State Legislation, Policy & Reports

Illinois: Paid Family Leave Bill Introduced

On February 22, 2007, Illinois Representative Julie Hamos introduced a bill (H.B. 1683) to provide up to four weeks of paid leave to workers caring for a seriously ill family member, bonding with a new child, or recovering from their own serious illness. "Family members" are defined as the worker's child, spouse or domestic partner, parent, or parent-in-law. The benefit would be capped at 67% of wages, up to $380 per week. For more information, visit:

Illinois General Assembly

Minnesota: House Committee Passes Caregiver Tax Credit Legislation

The Health and Human Services Committee in the Minnesota House of Representatives passed a home care tax credit bill for family caregivers (H.F. 313/ S.B. 696) on March 5, 2007. The bill would allow a caregiver who provides unpaid care to a spouse, parent, sibling, child, grandparent, or step-relative on a daily basis to apply for a refundable tax credit of up to $200 a month. The Health and Human Services Commissioner would determine the specific amount of the tax credit for each applicant based on a caregiver burden scale developed by the state. Family caregivers who received the credit must attend at least eight hours of caregiver training, education, counseling, or support group sessions. For more information, visit:

Minnesota State Legislature

Washington: Paid Family Leave Bill Moving Through State House and Senate

A bill to establish a family and medical leave insurance program in Washington State was introduced in the House and Senate (H.B. 1658/ S.B.5659) in January 2007. The legislation would provide workers up to five weeks of paid leave, at $250 a week, to care for a seriously ill family member, including a child, spouse or domestic partner, or parent; to bond with a new child; or to recover from their own serious illness. The bill passed the House Committee on Commerce and Labor and has been referred to the House Appropriations Committee. In the Senate, the bill passed in the Ways and Means and Labor, Commerce, and Research & Development Committees, and it has been referred to the Rules Committee. For more information, visit:

Washington State Legislature

Wyoming: Legislature Passes Bill to Expand In-Home Care Support

On February 28, 2007, the Wyoming House and Senate passed legislation to expand long-term care services in the state (S.F. 89), including increasing the number of slots for the state-financed, community-based in-home program. Among other things, the program allows some recipients to choose their own in-home care provider, including a family member, and provides financial help to pay for their services. For more information, visit:

Wyoming Legislature
Casper StarTribune

Federal Legislation, Policy & Reports

Legislation Would Provide Family Caregivers with Social Security Credits

On February 16, 2007, Representative Nita Lowey (D-NY) introduced a bill (H.R. 1161) which would allow family caregivers to receive Social Security benefits for having provided unpaid care. The bill would allow individuals to claim Social Security credits as if they had worked for a wage (according to a specified formula) during each month they were engaged for at least 80 hours in providing care to a dependent relative, for up to five years of such service. For more information, visit:

Thomas

Bill Introduced to Increase Access to Community-Based Services for Older Americans and Adults with Disabilities

On March 7, 2007, Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Arlen Specter (R-PA) introduced the Community Choices Act (S. 799) which would give individuals who are eligible for nursing home services or other institutional care equal access to community-based services and supports. The bill would provide an increase in federal funds to help states develop their long-term care infrastructure and to enhance their ability to provide home and community-based services. The bill would also create a demonstration project to evaluate service coordination and cost sharing approaches for those eligible for both Medicaid and Medicare. For more information, visit:

Thomas

International News

United Kingdom: Carers Want Recognition from Professionals

TIn February 2007, Carers UK, a national family caregiver organization in the United Kingdom, released findings from a survey of nearly 3,000 family caregivers, or carers. The survey asked carers in the UK about their priorities in order to define a national strategy for addressing their needs. Carers' number one priority was to have better recognition of their role from care professionals. Carers also identified the need for better services for disabled, older, and chronically ill individuals; pointed out the importance of income and retirements benefits for carers; and expressed concern for their own health and the need for respite. In addition to those issues, the national strategy will also address work issues for working-age carers, housing, transportation and other issues of concern to carers. For more information, visit:

Carers UK

Scotland: Quality Assessment Raises Concerns about Care in Elder Care Homes

On February 27, 2007, the Care Commission, Scotland's national care regulator, released "The Quality of Care Services in Scotland," which assessed the quality of care provided across all sectors, including adult, child, and health care services. The report identified care homes for older people as having the most complaints against them and concerns about quality care. In response to the report, an editorial appeared in The Herald calling for new models of care, including more support and better respite care for family and friends providing care to loved ones in the home. For more information, visit:

