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| Home > Newsletters > Caregiving PolicyDigest > Volume VIII, Number 18, September 10, 2008
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| A newsletter of FCA's National Center on Caregiving |
September 10, 2008
Volume VIII, Number 18
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IN THIS ISSUE
State Legislation, Policy & Reports
- California: Budget Impasse Impacts Social Services for Family Caregivers and Other More...
Federal Legislation, Policy & Reports
- Major Political Party Platforms Mention Family Caregivers More...
- House Passed Legislation to Provide Paid Parental Leave to Federal Employees More...
International News
- Australia: Government to Provide Support to Dementia Caregivers More...
- "Economic Burden of Informal Caregivers for Elderly Chinese in Hong Kong" More...
Research Reports & Journal Articles
- "Long-Term Care for the Stroke Patient in Family Home Care" More...
Conferences & Trainings
- Conference to Focus on Sustainable Long Term Care: Ethics, Technology and International More...
- 2008 National Caregivers Conference October 29 More...
Funding, Media & Miscellaneous
- FCA Releases "Practical Tools and Resources for Caregivers and Professionals" More...
- Alzheimer's Association Report Highlights Concerns of People with Early Stage Dementia More...
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California: Budget Impasse Impacts Social Services for Family Caregivers and Others
The California Legislature is over 70 days late in passing the state budget - the state's longest delay in history, and there is no end in sight. The delay has meant that family caregivers are unable to receive respite care and a variety of other services, while hospitals, clinics and homes for disabled residents that rely on public funding will have lost as much as $5.4 billion in state funds by the end of September. Child care centers that serve low-income families and other social services have also been affected, causing lay-offs and a void of available assistance. The delay is caused in part by the state's requirement that a two-thirds majority of the legislature is needed to pass the budget. For more information, visit:
San Francisco Chronicle
San Jose Mercury News
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Major Political Party Platforms Mention Family Caregivers
Both the Democratic and Republican Party Platforms for 2008 have some mention of family caregivers. The Democratic Platform pledges to provide assistance to workers who are providing care to aging relatives, including expansion of the Family and Medical Leave Act and paid family leave policies. It also states that "we must reform the financing of long-term care to ease the burden on seniors and their families." The Republican Platform expresses support for the families and caregivers of veterans. For more information, visit:
Democratic Platform
Republican Platform
House Passed Legislation to Provide Paid Parental Leave to Federal Employees
On June 19, 2008, the House of Representatives passed the Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act (H.R. 5781), which would provide federal workers with four weeks of paid leave, at regular salary, to be taken within one year of when children are born or adopted. While the bill does not include family caregivers, it is an important step in establishing paid family leave policies for all workers. It is currently under consideration in the Senate. For more information, visit:
Thomas
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Australia: Government to Provide Support to Dementia Caregivers
According to news reports, the Australian government will provide $3 million ($2.4 million USD) to support family members and friends caring for someone with dementia. The funding will be used to improve skills and provide specialized services for caregivers in their local communities. It is estimated that more than 200,000 people in Australia suffer from dementia. For more information, visit:
The Age
"Economic Burden of Informal Caregivers for Elderly Chinese in Hong Kong"
A Letter to the Editor in the August 2008 issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (Volume 56, Number 8) from Joyce H.S. You and colleagues describes the economic burden on family caregivers of older Chinese adults in Hong Kong. Based on a phone survey of Chinese adults in Hong Kong, the researchers found that the effect of caregiving on the work and finances of caregivers included income reduction, taking leave or absence from work, routinely leaving work early, and early retirement. Caregivers reported spending between a few dollars a month on caregiving expenses to $1,282 (USD) or more. For more information, visit:
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
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"Long-Term Care for the Stroke Patient in Family Home Care"
An article by Dr. Kurt Kraetschmer in the August 2008 issue of the Annals of Long-Term Care (Volume 16, Number 8) is a case report to describe how cooperation between doctors and family caregivers in long-term care for a patient with stroke can deal ethically with medical complications. The case report, based on medical reports and nursing care documentation collected over a ten-year period, also discusses "how the family can cope with various burdens in their efforts to accomplish worthwhile quality of life." For more information, visit:
Annals of Long-Term Care
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Conference to Focus on Sustainable Long Term Care: Ethics, Technology and International Perspectives
On Lok Lifeways, which provides long-term care services to older adults in the San Francisco Bay Area, is hosting a conference for professionals in aging and health care called "Sustainable Long Term Care: Ethics, Technology and International Perspectives." The conference will be held from 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. October 22, 2008, at the UCSF Mission Bay Conference Center in San Francisco. This conference will provide state-of- the-art perspectives and an important dialogue with internationally acclaimed visionaries in the field of aging health technology, ethics and policy. Family Caregiver Alliance is collaborating with OnLok on this conference. For more information or to register, visit:
On Lok Lifeways
2008 National Caregivers Conference October 29
The Family Support Center of New Jersey is hosting the National Caregivers Conference on October 29, 2008 in Iselin, New Jersey. The 2008 conference, called "Changing the Face of Caregiving," will provide caregivers with information on accessible and cost- effective support for all populations, regardless of age or disability. The keynote speaker will be Lee Woodruff, a freelance writer and wife of journalist Bob Woodruff. She has written about her family's difficult journey following Bob's critical head injury in Iraq. For more information, visit:
National Caregivers Conference
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FCA Releases "Practical Tools and Resources for Caregivers and Professionals"
Family Caregiver Alliance recently released two databases with practical tools and resources that address the needs of informal caregivers and the professionals supporting them. The databases contain a brief description of each tool or resource, along with information about its source and how to find out more. The project results from FCA's involvement in a two-day interdisciplinary invitational symposium, State of the Science: Nurses and Social Workers Supporting Family Caregivers. The databases are available online at no charge. For more information, visit:
Family Caregiver Alliance
Alzheimer's Association Report Highlights Concerns of People with Early Stage Dementia
The Alzheimer's Association recently completed a series of town hall meetings with people living with the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. The Association has released "Voices of Alzheimer's Disease: Summary Report on the Nationwide Town Hall Meetings for People with Early Stage Dementia," a qualitative analysis based on that dialogue with more than 300 people who participated in those meetings. It notes that the stigma associated with the disease is one of their top concerns. For more information, visit:
Alzheimer's Association
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To find caregiver support services in your state, visit FCA's Family Care Navigator http://caregiver.org/caregiver/jsp/fcn_content_node.jsp?nodeid=2083
?2008 Family Caregiver Alliance. All rights reserved.
The National Center on Caregiving at Family Caregiver Alliance works to advance the development of high-quality and cost-effective policies and programs for caregivers in every state in the country. The National Center is a central source of information and technical assistance on family caregiving for policymakers, health and service providers, program developers, funders, media and families. For questions or further information about the National Center on Caregiving, contact PolicyDigest@caregiver.org or visit the Family Caregiver Alliance website at www.caregiver.org.
To subscribe or unsubscribe to Caregiving PolicyDigest, use the following link: www.caregiver.org/caregiver/jsp/content_node.jsp?nodeid=836
Or, contact Family Caregiver Alliance using our toll-free phone number: (800) 445-8106
Your subscription information is used only for the purpose of improving this service and tailoring it to the needs of its audience. Information provided to us will not be shared with any other organization, agency, corporation, entity or third party.
Caregiving PolicyDigest is a publication of the National Center on Caregiving at Family Caregiver Alliance, 180 Montgomery Street, Suite 1100, San Francisco, CA 94104.
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