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| Home > Newsletters > Caregiving PolicyDigest > Volume IX, Number 20, October 14, 2009
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| A newsletter of FCA's National Center on Caregiving |
October 14, 2009
Volume IX, Number 20
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IN THIS ISSUE
State Legislation, Policy & Reports
- California: Report Examines How Budget Cuts Threaten Safety Net for Older Adults More...
- CLASP Develops Primer to Support Paid Sick Days Legislation in States More...
Federal Legislation, Policy & Reports
- Senate Finance Committee Passes Healthcare Reform Bill More...
- Correction: "Structuring, Financing and Paying for Effective Chronic Care Coordination" Released by N3C More...
International News
- European Union: Report on Care Coordination and Cooperation to Enhance Quality in Eldercare More...
- United Kingdom: Report on Employment Support for Carers More...
Research Reports & Journal Articles
- "Black and White Adult Family Members' Attitudes Towards a Dementia Diagnosis" More...
- Report from the United Kingdom on Ethical Issues in Dementia Care More...
- Study: Assessing the Transitional Care Needs of Vulnerable Seniors More...
Conferences & Trainings
- National Summit On Workable Solutions to Long Term Care Challenges October 29 More...
- InHealth Technology Summit November 12 More...
Funding, Media & Miscellaneous
- Funding Available from NIH for Academic-Community Research Partnerships More...
- Apply Now for Brookdale Leadership in Aging Fellowship Program More...
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California: Report Examines How Budget Cuts Threaten Safety Net for Older Adults
The UCLA Center for Health Policy Research released a policy brief this month called "California Budget Cuts Fray the Long Term Safety Net." The brief examines the likely effects of the recent cuts to the state's safety-net programs for low-income and disabled older adults. Specifically, it examines reductions in Caregiver Resource Centers and programs that help disabled older adults remain safely at home, including the Supplemental Security Income, In-Home Supportive Services, Adult Day Health Care and other programs. Researchers found that up to half a million seniors will have their incomes reduced by the cuts and tens of thousands will lose some or all of their in-home supportive services. For more information, visit:
UCLA Center for Health Policy Research
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Senate Finance Committee Passes Healthcare Reform Bill
On October 13, 2009, the Senate Finance Committee passed its healthcare reform legislation, America's Healthy Future Act. While the bill fails to address long-term care reform in a comprehensive way, there are some provisions that would benefit older adults and their caregivers. For example, it includes a Community First Choice Option, which would create a state plan option to provide community-based attendant support and services to Medicaid recipients who require an institutional level of care. In addition, the bill includes the Elder Justice Act (S. 795), allocates $10 million per year for five years to continue the Aging and Disability Resource Center initiatives, and provides incentives to states to increase nursing home diversions and access to home and community-based services in their Medicaid programs. In comparison, the reform bills that passed in the House (H.R. 3200) and in the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee include the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act (S. 697), which would establish a national, voluntary insurance program for purchasing community living assistance services and supports. These bills must now be reconciled and voted on before legislation can make it to the President for his signature. For more information and to see comparisons of the bills, visit:
Senate Finance Committee
Kaiser Family Foundation
Correction: "Structuring, Financing and Paying for Effective Chronic Care Coordination" Released by N3C
The National Coalition on Care Coordination (N3C) released a report July 1, 2009 called "Structuring, Financing and Paying for Effective Chronic Care Coordination." (The last issue of PolicyDigest incorrectly noted that this report was released from the Urban Institute.) The report, written by Robert Berenson and Julianne Howell, considers the different populations in need of care coordination, summarizes current evidence of effectiveness, describes the various entities that can serve as focal points for coordinating care, and details the possible financing and payment options that can support these approaches. To read the report, visit:
Social Work Leadership Institute, New York Academy of Medicine
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European Union: Report on Care Coordination and Cooperation to Enhance Quality in Eldercare
Researchers from the European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research recently released a report called "Care Coordination and Cooperation to Enhance Quality in Eldercare in the European Union." It was written as a discussion paper for the September 2009 Conference on Healthy and Dignified Ageing and was financed by the Swedish Presidency and the EU Commission. The paper discusses long-term care in the EU, policy challenges, and lessons that can be drawn from good practices. It highlights the reliance on family and friends to provide the bulk of care for older adults, even if the profile of informal care differs according to cultural preferences and other factors. For more information, visit:
Swedish Presidency of the European Union
United Kingdom: Report on Employment Support for Carers
The U.K. Department for Work and Pensions released a report in September 2009, "Employment Support for Carers" (Research Report No. 597), which presents the findings of a qualitative research study that examined what employment support is needed for carers in order for them to take up and remain in work. The research was designed to find out how caregiving responsibilities affect people's decisions about employment and to assess how the government can effectively help citizens with caregiving responsibilities return to the labor market. For more information, visit:
