer disturbances and well-adjusted reintegration by the stroke-survivor reported a higher personal quality of life. For more information, visit:

Journal of Neuroscience Nursing

Conferences & Trainings

California Working Families Policy Summit

The California Commission on the Status of Women and the Legislative Women's Caucus are hosting the annual Working Families Policy Summit in Sacramento, California on January 18, 2007. The purpose is for advocates to present their priority proposals related to working families, including caregiver issues, at the start of the legislative session to legislators and their staff. For more information, visit:

California Center for Research on Women and Families

International Stroke Conference

The American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association are hosting the annual International Stroke Conference in San Francisco, California on February 7-9, 2007. The conference provides a forum in which to present recent scientific work related to stroke and cerebrovascular disease. More than 600 abstract presentations and lectures will be featured. For more information, visit:

International Stroke Conference

Funding, Media & Miscellaneous

FCA's Caregiver Assessment Toolkit Included in International Online Database

Caregivers Count Too! A Toolkit to Help Practitioners Assess the Needs of Family Caregivers has been included in AgeSource Worldwide, an online database of key information resources from around the world which focus on aging. The Toolkit is a step-by-step resource filled with practical information and resources about caregiver assessment for program administrators and practitioners. AgeSource Worldwide is produced by AARP and is searchable free of charge. For more information, visit:

AgeSource Worldwide

Study Finds That Most Caregivers Use Humor to Cope

A researcher in Scotland explored the caring experiences of 172 caregivers and found that dealing with the emotional consequences and family tensions created by caring to be one of the most difficult parts of caregiving. The study found that 79% of caregivers found humor helpful in coping with those challenges, and 74% of caregivers felt they were better off than others. Three-quarters of caregivers also found it helpful to take time for themselves, to maintain outside interests, and to keep the person they cared for as active as possible. For more information, visit:

EurekAlert

New Alzheimer's Clinical Trials to Begin

The Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study (ADCS), a federally-established consortium conducting clinical trails on Alzheimer's Disease, will receive $52 million over six years to conduct several new trials. The award is a cooperative agreement between the National Institutes of Health's National Institute on Aging and the University of California, San Diego. The new trials will be testing drugs for effectiveness in slowing the progression or treating symptoms of Alzheimer's. Researchers say public participation will be essential for the success of the trials. For more information, visit:

National Institute on Aging
CD Publications