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Contact: Bonnie Lawrence
blawrence@caregiver.org
SALUTE TO FAMILY CAREGIVERS
Los Angeles Conference Honors California's Caregivers
Celebratory Tribute—Including Fanfare—Heralds the Important Contributions Families Make to Long-Term Healthcare in US
A salute—complete with trumpet fanfare and an emcee in top hat and tails—will greet more than 400 family caregivers as they gather in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday, November 5, 2005 to celebrate National Family Caregivers Month and two decades of service by California's innovative system of Caregiver Resource Centers.
Reporters interested in family/aging/long-term care issues are welcome to attend.
At the conference, host organizations will pay tribute to the families who care for loved ones disabled by long-term illnesses such as Alzheimer's disease, stroke, Parkinson's, brain injury and other conditions. Educational seminars on caregiving will follow. The event is free for caregivers.
What: Salute to Family Caregivers! Conference
When: Saturday, November 5, 2005, 9:00 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.
Where: Millennium Biltmore Hotel, 506 South Grand Avenue, Los Angeles
Who: Workshops featuring top experts from medical, public policy and social service arenas will be offered in Spanish and in English. Presenters include:
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Helena Chui, M.D., Chair,
Department of Neurology, USC KECK School of Medicine
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Laura Trejo, M.S.G., General Manager,
Department of Aging, City of Los Angeles
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Lynn Friss Feinberg, M.S.W., Deputy Director,
National Center on Caregiving at Family Caregiver Alliance
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Ernie Powell, Associate State Coordinator for Advocacy,
AARP California
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Kathleen Kelly, M.P.A., Executive Director,
Family Caregiver Alliance and the National Center on Caregiving
The Director of the California Department of Mental Health, Stephen Mayberg, Ph.D., called family caregivers the "unsung heroes of healthcare in the United States," noting that they face emotional, physical and financial demands that often go unrecognized by those outside of the immediate family.
"Family caregivers take on tremendous responsibility, often acting as nurses, social workers, lawyers, financial consultants and therapists for their loved ones," Mayberg said. "Their commitment to home care also lifts a large burden from the states' strapped public health systems. This tribute is a small measure we can take to show our appreciation to them and to the excellent organizations that help them meet the challenges they face in caring for their loved ones at home."
Salute to Family Caregivers! is sponsored by the state's 11 nonprofit California Caregiver Resource Centers (CRCs), which are funded by the California Department of Mental Health. The CRCs offer a full compliment of free or low-cost services designed to assist family caregivers of adults with disabling health conditions. Services include family consultation; respite assistance; legal and financial consultation; publications; educational programs; support groups; and counseling. California was first in the nation to develop a statewide network of support services for family caregivers.
Conference co-sponsors include AARP, the Los Angeles Department of Aging, and SCAN Health Plan.
For a complete conference schedule, see: http://caregiver.org/caregiverjsp/content
/pdfs/program1.pdf
For more information about the California Caregiver Resource Centers, visit: http://www.CaliforniaCRC.org.
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