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| Home > Newsletters > Caregiving PolicyDigest > Volume VIII, Number 7, April 2, 2008
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| A newsletter of FCA's National Center on Caregiving |
April 2, 2008
Volume VIII, Number 7
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IN THIS ISSUE
State Legislation, Policy & Reports
- Hawaii: Survey Reveals Adults Prefer to Age at Home, Support Long-Term Care Reform More...
- Washington: Study Examines Retention of Home Care Workers, Including Family Caregivers, in Consumer-Directed Programs More...
Federal Legislation, Policy & Reports
- CMS Proposes Rule to Assist States in Implementing the Deficit Reduction Act and Providing Home and Community-Based Services More...
International News
- "Czechs Want to Help Create European Care for Elderly Policy" More...
Research Reports & Journal Articles
- Study on the Needs of Sandwich Generation Women and the Services Social Workers Provide More...
- Studies Find Older Adults, Caregivers Willing to Use Assistive Technology More...
- Counseling Intervention Benefits Caregivers by Decreasing Caregiving Hours More...
Conferences & Trainings
- Medicare Rights Center Hosts Free Web Seminar for Caregivers April 10 More...
- American Geriatrics Society Annual Scientific Meeting April 30 - May 4 More...
Funding, Media & Miscellaneous
- Public Radio Airs Program on Family Caregiving More...
- Weinberg Foundation to Award $9 Million in Grants to Support Family Caregiving More...
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Hawaii: Survey Reveals Adults Prefer to Age at Home, Support Long-Term Care Reform
In March, AARP released the 2008 Hawaii Health and Long-Term Care Report, revealing the results of a survey of over 1,000 Hawaii residents 18 years and older. The survey found that nearly seven in ten respondents would prefer to receive long-term care services in their homes from family, friends or paid help. A majority also supported more advocacy for better funding for home and community-based services, while nearly two-thirds would support paying a small monthly premium for a public long-term care insurance program. For more information, visit:
AARP
Washington: Study Examines Retention of Home Care Workers, Including Family Caregivers, in Consumer-Directed Programs
Researchers at Washington State University's Social and Economic Sciences Research Center published a report in November 2007 for the Washington State Home Care Quality Authority which examines a series of initiatives intended to recruit and retain home care providers hired through the state's consumer-directed home care program. Nearly two-thirds (65%) of these individually-hired care providers are related to the care recipient. The report, Evaluation of Interventions to Improve Recruitment and Retention, reveals that providing health insurance to home care workers in the consumer-directed program, as well as other interventions, improved retention rates. For more information, visit:
Washington State Home Care Quality Authority
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CMS Proposes Rule to Assist States in Implementing the Deficit Reduction Act and Providing Home and Community-Based Services
On March 31, 2008, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed a new rule that would offer guidance to states on how to provide home and community-based services (HCBS) to Medicaid beneficiaries without applying for a demonstration waiver from the federal government. The Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) of 2005 revoked the need for such a waiver. The DRA has allowed states more flexibility to set their own eligibility and needs-based criteria for providing HCBS. The proposed rule will be published in the Federal Register on April 4, 2008, and will have a public comment period through June 3, 2008. For more information, visit:
CMS
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"Czechs Want to Help Create European Care for Elderly Policy"
A Czech newspaper, CeskeNoviny, reported that the Czech Republic is interested in working with France and Sweden to create a European strategy for the protection and care of the elderly. The three countries will rotate the European Union (EU) presidency in the coming years. By 2050, the population of people age 50 and older will make up one-third of the population of the Czech Republic. The Czech Minister in charge of human rights and minorities told journalists that her country would like to help contribute its ideas to the creation of an overall European strategy for addressing the issues of an aging population. For more information, visit:
CeskeNoviny
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Study on the Needs of Sandwich Generation Women and the Services Social Workers Provide
On March 20, 2008, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and the New York Academy of Medicine released a report, Not Ready for Prime Time: The Needs of Sandwich Generation Women, A National Survey of Social Workers, which revealed the results of a survey of social workers who work with women between 35 and 64 years old who care for their children and their aging relatives. The report highlights the fact that the services social workers provide to these caregivers - help with care coordination and finding access to services and support - are the types of services that are especially helpful to relieving their daily stress. The survey also found that caregivers are often unprepared for the many aspects of providing care; they underestimate the financial, emotional and physical toll of providing care; and they delay getting help because they feel they should be able to handle the caregiving responsibilities alone. In addition to the survey findings, the report also includes information contained in journals that 41 sandwich generation women kept for two weeks about their experiences. For more information, visit:
Help Starts Here
Studies Find Older Adults, Caregivers Willing to Use Assistive Technology
AARP and the Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST) of the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA) released two reports in March which reveal that older adults and their caregivers believe technology can help them age at home and ease some of the challenges of caregiving. The AARP study found adults age 65 and older willing to try various assistive technologies, but also concerned about the cost of such technology. Despite this willingness, the majority of caregivers thought they would experience some difficulty convincing their older care recipients to use such technology. For more information, visit:
AARP
Counseling Intervention Benefits Caregivers by Decreasing Caregiving Hours
The March 2008 issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (Volume 56, Number 3) published an analysis of findings from the Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer's Caregivers Health (REACH II) study. The article, "The Cost-Effectiveness of a Behavior Intervention with Caregivers of Patients with Alzheimer's Disease" by Dr. Linda Nichols and colleagues, reveals that caregivers who received individual counseling sessions and telephone support group sessions benefited by having one extra hour per day not spent caregiving, at a cost of $5 per day. For more information, visit:
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
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Medicare Rights Center Hosts Free Web Seminar for Caregivers April 10
The Medicare Rights Center is hosting a free web seminar for caregivers on April 10, 2008 at 1:00 pm (Eastern Time). The educational web seminar will explain the services covered by Medicare, how to get care for a family member or friend with Medicare, caregivers' rights, and how to care for yourself as a caregiver. Space is limited, so participants must register online. The presentation will also be posted online April 11. For more information or to register, visit:
Medicare Rights Center
American Geriatrics Society Annual Scientific Meeting April 30 - May 4
The American Geriatrics Society Annual Scientific Meeting will be held April 30 - May 4, 2008 in Washington, DC. The meeting will provide the latest information on clinical care, research on aging and innovative models of care delivery for professionals from all disciplines. Participants can register online until April 18; after that date they can register on site. For more information or to register, visit:
American Geriatrics Society
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Public Radio Airs Program on Family Caregiving
KQED, the San Francisco Bay Area's public broadcasting network, aired a radio program focused on family caregiving on March 31, 2008. Family Caregiver Alliance Executive Director Kathleen Kelly was a guest on the show. The broadcast focused on the physical, psychological and financial costs to caregivers and addressed the question of whether California was prepared to meet family caregivers' increasing need for services and support. There was also a conversation focused on Alzheimer's caregivers. For more information or to listen to the broadcast, visit:
KQED
Weinberg Foundation to Award $9 Million in Grants to Support Family Caregiving
The Harry and Jeannette Weinberg Foundation announced a Request for Proposals (RFP) under its new Family and Informal Caregiving Program that will provide $9 million in grants to community-based organizations. The Foundation will make between 12 and 230 grants ranging from $100,000 to $300,000 per year for a maximum of three years for organizations and projects that provide resources for caregivers in innovative ways and facilitate partnerships among agencies and organizations. The deadline for grant applications is June 12, 2008. For more information, visit:
The Harry and Jeannette Weinberg Foundation
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?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.
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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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