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| Home > Newsletters > Caregiving PolicyDigest > Volume IX, Number 22, November 11, 2009
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| A newsletter of FCA's National Center on Caregiving |
November 11, 2009
Volume IX, Number 22
NOTE: Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, the next issue of PolicyDigest will be
delayed until
December 2, 2009.
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IN THIS ISSUE
State Legislation, Policy & Reports
- California: "New Rules Trip Up Caregivers, Cost State More" More...
- Illinois: New Law will Establish Kinship Navigator More...
Federal Legislation, Policy & Reports
- House Passes Health Reform Legislation, Includes CLASS Act More...
- New Law Extends Family Leave and Benefits to Caregivers of Service Members More...
- Veterans' Caregiver and Omnibus Health Benefits Act Introduced More...
- Obama and Greenlee Recognize National Family Caregivers Month More...
International News
Canada: "Work-Life Balance of Older Workers" More... - New Zealand: Disability and Informal Care in 2006 More...
Research Reports & Journal Articles
- Case Study: "Who Cares for the Caregiver?" More...
Conferences & Trainings
- FCA Hosts Sessions at Aging in America Conference March 2010 More...
Funding, Media & Miscellaneous
- Alzheimer's Association Releases Phase 4 of Campaign for Quality Care: Dementia Care Practice Recommendations in a Home Setting More...
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California: "New Rules Trip Up Caregivers, Cost State More"
Since the California Senate voted not to delay implementation of new rules governing In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) workers which went into effect November 1, service providers have been scrambling to set up systems to implement them and the state has been paying more than necessary for many Medicaid recipients. The new rules require direct care workers who are either new to IHSS or have taken on a new client to complete an enrollment form, criminal background check with fingerprinting, and orientation session before they can get paid. Since most counties have not had time to implement the new rules, passed into law in July, many sick or disabled adults who need in-home care have been unable to receive it, resulting in longer hospital stays or nursing homes stays - paid for by the state's Medicaid program - or in a lack of care altogether. For more information, visit:
San Francisco Chronicle
Illinois: New Law will Establish Kinship NavigatorOver the summer, Illinois passed a bill (H.B. 2365) to establish a Kinship Navigator. The new law will provide a grant to a nonprofit organization to create the Navigator, which will serve as liaison among State agencies and groups and will provide information about support groups and counseling, benefits counseling, respite and crisis care services, and other support to family members, including grandparents, caring for children. For more information, visit: Illinois Assembly
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House Passes Health Reform Legislation, Includes CLASS Act
On November 7, 2009, the House of Representatives passed health care reform legislation, the Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R.3962). Among its many provisions, the bill includes 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. The bill has minimal provisions to enhance the professional geriatric health care workforce, and it creates a Personal Care Attendant Workforce Advisory Panel charged with examining and making recommendations on working conditions, training, salaries and benefits for direct care workers. In addition, the bill provides for a variety of Medicare demonstrations and pilot projects focused on care coordination for beneficiaries with chronic conditions. These demonstrations and projects include transitional care services and an independence at home program providing coordinated care for high-need populations. For more information, visit:
House Rules Committee
Side-by-Side Comparison of Health Reform Bills
New Law Extends Family Leave and Benefits to Caregivers of Service Members
On October 28, 2009, President Barack Obama signed into law the National Defense Authorization Act (H.R.2647/ S.1390). Amendments to support family caregivers of service members are included in the new law. An amendment by Rep. Lynn Woolsey and Sen. Chris Dodd (Amendment 1766) will amend the Family and Medical Leave Act's (FMLA) military family provisions, first enacted in Fiscal Year 2008, by extending the time in which the family member can take such leave to be within a five-year period. The amendment also expands the scope of those covered by exigency leave provisions to allow working family members of deployed service members to take time off to manage their family or personal affairs while the service member is deployed. An amendment by Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) (Amendment 1662) increases the maximum amount of monthly compensation for service members who are injured or become ill while in the line-of-duty and who need help with everyday activities. The amendment also creates a bridge to the family caregiver program in the Department of Veterans Affairs. For more information, visit:
Thomas
Family Values at Work
Veterans' Caregiver and Omnibus Health Benefits Act Introduced
On October 28, 2009, Senator Daniel Akaka (D-HI) introduced the Veterans' Caregiver and Omnibus Health Benefits Act (S.1963). The bill combines the key provisions of the Veterans Health Care Authorization Act (S.252) and the Veterans Insurance and Benefits Enhancement Act (S.728). The legislation includes provisions to provide family caregivers of veterans who were injured in the line of duty after September 11, 2009, with necessary information and training, respite, counseling, ongoing information and support online, health care and a caregiver stipend. Veterans groups are working hard to advocate passage of the bill, but are battling some procedural hurdles. For more information, visit:
