State Legislation, Policy & Reports

Iowa: State Takes Advantage of Medicaid Waiver Program to Pay Family Caregivers

The Iowa Department of Human Services announced on December 1, 2006 that under its new Medicaid Consumer Choice Option, older and disabled Iowans needing long-term care services may hire family and friends as caregivers to provide such assistance, rather than rely on home care agencies. Spouses would be excluded from serving as paid caregivers. In order to participate, recipients will work with credit unions in Iowa who will receive funds and pay for the goods and services on the recipient's behalf. Seed money for the program was provided by a $250,000 grant from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as part of its Cash and Counseling program. For more information, visit:

Iowa Department of Human Services

Michigan: Bill Passed to Protect Dementia Patients Reported Missing

Michigan Senate Bill 701 was presented to the Governor on December 6 after it passed in both the House and Senate. If signed, the bill would require law enforcement officials to enter information into its Law Enforcement Information Network (LEIN) when children and certain adults, including those with Alzheimer's disease, dementia, or mental or physical disabilities are reported missing. In cases of missing children or persons with Alzheimer's or dementia, law enforcement officials must also broadcast information about that person over LEIN to specified parties. For more information, visit:

Michigan Legislature

New York: Commission Recommends Fewer Nursing Homes, More Home- and Community-Based Alternatives

New York state's Commission on Health Care Facilities in the 21st Century released its December 2006 report, "A Plan to Stabilize and Strengthen New York's Health Care System," which recommended ways to reform the state's health care delivery system. Among other things, the report recommended decreasing the number of nursing homes, citing an excess capacity of nursing home beds and a trend away from institutional care settings for the elderly, and increasing home- and community-based alternatives, including adult day health care, long-term home health care, and supportive housing. The report also stated that "investment and support of technology and informal caregivers can make shifting resources out of nursing homes more viable." Gov. George Pataki and Governor-elect Eliot Spitzer both support the recommendations, and unless both houses of the Legislature vote it down, it will become law. For more information, visit:

Commission on Health Care Facilities in the 21st Century

Federal Legislation, Policy & Reports

House and Senate Pass Lifespan Respite Care Act

The House of Representatives and the Senate both passed the Lifespan Respite Care Act (H.R. 3248, S. 1283) by a voice vote during the first week in December 2006. If signed into law by President Bush, the bill will award grants to state agencies and organizations that administer programs under the Older Americans Act to: (1) develop lifespan respite care at the state and local level; (2) provide respite care services for family caregivers caring for children or adults; (3) train and recruit respite care workers and volunteers; (4) provide information to caregivers about available respite or support services; and (5) assist caregivers in gaining access to such services. For more information, visit:

THOMAS

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Report Highlights Adult Day Services

The Office of Disability, Aging and Long-Term Care Policy (DALTCP) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently posted online its July 2006 report, Adult Day Services: A Key Community Service for Older Adults. This report, written by Janet O'Keeffe and Kristin Siebenaler, provides a brief overview of the research on adult day services and various state approaches to regulating adult day services for elderly persons. The report points out that adult day services complement and support informal caregiving, a necessary resource that helps family caregivers and delays or prevents expensive nursing home placement. The report states, "Informal caregivers are the backbone of the nation's long-term care system." For more information, visit:

Office of Disability, Aging and Long-Term Care Policy (DALTCP)

New Report on Medicaid Spending on Long-Term Care Beneficiaries

The Kaiser Family Foundation published a report in November 2006 called "Medicaid's Long-Term Care Beneficiaries: An Analysis of Spending Patterns," by Anna Sommers, Mindy Cohen, and Molly O'Malley. The report pointed out that only 7 percent of Medicaid beneficiaries in 2002 were long-term care users, but their services accounted for over half of Medicaid spending. It also noted that Medicaid spent less than half for long-term care beneficiaries who received community-based services ($17,176 per enrollee) compared to those who received institutional services ($38,780 per enrollee). For more information, visit:

Kaiser Family Foundation

International News

Australia: Online Search Engine for Aging Services Launched

The Australian Department of Health and Ageing has launched the Aged Care Australia web site, which will allow Australians to research and compare approved residential homes and community care services in their local areas. The Aged Care Home Finder includes details about the specialties and services provided by different residential homes, and the Community Care Service Finder helps people find services including personal nursing, home modification, maintenance and transport services. For more information, visit:

Minister for Ageing Press Release
Aged Care Australia

Research Reports & Journal Articles

The Journal of Aging & Social Policy Features Special Double Issue on Family and Aging Policy, Caregiver Issues

The Journal of Aging & Social Policy recently published a special, two-volume issue on "Family and Aging Policy" (Volume 18, Issue 3/4). In particular, two articles are co-authored by FCA's National Center on Caregiving's Lynn Friss Feinberg and colleagues. In "Preliminary Experiences of the States in Implementing the National Family Caregiver Support Program: A 50-State Study," Feinberg and Sandra Newman find that despite an increasing availability of caregiver supports in all 50 states, there is also a great unevenness in services for family caregivers across and within states. In "Family and Friends as Respite Providers," Carol Whitlatch and Feinberg argue for consumer-directed respite care options where family caregivers are given flexible alternatives to meet their needs. Other articles of interest address various ways in which both public and private sector policies can be designed to achieve family objectives. For more information, visit:

