State Legislation, Policy & Reports

Illinois: New Consumer Direction Law Allows Family Members to be Paid for Caregiving

On August 31, 2007, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich signed a bill into law (H.B. 652) to amend the state's Community Care Program to allow family members to be a participant's designated, paid home care provider. The program provides home- and community-based services to adults 60 years and older. The bill further amends the program by requiring that all program participants also be enrolled in Medicaid, removes home health services from the Community Care Program, and adds "medication management," "emergency home response" and "flexible senior services." The bill also ensures that care recipients have the right to choose the services contained in their care plan, that they can direct how those services are provided, and that services are available in evenings and on weekends. For more information, visit:

Illinois Legislature

New Hampshire, Wisconsin: Money Follows the Person Demonstrations

On October 5, 2007, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that New Hampshire and Wisconsin have received federal approval for Money Follows the Person (MFP) Rebalancing Demonstrations. MFP is intended to transition individuals out of institutional settings into their homes and communities with increased support for home and community-based long-term care services in state Medicaid programs. New Hampshire plans to use the demonstration to increase the utilization of person-centered planning in all of their home and community-based programs, with a goal of enhancing consumer choice. Wisconsin plans to serve people currently on waiting lists. For more information, visit:

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Pennsylvania: House Votes to Increase Benefits for Family Caregivers

On October 23, 2007, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed a bill (H.B. 1830) which would amend the state-funded caregiver support program for family members caring for an older adult or adult with dementia. The bill would increase the cap on the amount of financial assistance low-income caregivers could receive. Services already part of the program include respite, counseling, education and training, benefits counseling, financial support for home modification and assistive devices, and other supports. For more information, visit:

Pennsylvania Legislature

Federal Legislation, Policy & Reports

Senate-Passed Bill Increases Funding for Family Caregiver Support Program; No Funding for Lifespan Respite

On October 23, 2007, the Senate passed its version of the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations legislation for Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 (H.R. 3043). Unlike the House-passed version, the Senate bill would increase funding for three Older Americans Act programs by a total of $10 million: the National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP) would receive a $3 million increase, up from $156 million in FY 2007; funding for supportive services and senior centers (Title IIIB) would increase by $5 million; and funding for nutrition programs, including home-delivered and congregate meals, would increase by $2 million. The Senate-passed bill does not include any funding for the Lifespan Respite Care Act, whereas the House-passed version includes $10 million. However, Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Arlen Specter (R-PA), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Labor/ HHS/ Education Appropriations Subcommittee, made a commitment to work for this funding during negotiations with the House. The House-Senate conference committee is currently negotiating a final version of the bill, which President Bush has threatened to veto. For more information, visit:

Thomas

CARE Act Reintroduced in Senate

On October 1, 2007, Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) reintroduced the Caregiver Assistance and Relief Effort (CARE) Act, which would allow taxpayers to receive a nonrefundable tax credit if they provide care to a family member with long-term care needs. The credit would start at $2,500 in 2008, with a reduction of $100 for every $1000 the taxpayer earns over $75,000, and it would increase to $2,750 in 2009 and $3,000 in 2010. In addition, the bill would increase funding for the National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP) to $250 million in FY 2008, from $156 million in FY 2007. It would also allow a tax deduction for long-term care insurance premiums and apply certain consumer protection provisions to long-term care insurance contracts. For more information, visit:

Thomas

EEOC Issues Guidance to Employers about Caregiver-Related Discrimination as Lawsuits Against Employers Rise

On October 24, 2007, USA Today reported that the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently issued guidance for employers so that they are aware of the risks of discrimination based on family responsibilities. At the same time, "more workers are filing lawsuits claiming they've been discriminated against on the job because of their family caregiving obligations." The Center for WorkLife Law says that that these types of cases have risen by 400% in the last decade, in part because many working adults are now responsible for caring for their children and an elderly parent or relative. For more information, visit:

