August 2014
Vol. 5, No. 8
"You will have bad times, but they will always wake you up to the stuff you weren’t paying attention to." -Robin Williams
As family caregivers, we have so much to do each day. We often focus on what we didn't accomplish or how we could have done something better, or what we didn't do right. As family caregivers it's so important to appreciate what is good and positive in our lives, even when things are difficult. In this month's issue of Connections, we have several upcoming events and classes for you, the caregiver, that will offer support, information and a chance to connect with other caregivers. One of the events is the FCA fundraiser for the Walk to End Alzheimer's. We hope you can join us for this event on September 14th.
*If you are no longer a caregiver and/or would not like to receive these monthly updates, please respond to this email and let us know that you'd like to be taken off of our mailing list, thank you!*
Sincerely,
AJ Dugay
(Education Coordinator)
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Lead Articles for Caregivers |
Caring for Aging Parents |
KQED - 07/28/2014 |
FCA's Donna Schempp, director of programs and services emeritus, talks about ways to handle the practical and emotional issues around caring for your parents as they age. |
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Caregiving Information |
Depression and Anxiety in PD |
Stanford School of Medicine - 08/15/2014 |
Robin Williams' death shines light on depression's grip. Here are the best online and print resources on depression (and anxiety) in PD. |
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Advance Care Planning in a Nutshell |
ABA Commission on Law and Aging - 08/11/2014 |
Think of advance care planning as a life-long process that evolves from the baseline task of naming a health care agent when you are young and healthy, to providing increasing guidance about your lifetime values and priorities as you mature, to confronting serious and eventually fatal illness through shared, informed decision-making with your care team. |
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"Who Cares" |
Capital Public Radio - 08/07/2014 |
Four in 10 American adults are family caregivers. They provide for the needs of parents, spouses, children with disabilities, and siblings. It’s a labor of love that takes a toll physically, emotionally, financially. Who cares for the caregivers? How do they care for themselves?
We explore these questions and more through the lives of three caregiving families.
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Fixing the disconnect between Medicare and Medicaid |
PBS News Hour - 06/27/2014 |
Providing long term care at a reasonable cost — especially for low-income Americans who are elderly or have disabilities — has long been a challenge in the U.S. In California, long term care providers are coordinating in order to tackle the special challenges faced by those who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid. Special correspondent Kathleen McCleery reports. |
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FCA Presentations and Workshops |
FCA Webinar: Preserving Senior's Homes: Nuts & Bolts About Medi-Cal Recovery on September 24 |
Family Caregiver Alliance - 08/11/2014 |
FCA presents a webinar on Medi-Cal benefits and protecting assets. Seniors sometimes hold back from claiming Medi-Cal coverage out of concern that, after they pass away, state collections might keep heirs from claiming the family home. Medi-Cal claims against estates are a real possibility but there are steps to take that may protect assets for a family's next generation. |
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Events in the Community |
Culture of Care |
National Alliance for Caregiving - 08/11/2014 |
A 30-day conversation on building a culture of care. Employers, family caregivers, and aging/caregiving professionals are invited to join. |
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Circular Swing- Flowing Ocean on September 14 |
SF Public Library - 08/08/2014 |
Want to reduce stress, restore inner peace, and feel more energetic? Enjoy a free class in Circular Swing-Flowing Ocean, a gentle exercise that resembles qigong and meditation. |
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Living with Alzheimer's Educational Group beginning October 8 |
UCSF/Alzheimer's Association - 08/07/2014 |
This 3-part series is open to individuals who are caring for a loved one with early stage Alzheimer’s disease. Simultaneous sessions for individuals with early stage Alzheimer's.
All workshops held at UCSF Mission Bay.
To register: contact Joanne Robinson-Teran at 800.272.3900.
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Special Announcements |
Help us Shape an LGBT and Dementia Care Educational Program |
Family Caregiver Alliance - 08/11/2014 |
What issues and topics are important to the health and well-being of people caring for ethinically and socially diverse LGBT adults living with dementia?
Thank you in advance for sharing your thoughts and time!
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Usability Impact of Injection Devices |
San Jose State University - 08/15/2014 |
Have you or the person you’re caring for ever experienced any type of issues or problems during the first few attempts at using an injection device at home, whether this applies to a current device/drug or a previous device/drug? Please share your injection experiences with me through this anonymous 10 minute survey. I am interested in issues involving all forms of injection devices, including: vial/syringes, prefilled syringes, injection pens, auto-injectors, and reconstitution kits. For every survey completed I will donate $1 to Red Cross or The Humane Society (your choice). For more information, contact me at: [email protected] |
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Anticipatory Grief Study: Caregivers of Terminally Ill Invited to Participate |
University of Northern Colorado - 08/15/2014 |
My name is Kylie, and I am a licensed professional counselor (LPC), nationally certified counselor (NCC), college professor, and doctoral candidate. My dissertation study is intended to help counselors better serve anticipatory grievers (i.e., people who are preparing for a loss). Eligible participants must be 18+ years old and be a family member or friend of an individual who is living with a terminal condition (e.g., end-stage cancer, advanced Alzheimer’s, other chronic diseases, etc.). The survey is available both online and in hard copy form (hard copies can be requested by email). All participants may choose to enter into a drawing for one of three $50.00 gift cards. Thank you!
Contact Information: Kylie B. Rogalla, M.S., LPC, NCC; [email protected]; (507) 993-6766
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Online Study for Caregivers |
University of Maryland - 08/15/2014 |
Are you currently an unpaid caregiver for a loved one? You may be eligible to participate in a study about caregiving experiences through 2 surveys and 3 writing exercises.
Often times the wellbeing of the caregiver is largely ignored. This is your chance to help other caregivers and help researchers to develop ways to improve the lives of caregivers
You can complete the entire study online. If you would like to participate in this research, please contact Amy Fuhrmann at [email protected] or follow the link below. To participate, you must meet the eligibility requirements of the screening questionnaire.
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Smart-Home Technology and caregiving - Monitoring and Visualizing Sensor Data |
University of Washington - 08/15/2014 |
Are you a family caregiver and interested in Smart-Home Technology?
A Smart-Home can be considered as a dwelling fitted out with sensor technology that observes the residents. It can reduce the amount of work for health providers or family caregivers. Monitoring, visualizing and making this data accessible for each party involved can give insights into the activities and the overall wellbeing of the residents.
We are conducting an online survey that will help develop a user-friendly application for visualizing sensor data for older adults and their caregivers.
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UCSF Seeking Family Caregivers for Fitness Study |
UCSF - 08/15/2014 |
• Do you care for a family member with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia?
• Do you want to exercise more?
• Are you 50-75 years of age?
If so, we’d like to hear from you! The UC San Francisco Fitness, Aging, and Stress Study is a 6-month exercise study for family caregivers. Eligible caregivers will receive a free gym membership to the YMCA for 6-months and weekly or monthly support from a fitness coach to become more physically active. Participants are paid up to $300 in cash. Please contact Samantha, the study coordinator, at (415)-476-3818 for more information or visit our website at FastStudy.ucsf.edu.
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Dementia Behavior Study |
John Hopkins School of Nursing - 08/15/2014 |
Are you caring for a person with dementia and dealing with challenging behaviors? Do you live in the greater Baltimore metropolitan area? |
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