"Employment Support for Carers"
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"Black and White Adult Family Members' Attitudes Towards a Dementia Diagnosis"
An article in the September 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (Volume 57, Number 9) by Dr. Cathleen Connell and colleagues examines potential benefits of and barriers to diagnosis from the perspective of black and white adults directly affected by Alzheimer's disease. A telephone survey of family members of people with the disease revealed that both black and white respondents perceive a range of benefits and few barriers to the diagnostic process. While the majority of respondents did not endorse any of the potential barriers to obtaining a diagnosis, lack of a cure for Alzheimer's and the belief that little can be done to treat it were the most frequently endorsed barriers. To read "Black and White Adult Family Members' Attitudes Towards a Dementia Diagnosis," visit:
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
Report from the United Kingdom on Ethical Issues in Dementia Care
The Nuffield Council on Bioethics in the United Kingdom released a report on October 1, 2009 which presents an ethical framework related to caring for someone with dementia. The framework forms the basis for a number of recommendations to policy makers focused on promoting autonomy and well-being through an ethical approach to dementia care; including people with dementia in society; making decisions about the care and treatment of people with dementia; dealing with day-to-day ethical dilemmas in care; recognizing the needs of family caregivers; and research funding and participation. To read Dementia: Ethical Issues, visit:
Nuffield Council on Bioethics
Study: Assessing the Transitional Care Needs of Vulnerable Seniors
An article in The Gerontologist (Volume 49, Number 1) reveals the results of a qualitative study that assessed the needs of patients and caregivers during the transition from hospital to home, with a focus on ethnic minorities, recent immigrants and older adults with limited English proficiency. The researchers found that "inadequate information and training at discharge were themes that spanned all groups," and that underserved groups reported low levels of social support, lack of linguistically appropriate information and services, and cultural and financial barriers to using long-term care services. The authors, Dr. Carrie Graham and colleagues, include recommendations for providing better transitional care to diverse groups of older adults. To read "From Hospital to Home: Assessing the Transitional Care Needs of Vulnerable Seniors," visit:
The Gerontologist
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National Summit On Workable Solutions to Long Term Care Challenges October 29
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Community Partnerships for Older Adults (CPFOA) are hosting a National Summit On Workable Solutions to Long Term Care Challenges on October 29, 2009 from 9:00 a.m. to noon in Washington, D.C. There will be speakers from the Administration on Aging, Alliance for Health Reform, San Francisco Department of Aging and Disabilities, and more. For more information and to register, visit:
Community Partnerships for Older Adults
InHealth Technology Summit November 12
InHealth, The Institute for Health Technology Studies, is holding its fifth anniversary summit called "Evidence and Reform: Healthcare Policy and the Challenges of Health Technology Research" on November 12, 2009 in Washington, D.C. The summit will include healthcare policy professionals, medtech industry leaders, academic partners and clinical professionals. Registration is free for qualified attendees. For more information, visit:
InHealth
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Funding Available from NIH for Academic-Community Research Partnerships
Funding opportunities are now available from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support development of partnerships between academic research centers and community-based organizations. In collaboration with the Administration on Aging (AoA), $30 million in funding from NIH will support the development of infrastructure and staff for productive and sustainable academic-community research partnerships. The goal is to accelerate the pace, productivity, dissemination and implementation of research translation in community-based settings by strengthening and transforming relationships between academic centers and community organizations. Academic research centers must take the lead in applying for these grant funds, but they are required to have a full collaboration with community-based organizations. NIH anticipates awarding 30 or more grants with a funding maximum of $1 million per applicant. Letters of intent are due November 12, and the application due date is December 11, 2009. For more information, visit:
NIH
Apply Now for Brookdale Leadership in Aging Fellowship Program
The Brookdale Foundation is now accepting applications for the Brookdale Leadership in Aging Fellowship Program. The goal of the program is to foster the development of a new generation of leaders in the field of aging by supporting investigators in the developmental stages of their careers. The fellowships are not for people who are already well established in the field. Candidates must demonstrate that they would benefit from a concentrated period of time to undertake a research project with significance in the field of aging. The deadline to apply is November 5, 2009; applications must be submitted online. For more information, visit:
Brookdale Foundation
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?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 Policy_Digest@caregiver.org or visit the Family Caregiver Alliance website at www.caregiver.org.
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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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