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| Home > Newsletters > Caregiving PolicyDigest > Volume IX, Number 11, May 27, 2009
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| A newsletter of FCA's National Center on Caregiving |
May 27, 2009
Volume IX, Number 11
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IN THIS ISSUE
State Legislation, Policy & Reports
- Illinois: Bill Calls for Pilot Project to Pay Spousal Caregivers More...
- Massachusetts: Effort to Pare Elderly Treatment Costs Underscores Nationwide Struggle More...
- West Virginia: State-run Hospitals and Nursing Homes Adopt VA's EHR Technology More...
Federal Legislation, Policy & Reports
- HHS Secretary Sebelius Recognizes Paid and Unpaid Caregivers More...
- Wyden, Markey Introduce "Independence at Home Act of 2009" More...
- Bill Proposes Use of Consumer Price Index for Elderly by Social Security More...
- NIHSeniorHealth Delivers Medicare Information for Caregivers More...
International News
- Canada: New Report Tracks Health System Change for Seniors More...
- Singapore: A "Whole-of-Government" Approach Tackles the Issue of Aging
More... - United Kingdom: Department of Health Creates First National Dementia Strategy More...
Research Reports & Journal Articles
- Early Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Offers Major Social and Fiscal Benefits More...
- National Survey of Certified Nursing Assistants Sheds Light on Workforce Issues More...
Conferences & Trainings
- National Aging and Disability Information and Referral Symposium, May 30-June 31 More...
- "Ageing in Latin America: Developing the Research Agenda," July 2-3 More...
- Duke University Institute Seeks Post-Doctoral Training Fellows in Aging More...
Funding, Media & Miscellaneous
- Apply Now for Innovations in Alzheimer's Disease Caregiving Legacy Awards More...
- National Institute on Aging Releases New Brochure on Alzheimer's Disease More...
- Administration on Aging Requests Proposals More...
- NPR's "Talk of the Nation" Focuses on Caregivers of Veterans More...
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Illinois: Bill Calls for Pilot Project to Pay Spousal Caregivers
On May 19, HB 39 passed both houses of the Illinois Legislature, paving the way for the state's Department of Human Services, in consultation with its Department of Healthcare and Family Services, to develop a pilot project within the Home Services Program. Under this pilot, a spouse may receive Medicaid payments for providing care to his or her spouse who is eligible for Home Care Services. If Governor Quinn signs the bill into law, 100 qualified spousal caregivers in selected counties could be compensated each fiscal year, generally at the Personal Assistant level. Safeguards in the bill protect against fraud and abuse. For more information, visit:
Illinois General Assembly
Massachusetts: Effort to Pare Elderly Treatment Costs Underscores Nationwide Struggle
According to Liz Kowalczyk, in a May 17 Boston Globe article, Massachusetts General Hospital is one of just six efforts nationally that reduced treatment costs for older people while gaining better results for them. Mass General's program, started in 2006, hinges on primary care practices being in almost constant contact with patients and helping arrange non-medical services, too. To provide all the extra services, Mass General spent $8-$9 million over the project's first three years and reaped savings by avoiding the need for hospital, emergency room and other high-cost care. According to primary care physician Eric Weil, a medical director at Mass General, placing care coordinators right in the primary care practice is crucial. The Mass General project also relies on an electronic medical records system that enables physicians to act immediately when troubling symptoms appear. For more information, visit: Boston Globe
West Virginia: State-run Hospitals and Nursing Homes Adopt VA's EHR Technology
West Virginia recently adopted the Veterans Administration's open-source electronic health record software, called VistA, for seven state-run health and long-term care facilities, according to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and HealthCare IT News. Besides streamlining administrative processes, the software includes medication bar-coding technology and other elements to improve patient safety. This initiative, launched in April, is part of the state's Medicaid redesign program and the state sees it as key to care improvement and lower costs. For more information, visit:
RWJF
HealthCare IT News
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HHS Secretary Sebelius Recognizes Paid and Unpaid Caregivers
"Long-term care, whether provided in homes, assisted-living residences or nursing homes, relies on dedicated people rendering hands-on assistance," wrote Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in a letter to the Washington Post on May 18. Her department "is deeply concerned about the needs of long-term care workers and maintaining an adequate and high-quality workforce." She observed that $232 billion is spent on long-term care each year and "families all over the country are facing the difficult challenge of providing and finding the best care for their loved ones." For more information, visit:
Washington Post
Wyden, Markey Introduce "Independence at Home Act of 2009"