Thomas
Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs
Obama and Greenlee Recognize National Family Caregivers Month
To recognize November as National Family Caregivers Month, President Barack Obama issued a Presidential Proclamation and Assistant Secretary for Aging Kathy Greenlee issued a statement. The Proclamation states, "Caregiver support is at the heart of my Administration's commitment to assisting our Nation's families... Families are best able to care for their loved ones when they can take time away from work without fear of losing their job or their income. We all have roles to play, including employers, by providing paid leave, flexible work arrangements, and other programs when feasible, to help ensure that caregivers are able to successfully meet their work and household responsibilities." Assistant Secretary Greenlee stated, " Caregivers across the lifespan must have access to services and supports designed to safeguard their health and emotional well being while offering protections against some of the financial burdens often associated with caregiving. Additionally, caregivers must have access to coordinated systems of services and supports designed to meet their needs at the time they arise." For information, visit:
Presidential Proclamation
Assistant Secretary Greenlee's Message
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Canada: "Work-Life Balance of Older Workers"
An article in Perspective on Labour and Income, published by Statistics Canada, focuses on the "work-life balance of older workers." The article uses data from the 2005 General Social Survey to examine dissatisfaction with work-life balance among workers age 55 and over. The research reveals that, compared to younger workers, older workers are more likely to have a disability and more likely to provide elder care. According to a statistical model, work-life balance dissatisfaction was associated with having a disability, providing elder care, working long hours, occupying a managerial position and being a woman. For more information, visit:
Statistics Canada
New Zealand: Disability and Informal Care in 2006
In September 2009, Statistics New Zealand released Disability and Informal Care in New Zealand in 2006, a report that presents results from the country's 2006 Household Disability Survey on the informal care disabled people need and receive. The report identifies the kinds of people most likely to provide informal care to disabled people living in households, the types of help and support they provide, and how often they provide it. The report found that spouses are the most common type of informal caregiver and that 25% of disabled adults in the country receive help from an informal caregiver. For more information, visit:
Statistics New Zealand
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Case Study: "Who Cares for the Caregiver?"
An article in the October 2009 issue of Clinical Geriatrics (Volume 17, Number 10) presents a case study of a family caregiver in desperate need of assistance. In the article, "Who Cares for the Caregiver?," Dr. Melinda Lantz argues that it is vital that "clinicians screen caregivers for signs of depression, anxiety, and burden" and that interventions be available. For more information, visit:
Clinical Geriatrics
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FCA Hosts Sessions at Aging in America Conference March 2010
The National Center on Caregiving (NCC) at Family Caregiver Alliance (FCA) will host a session at the 2010 Aging in America Conference called "Making Our Voices Heard: Mobilizing Family Caregivers as Advocates." The session will be held Monday, March 15, 2010 from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. in Chicago. This session will motivate family caregivers and those who work with them to become advocates - to organize and to use their voices to fight for change that will make a difference in their own lives. Speakers included U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (invited) and Lynn Feinberg of the National Partnership for Women and Families. Earlier in the day on March 15, the National Alliance for Caregiving is hosting its Fourth Annual Conference for Caregiving Coalitions, which will focus on the economic downturn and its impact on caregiving coalitions. The NCC is also hosting a breakfast to honor the winners of the 2009 Rosalind Gilbert Innovations in Alzheimer's Disease Caregiving Legacy Awards on Thursday, March 18. These events will be held during the 2010 Annual Conference of the American Society on Aging and the National Council on Aging, March 15-19 in Chicago. Participants do NOT need to sign up for the NCC sessions mentioned above, but they do need to register for the whole conference. For more information, visit:
American Society on Aging
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Alzheimer's Association Releases Phase 4 of Campaign for Quality Care: Dementia Care Practice Recommendations in a Home Setting
The Alzheimer's Association, through its Campaign for Quality Care, recently released Dementia Care Practice Recommendations for Professionals Working in a Home Setting. This report is Phase 4 of the Campaign and it covers the topics covered in Phases 1-3 as they relate to the home setting. The evidence-based recommendations in Phases 1-3 covered good dementia care, food and fluid consumption, pain management, social engagement, wandering, falls, physical restraints, and end-of-life-care practices and issues. 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
?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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