USA Today

International News

Australia: Study Reports on Health and Wellbeing of Carers

In October 2007, Australian Unity, the Australian Centre on Quality of Life at Deakin University and Carers Australia released a report called "The Wellbeing of Australians - Carer Health and Wellbeing." Reporting on a survey of over 4,000 Australians, the report builds on the work of the Australian Unity Wellbeing Index, which measures people's satisfaction with life. The survey reveals that family caregivers, or carers, have the lowest collective wellbeing of any other group covered; that carers have an average rating on the depression scale of moderate depression; and that female carers have lower wellbeing than male carers. The report also covers carer challenges, carer resources, intensity of the carer role and satisfaction with caring and leisure. For more information, visit:

Carers Australia

Research Reports & Journal Articles

New Data on Nursing Home and Assisted Living Costs in 2007

On October 30, 2007, MetLife Mature Market Institute released its annual Market Survey of Nursing Home and Assisted Living Costs, revealing that nursing home costs have increased slightly while assisted living costs have remained steady. It found that the average daily rates for a private ($213) or semi-private ($189) room in a nursing home in 2007 increased about 3% from the 2006 rates. The monthly base rate for assisted living rose only one dollar on average from $2,968 in 2006. The report also notes that more assisted living facilities are providing dementia care (59% in 2007 versus 48% in 2006); the additional costs for those services average $1,110 per month. For more information, visit:

MetLife Mature Market Institute

Study Examines Rural Male Caregivers' Experience Seeking Assistance

An article in the Journal of Gerontological Social Work (Volume 49, Number 4) revealed the results of a study which examined rural male caregivers' experiences seeking assistance from family, friends and other informal support networks. The article, "Experiences of Rural Male Caregivers of Older Adults with Their Informal Support Networks" by Dr. Sara Sanders, specifically focused on the caregivers' perceptions of their support networks' willingness to provide caregiving assistance and their own willingness to ask for assistance. The men relayed a variety of experiences with being able to get the help they need. Understanding the personal situation of individual caregivers can "have implications for geriatric health professionals who work with male caregivers to obtain the necessary amount of caregiving assistance." For more information, visit:

Journal of Gerontological Social Work

"Spousal Dementia Caregiving in the Context of Late-Life Remarriage"

A study published in the May 2007 issue of dementia (Volume 6, Number 2) explored the experiences of wives who had remarried later in life and were now caring for their husbands with dementia. The article, "Spousal dementia caregiving in the context of late-life remarriage" by Carey Wexler Sherman and Pauline Boss, revealed that they experienced "complex intergenerational stepfamily dynamics that appear to amplify isolation and stress for this group of caregivers." At the same time, these caregivers were proactive and strategic in their approach to caregiving. For more information, visit:

dementia

Conferences & Trainings

n4a Conference: Call for Sessions Deadline November 14

The National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) is seeking proposals for workshops at its annual Conference and Tradeshow, to be held July 20 - 23, 2008 in Nashville, Tennessee. Special consideration will be given to sessions that focus on Older Americans Act services, community-based long term care, tools for running your organization, elder rights and elder abuse prevention, working with diverse aging populations, promoting healthy aging in the community and Title VI programs and services. The deadline for submissions is November 14, 2007. For more information or to submit your proposal online, visit:

n4a

Funding, Media & Miscellaneous

AoA Seeks Grant Proposals for Native American Caregiver Support Program

The U.S. Administration on Aging (AoA) is soliciting proposals for grants of between $14,720 and $58,230 to provide family caregiver support services as part of the Native American Caregiver Support Program within the Older Americans Act. AoA is also seeking proposals for grants to provide nutritional and supportive services to Indian elders and Native Hawaiian elders. The goal of these grants is to increase home and community-based services to older Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians which respond to local needs and are consistent with evidence-based prevention practices. Grants support three-year projects that will commence on April 1, 2008 and run through March 31, 2011. The deadline to apply for a grant is January 22, 2008. For more information, visit:

U.S. Administration on Aging