On May 21, Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Representative Edward J. Markey (D-MA) introduced the "Independence at Home Act of 2009" (S. 1131/H.R. 2560). This bill would amend Title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide chronically ill Medicare patients access to coordinated, primary care medical services in lower cost and more comfortable treatment settings, such as their residences. A patient-centered health care delivery model is at the heart of a proposed three-year Medicare pilot project leading to an ongoing Medicare benefit. Sen. Wyden and Rep. Markey are co-chairmen of the Bi-Partisan Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer's Disease. For more information, visit:
Thomas
Bill Proposes Use of Consumer Price Index for Elderly by Social Security
On May 12, Representative Peter DeFazio (D-OR) introduced H.R. 2365, the Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers Act of 2009, to establish the CPI-E to compute cost of living increases for Social Security and Medicare benefits under Titles II and XVIII of the Social Security Act. The CPI-E puts a greater weight on health care and housing costs than the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) now used to calculate the annual Social Security cost-of-living increases. Congress first asked the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics to create the CPI-E index in 1987, writes Diane Lade in the May 15 South Florida Sun-Sentinel, but legislation to require Social Security to adopt it has never passed. For more information, visit:
Thomas
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
NIHSeniorHealth Delivers Medicare Information for Caregivers
The National Institute on Aging announced May 13 that a reader-friendly
overview of Medicare benefits and resources, "Medicare Basics for
Caregivers," can be found on the National Institutes of Health website
for older adults, NIHSeniorHealth. "A caregiver who is knowledgeable
about Medicare can be an informed advocate for an older loved one who
needs to access the benefits the program provides," observes NIA deputy
director Dr. Marie Bernard. "The new 'Medicare Basics for Caregivers'
topic on NIHSeniorHealth is an excellent source of concise,
easy-to-understand information that will benefit both caregivers and
their loved ones." For more information, visit:
NIHSeniorHealth
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Canada: New Report Tracks Health System Change for Seniors
The Canadian Policy Research Network, recognized as Canada's most influential social policy think tank, published a report on May 14, "Moving Toward Health Service Integration: Provincial Progress in System Change for Seniors." Written by Margaret MacAdam, the report reviews the concepts underlying integrated care for seniors, examines models of cost-effective care, identifies their features and then assesses the extent to which Canadian provinces are implementing these features. For more information and to download the report, visit:
CPRN
Singapore: A "Whole-of-Government" Approach Tackles the Issue of Aging
On May 18 at the opening of Parliament, Lim Hoon Eng, who chairs Singapore's Ministerial Committee on Ageing, described a number of initiatives to achieve "Successful Ageing for Singapore." Singapore, he said, takes a "whole-of-government" approach. Among the efforts he noted were the Manpower Ministry's focus on passing re-employment legislation by 2012 and "Ageing-in-Place" to make the physical environment in housing estates barrier free by 2011, with lift access available to all floors in flats by 2014. He also said the government is committed to a substantial expansion of the healthcare sector to cope with intermediate and long-term care services. For more information, visit:
ChannelNews Asia
United Kingdom: Department of Health Creates First National Dementia Strategy
According to the UK's Department of Health, the first ever National Dementia Strategy, published in February, "is a landmark document that will transform the quality of dementia care. It sets out initiatives designed to make the lives of people with dementia, their carers and families better and more fulfilled." The strategy, backed by $239 million over the first two years, is designed to increase awareness of dementia, ensure early diagnosis and intervention, and improve the quality of care. Among proposals in the strategy are having a dementia specialist in every general hospital and care home. For more information, visit:
Department of Health
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Early Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Offers Major Social and Fiscal Benefits
Researchers David Weiner and Mark Sager from the University of Wisconsin-Madison report their cost-benefit analysis of early identification and treatment of persons with Alzheimer's disease (AD) in the May 2009 Alzheimer's & Dementia 5(3), the journal of the Alzheimer's Association. "We need to begin now to make the public policy changes that will allow and encourage early recognition and intervention," advocates Sager, quoted in EurekAlert! on May 12. "This article says to all the legislators facing deficits, 'here's a way to save money, and you can do it by providing better care.'" For more information, visit:
Alzheimer's & Dementia
EurekAlert!