Care Commission
The Herald

Research Reports & Journal Articles

Study Finds Benefits for Caregivers in Cash and Counseling Programs, Identifies Need for More Support Services

Health Services Research recently published the results of a study examining the Cash and Counseling Program. "How Caregivers and Workers Fared in Cash and Counseling" by Leslie Foster and her colleagues from Mathematic Policy Research, Inc. examined the effects of the program on those who were directly hired by Medicaid beneficiaries to provide care - often the beneficiaries' family member or friend. Interviews with those hired to be caregivers, including professionals and family members, revealed that caregivers who were related to the care recipient experienced more emotional strain than caregivers who were hired from agencies, suggesting the need for more support and training for family caregivers. The study also found that caregivers who were part of the Cash and Counseling program had better outcomes with care, worry, and physical and financial strain measures than caregivers not part of the program. For more information, visit:

Blackwell Synergy

Report Examines Different Reform Options for Social Security Spouse and Survivor Benefits

In February 2007, the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College released a report by Melissa M. Favreault and C. Eugene Steuerle called "Social Security Spouse and Survivor Benefits for the Modern Family." The paper examines alternative systems of calculating Social Security spouse and survivor benefits - for example, changing the benefit calculation to include a caregiver credit - to see if they improve the program's adequacy and equity. The authors conclude that, in order to meet a number of objectives, such as reducing poverty among beneficiaries, rewarding work, and avoiding marriage disincentives, a package of reforms taken together would be most effective. For more information, visit:

Center for Retirement Research at Boston College

Conferences & Trainings

Symposium on State of the Science in Aging with Developmental Disabilities Slated for May 21, 2007

The Rehabilitation Research Training Center (RRTC) on Aging with Developmental Disabilities and the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) is presenting a preconference symposium on aging at the AAIDD 131st Annual Meeting. The preconference symposium, "State of the Science in Aging with DD: Charting Lifespan Trajectories and Supportive Environments for Healthy Community Living," will be held on May 21, 2007 in Atlanta, Georgia. Key international researchers will present the latest research findings and their practical applications in four areas: (1) neurodevelopmental conditions; (2) health promotion, health literacy, and health services; (3) family support and intergenerational caregiving; and (4) environmental barriers and supports to community living. For more information, visit:

RRTC on Aging with Developmental Disabilities

National Respite Conference Set for October 3-5, 2007

The Alabama Lifespan Respite Network and United Cerebral Palsy Huntsville and Tennessee Valley, in collaboration with the ARCH National Respite Network, are sponsoring the National Respite Conference from October 3-5, 2007 in Huntsville, Alabama. The Conference will provide information on respite coalition building, innovative emergency and planned respite and crisis nursery programs, family caregiving issues and an update on the Lifespan Respite Care Act. The deadline for submitting papers is April 15, 2007. For more information, contact Linda Lamberth, Project Manager, Alabama Lifespan Respite Network at (256) 237-3683 or at [email protected]

Funding, Media & Miscellaneous

National Aging Conference Highlights Family Caregiving

The Joint Conference of the American Society on Aging (ASA) and the National Council on Aging (NCOA) held last week in Chicago featured many sessions and wide ranging discussion on issues related to family caregiving. Philadelphia Inquirer journalist Michael Vitez reported on the Joint Conference and on the one-day preconference on family caregiving hosted by FCA's National Center on Caregiving in partnership with ASA. Conference presenters spoke about the issues facing family caregivers, and Vitez said the message to baby boomers was that they needed to prepare for the challenges and responsibilities of some day needing to care for an elderly parent or relative, a situation which is going to become more prevalent in the years to come. For more information, visit:

Philadelphia Inquirer

New York Times Article on Unregulated In-Home Care Agencies

On March 1, 2007, Jane Gross of the New York Times wrote "New Options (and Risks) in Home Care for Elderly," an article about the "gray-market" of home care workers - those who provide in-home care to people with long-term care needs but who may be untrained, unsupervised, and unscreened. There is an increased demand for such workers since the more regulated market of in-home care providers is usually more expensive and can be more rigid in what services are provided. Gross identifies the risks associated with the gray-market, while also pointing out the challenges many families face when trying to find appropriate, affordable in-home care for an elderly parent or ill relative. For more information, visit:

New York Times