Journal of Aging & Social Policy

Study Examines the Changing Roles and Complex Emotions in Becoming a Caregiver

Case Western Reserve University released a study on the changing dynamics in relationships between those experiencing early onset of dementia and their family members who become caregivers. Kathryn Betts Adams authored an article on her findings, "The Transition to Caregiving: The Experience of Family Members Embarking on the Dementia Caregiving Career," which appeared in the November issue of the Journal of Gerontological Social Work. "She found that the early stage of caregiving is marked by many struggles with negotiating care and decision-making and that taking over responsibilities is not a smooth process for many caregivers." For more information, visit:

EurekAlert

Survey of LGBT Baby Boomers Highlights Unique Caregiving Concerns

The MetLife Mature Market Institute, in conjunction with the American Society on Aging and Zogby International, released a report in November 2006 called "Out and Aging: The MetLife Study of Lesbian and Gay Baby Boomers." The report reveals the results of a survey on "the concerns of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) boomers in the United States as they deal with current caregiving responsibilities and make plans for their own needs in later life." Results show that one in four respondents said they provided care for an adult friend or family member in the previous six months, which is more than the one in five who have reported providing such care in studies of the general population. Furthermore, 20 percent or respondents said "they are unsure of who will take care of them when the need arises, though at least 75 percent expect to be caregivers for someone else." For information, visit:

American Society on Aging

Study Finds Baby Boomers Value Caring for Aging Parents More Than Earlier Generation

A new study from the University of Southern California found that adults born in the 1950s and 60s are more committed to caring for their aging parents than their own parents were. The findings were published in the November 2006 issue (Volume 68, Issue 4) of the Journal of Marriage and Family in an article called "Norms of Filial Responsibility for Aging Parents Across Time and Generations" by Daphna Gans and Merril Silverstein. This longitudinal study examined how the expectation that adult children should care of their aging parents changed over the adult life span, across several decades, and between successive generations. For more information, visit:

Journal of Marriage and Family
EurekAlert

Conferences & Trainings

National Conference on Caregiving Slated for March 6, 2007

FCA's National Center on Caregiving, in partnership with the American Society on Aging, is presenting a one-day preconference special program "Family Caregiving: State of the Art, Future Trends," at the 2007 Joint Conference of the American Society on Aging (ASA) and the National Council on Aging (NCOA). The special program will be held on Tuesday, March 6 from 8:30am-5:00pm in Chicago. It will bring together experts from practice, policy and research arenas to discuss leading edge research, effective service interventions, and future trends that will profoundly affect family caregivers. For conference speakers, program details and information on registration, visit:

Family Caregiver Alliance

2007 Joint Conference of the American Society on Aging (ASA) and the National Council on Aging (NCOA)

The 2007 Joint Conference of the American Society on Aging (ASA) and the National Council on Aging (NCOA) will be held March 7-10, 2007 in Chicago, Illinois. This conference will feature over 900 sessions covering a diverse range of topics in aging, including a session on a new online, state-by-state consumer resource for family caregivers. With over 4,000 ASA and NCOA members and other professionals in attendance, the conference will showcase innovative programs, foster policy discussion and advocacy, and share cutting-edge research findings. For more information, visit:

Joint Conference of the ASA and the NCOA

Call for Sessions for 2007 National Home and Community Based Services Conference

The National Association of State Units on Aging (NASUA) and the New Mexico Aging and Long Term Care Services Department are hosting the 2007 National Home and Community Based Services Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico on September 30 through October 3, 2007. They are currently accepting proposals for workshops, poster sessions and open forums. The deadline for submissions is January 15, 2007. For more information, visit:

National Association of State Units on Aging

Funding, Media & Miscellaneous

Family Caregiver Alliance (FCA) Releases Caregiver Health Fact Sheet

FCA has released a new Fact Sheet on Caregiver Health. "A substantial body of research shows that family members who provide care to individuals with chronic or disabling conditions are themselves at risk." The publication cites a multitude of studies that show caregivers experience higher levels of depressive symptoms, mental health problems, physical health problems, stress, and mortality than their noncaregiving peers. For more information, visit:

Family Caregiver Alliance

Langeloth Foundation Issues Request for Proposals for Caregiver Programs

The Jacob and Valeria Langeloth Foundation requests proposals for programs that reduce the burden on individual caregivers and improve the care of at-home patients, while also improving the community's capacity to support such relief. The RFP seeks projects that deliver services and/or evaluate approaches that reduce the burden of long term caregiving on caregivers marginalized by virtue of race, age, language, geography, class, level of literacy, culture or other factors. Each project must be registered on the Langeloth Foundation website by January 15, 2007. For more information, visit:

Langeloth Foundation

New Products Help Monitor Wandering Adults with Dementia

The Concord Monitor reported on December 4, 2006 that many companies are starting to develop products that would help keep track of adults with Alzheimer's Disease and other types of dementia who are prone to wander and who still live at home. For example, the article highlighted an alarm system and tracking device to help caregivers monitor their charges, which was developed by Secure Care Products. "The company has long provided similar systems to nursing homes and hospitals, but this is their first line of products designed for seniors living at home." For more information, visit:

Concord Monitor