National Survey of Certified Nursing Assistants Sheds Light on Workforce Issues
The April 2009 issue of The Gerontologist 49(2) features "The National Nursing Assistant Survey: Improving the Evidence Base for Policy Initiatives to Strengthen the Certified Nursing Assistant Workforce," by Marie R. Squillace and colleagues. Data for this first national survey were collected through phone interviews with a nationally representative group of 3,017 CNAs working in nursing homes. The survey provides a rich resource for evidence-based policy, practice and applied research initiatives. Among its findings are that one in three CNAs received some kind of means-tested public assistance, more than half incurred at least one work-related injury in the prior year and 42 percent of uninsured CNAs said they could not afford to participate in their employer's plan. For more information, visit:
The Gerontologist
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National Aging and Disability Information and Referral Symposium, May 30-June 3
The 19th National Aging and Disability Information and Referral Symposium takes place May 30-June 3 in Reno, Nevada. Held in conjunction with the 2009 Alliance of Information and Referral Systems (AIRS) Training and Education Conference, it is designed for aging network professionals who plan, manage and provide information and referral and ADRC supports and services. For more information, visit:
National Aging and Disability Symposium
"Ageing in Latin America: Developing the Research Agenda," July 2-3
The Oxford University Institute of Ageing presents its first conference on aging in Latin America July 2 and 3 at the University of Oxford, in Oxford, England. The conference will take a multidisciplinary approach, bringing together researchers with an interest in all aspects of aging and providing opportunities to develop cross-national collaborations. Conference attendance is free of charge. For more information, visit:
Oxford Institute
Duke University Institute Seeks Post-Doctoral Training Fellows in Aging
The Demography Training Program in the Duke Population Research Institute (DuPRI) is
accepting applications for Post-Doctoral Fellowship appointments in the Social, Medical, and Economic Demography of Aging to begin immediately or during the 2009-2010 academic year. Applicants should have completed, or be scheduled to complete, a Ph.D. in Demography, Sociology, Economics or Public Policy, preferably with training in demography and aging. To apply, e-mail Kenneth Land (kland@soc.duke.edu); for more information about DuPRI, visit:
DuPRI
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Apply Now for Innovations in Alzheimer's Disease Caregiving Legacy Awards
The National Center on Caregiving (NCC) at Family Caregiver Alliance (FCA) announced May 22 that applications are being accepted for the Rosalinde Gilbert Innovations in Alzheimer's Disease Caregiving Legacy Awards. Three awards of $20,000 each will be made to organizations whose unique programs address the needs of Alzheimer's caregivers in three categories. One award will be granted in Creative Expression, one in Diverse/Multicultural Communities and one in Policy and Advocacy. The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation provides support for this awards program, now in its second year. Applications are due by August 14. For more information, visit:
FCA
National Institute on Aging Releases New Brochure on Alzheimer's Disease
"Can Alzheimer's Disease Be Prevented?" is the title of a brochure released in April by the National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer's Disease Education and Referral Center as part of the collaboration with HBO on The Alzheimer's Project. The brochure addresses risk factors that cannot be controlled, the search for prevention strategies and actions that are beneficial for healthy aging and might reduce the effect of possible risk factors for AD. To view or download the 32-page brochure, visit:
NIA
Administration on Aging Requests Proposals
The Administration on Aging (AoA) announced in mid-May that proposals would be due in July for three programs. The program areas are "Alzheimer's Disease Supportive Services Program: Innovation Cooperative Agreements to Better Serve People with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders" (deadline July 6), "Aging Network Business Practice, Planning and Program Development" (deadline July 8) and "Community Innovations in Aging in Place (CIAIP)" (deadline July 15). For more information, visit:
AoA
NPR's "Talk of the Nation" Focuses on Caregivers of Veterans
"Caring for the Caregivers" was the topic of NPR's "Talk of the Nation" radio program broadcast on Veterans' Day, May 25. Lee Woodruff, author of Perfectly Imperfect: A Life in Progress and wife of television journalist Bob Woodruff, talked about caregivers of wounded veterans, the unsung heroes and hidden clients in any medical situation. As she cared for her husband after he suffered a traumatic brain injury in Iraq, one of the worst things, she said, was the uncertainty. The show, featuring calls, e-mails and blogs from listeners, provided an opportunity for caregivers for a sick, injured or disabled loved one to tell their stories. For more information and to listen to the program, visit:
Talk of the Nation
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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
?2009
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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