State Legislation, Policy & Reports
Illinois: Passage of Bill to Restructure Delivery System for Older Adult Services
Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich of Illinois signed S.B.2381 into law to restructure the older adult services delivery system. The new system will include comprehensive care management with a uniform assessment tool for all older adults, allowing, if necessary, input from the older adult?s designated representative, such as a family caregiver. A public website will also be created to provide links to available services, resources and reference materials concerning caregiving, diseases and best practices. In addition, options for public and private financing of support services for family caregivers will be explored. For more information, visit:
Illinois General Assembly
Illinois: FY 2007 Budget Includes Additional Respite Funds for Caregivers
Governor Blagojevich recently approved the state?s FY2007 budget, which includes an additional $10 million in funding to provide emergency home response and respite services for older adults and their caregivers living at home. For more information, visit:
Illinois Budget Press Release
California: Revised Budget Increases Grants to Alzheimer?s Disease Research Centers
The May Revision of the California Budget for fiscal year 2006-07 released by the Governor?s Office includes $2 million in increased grants to the Alzheimer?s Disease Research Centers of California. Each of the 10 centers would receive an additional $185,000, to be used for diagnostic and treatment services, caregiver training and support services, and research and evaluation. For more information, visit:
California State Budget- May Revision
Federal Legislation, Policy & Reports
Legislation Introduced to Waive Medicare Part D Enrollment Penalty
Senators Charles Grassley (R-IA), Max Baucus (D-MT), Bill Nelson (D-FL) and Mike DeWine (R-OH) introduced legislation (S.B. 2810) to waive the one percent per month penalty for any Medicare beneficiary that enrolls in the voluntary prescription drug program between May 15, 2006 and the end of the calendar year. The bill would also provide $18 million in funding to state-based programs and Area Agencies on Aging for counseling of individuals to make informed decisions about the different drug plans. For more information, visit:
THOMAS Federal Bills
International News
United Kingdom: New Credit Allows Carers to Qualify for Full State Pension
A new plan is expected to be announced for a ?carers credit? so that people who give up work to become family caregivers have more ease in qualifying for state pensions. Individuals would have to make national insurance contributions for 30 years, 9 to 14 years less than the current requirements. The new plan is expected to help an additional 270,000 female caregivers obtain financial security through state pensions. For more information, visit:
Guardian Unlimited Article
Research Reports & Journal Articles
Report on Rural Health and Human Services Addresses Family Caregiving
The 2006 Report to the Secretary from the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services includes a chapter on family caregiver support of older adults living in rural areas. The chapter focuses on the challenges and geographic isolation of rural family caregivers. The Advisory Committee recommends better assessment of rural caregiver needs as part of the National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP), creation of a marketing campaign on rural caregiving, and more research on the rural application of the five service components of the NFCSP. For more information, visit:
2006 Report to the Secretary
Assessment of National and State Programs for Caregiver Services
A new report entitled Caregiving: A National Profile and Assessment of Caregiver Services and Needs from the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving, with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, investigates the caregiver support services that currently exist and the services that are still needed at the national and state levels. Researchers worked with data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and other caregiver interviews to create national and state profiles of caregiver support programs, usage and unmet needs, and caregiving prevalence. The report concludes that more education about available caregiver support is needed because caregivers often do not know where to turn for information and services. For more information, visit:
Caregiving: A National Profile and Assessment of Caregiver Services and Needs
Americans Fear Alzheimer?s More Than Heart Disease, Diabetes or Stroke
A new survey from the MetLife Foundation shows that Americans fear Alzheimer?s disease more than most other illnesses. Three out of five Americans worry that they will become responsible for someone with Alzheimer?s disease in the future. Of the survey participants, one third reported having a family member or friend with the disease. Although most Americans recognize the need to create a plan to address the possibility of Alzheimer?s disease, such as financial planning and designating someone to help with care arrangements, few have taken action on a plan. For more information, visit:
MetLife Foundation Alzheimer's Survey
Association Between Caregiver Characteristics and Symptoms of Dementia
A new study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (Volume 54, Issue 5) investigates whether neuropsychiatric symptoms of Alzheimer?s disease, such as wandering and paranoia, are associated with caregivers? characteristics. Researchers found that caregiver behaviors and caregiving styles may intensify the symptoms of the disease. Characteristics such as age, education level and level of burden and stress were examined, with dementia symptoms more likely to occur with younger, less educated and more stressed caregivers. For more information, visit:
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
Conferences & Trainings
ASA/NCOA 2007 Joint Conference Call for Presentations
The 2007 Joint Conference of the American Society on Aging and the National Council on Aging, to be held in Chicago, March 7-10, is accepting proposals for presentations. The deadline to submit a proposal for one of the more than 50 topic tracks is June 5, 2006. For more information, visit:
2007 ASA/NCOA Joint Conference
American Society on Aging 2006 Autumn Series Begins in September
The 2006 Autumn Series on Aging, presented by the American Society on Aging, will be September 11-14 in Philadelphia and September 25-28 in San Francisco. The series is an opportunity for continuing education for professionals who work with older adults and their family members. Some of the topic areas include family and caregiving issues, dementia care, and long-term care issues. For more information, visit:
2006 Autumn Series on Aging
Funding, Media & Miscellaneous
CBS Series on Family Caregivers and Aging in Place
CBS News has recently done a series on family caregivers in the "sandwich generation", those who care for both children and older relatives. The articles and video clips from the series highlight the juggling act of caregivers and the growing number of older adults who wish to "age in place", and feature information provided by Family Caregiver Alliance staff. For more information, visit:
CBS News
Caring Today ?Give a Caregiver a Break? Essay Contest
Caring Today magazine, with support from Home Instead Senior Care, will be awarding home care prizes to 3 family caregivers caring for individuals 65 years or older. The grand prize will be $5,000 worth of free home care, and two people will win $2,500 worth of free home care. Entries must be submitted by July 15, 2006. For more information, visit:
Caring Today
Working Female Caregivers Needed for National Study
The New Jersey Institute for Successful Aging of the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey is conducting a national study called ?BALANCE: Balancing and Learning about Negotiating Caregiving & Employment.? Women ages 50-64 who are working full-time while also providing unpaid care to a family member or friend are eligible for the study. For more information about participating in the study, call 877-NJ-AGING.
