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| Home > Newsletters > Caregiving PolicyDigest > Volume IX, Number 23, December 2, 2009
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| A newsletter of FCA's National Center on Caregiving |
December 2, 2009
Volume IX, Number 23
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IN THIS ISSUE
State Legislation, Policy & Reports
- Massachusetts: Report on Health Insurance Coverage of Direct Care Workers More...
Federal Legislation, Policy & Reports
- Alzheimer's Treatment and Caregiver Support Act Introduced More...
- Senate Passes the Veterans' Caregiver and Omnibus Health Benefits Act More...
International News
- "Packages of Care for Dementia in Low- and Middle-Income Countries" More...
- Wales: Option for Reforming Long-Term Care Financing More...
Research Reports & Journal Articles
- The Health Consequences of Caregiving on Boomer Women More...
Conferences & Trainings
- Registration Open for Aging in America Conference 2010, FCA Hosting Sessions at Conference More...
Funding, Media & Miscellaneous
- FCA Launches Innovations Clearinghouse on Family Caregiving More...
- New York Times Blogs about LGBT Caregivers More...
- NPR: "Judith Fox Turns a Close-Up Lens on Alzheimer's" More...
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Massachusetts: Report on Health Insurance Coverage of Direct Care Workers
PHI released a report in October 2009 on the impact of Massachusetts health reform on the eldercare and disability services sector. Based primarily on data from a survey of nursing care facilities and home care agencies, Coverage for Caregivers: Lessons from Massachusetts Health Reform reports that, while most employers in the state offered employer-sponsored insurance, less than one-fifth of Massachusetts direct-care workers were enrolled in 2009. A main reason many were left out is because they were not qualified due to their part-time status or an eligibility waiting period. At least one-fifth of the state's direct-care workforce appear to be covered by publicly subsidized programs. For more information, visit:
PHI - Direct Care Clearinghouse
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Alzheimer's Treatment and Caregiver Support Act Introduced
On November 19, 2009, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA) introduced the Alzheimer's Treatment and Caregiver Support Act (H.R.4123/ S. 2809). The bill would authorize grants for public and private health care providers, including nursing homes, senior centers, Area Agencies on Aging, community-based organizations, and others, "to employ a comprehensive approach to Alzheimer's care that integrates treatment of patients with Alzheimer's disease with training and support services for the patients' families and caregivers." For more information, visit:
Rep. Waters Press Release
Sen. Gillibrand Press Release
Senate Passes the Veterans' Caregiver and Omnibus Health Benefits Act
On November 19, 2009, the Senate passed the Veterans' Caregiver and Omnibus Health Benefits Act (S. 1963). The legislation includes provisions to provide family caregivers of veterans who were injured in the line of duty after September 11, 2001, with necessary information and training, respite, counseling, and online support. The bill would also provide a monthly stipend, medical care and mental health services to a family member or friend who is designated as the personal caregiver of a severely injured veteran who meets certain criteria. The bill is now in the House of Representatives for consideration. For more information, visit:
Thomas
AP: "Senate passes benefits for vets' caregivers"
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"Packages of Care for Dementia in Low- and Middle-Income Countries"
An article published on November 3, 2009 by Martin Prince and colleagues discusses "Packages of Care for Dementia in Low- and Middle-Income Countries." The authors report that two-thirds of people with dementia in the world live in those countries, where there are few services available, levels of awareness concerning the condition are low, and it is uncommon to seek help in dealing with it. The article reveals the importance of family caregiving across the world, noting that "family care is more important in resource-poor countries, accounting for 56% of costs in low-income countries, 42% in middle-income countries, and 31% in high-income countries." The article is the fifth in a series of articles on mental, neurological and substance-use disorders in low- and middle-income countries published by PLoS Medicine, a peer-reviewed journal published by the Public Library of Science. For more information, visit:
PLoS Medicine
Wales: Option for Reforming Long-Term Care Financing
The Welsh Assembly Government recently released a paper and is seeking public comment on the issue of how to finance long-term care. "Paying for Care in Wales: Creating a Fair and Sustainable System" argues that the current system of paying for care for older and disabled adults is old and outdated and must change to meet changing demographic realities. The paper sets out a number of options for reforming the current system, including the main advantages and disadvantages of each. Citizens have until February to provide input to the government. For more information, visit:
"Paying for Care in Wales"
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The Health Consequences of Caregiving on Boomer Women
The International Longevity Center recently released "Caregiving in America: The Health Consequences on Boomer Women," a brief that reviews the physical and emotional health consequences of providing care to family members and friends. The brief provides statistics that show the negative health, financial and social consequences that women caregivers of the baby boom generation face now and will continue to face as the demand for family caregiving increases with the aging of the population. For more information, visit:
International Longevity Center - USA
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Registration Open for Aging in America Conference 2010, FCA Hosting Sessions at Conference
Registration is now open for the 2010 Annual Conference of the American Society on Aging and the National Council on Aging to be held March 15-19 in Chicago. The National Center on Caregiving (NCC) at Family Caregiver Alliance (FCA) will host a session at the conference called "Making Our Voices Heard: Mobilizing Family Caregivers as Advocates." The session, to be held Monday, March 15 from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m., 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 include 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 Rosalinde Gilbert Innovations in Alzheimer's Disease Caregiving Legacy Awards on Thursday, March 18. Participants do NOT need to sign up for the individual 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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FCA Launches Innovations Clearinghouse on Family Caregiving
The National Center on Caregiving (NCC) at Family Caregiver Alliance (FCA) recently launched the Innovations Clearinghouse on Family Caregiving, an online community promoting professional knowledge around families in their caregiving role. The Clearinghouse offers a diverse array of resources to help policymakers, professionals and family caregivers develop caregiver-friendly legislation or initiatives, implement tried and tested caregiver support programs or services, and access information that can enhance the delivery of quality care. The Clearinghouse is a repository of evidence-based practices, emerging and model programs, state and federal caregiving legislation, policy reports and initiatives, and more. Professionals are encouraged to participate in the online forum and to submit their own programs and reports for inclusion in the Clearinghouse using the online form available on the website. For more information, visit:
Innovations Clearinghouse on Family Caregiving
New York Times Blogs about LGBT Caregivers
On November 16, "City Room," a blog in the New York Times, focused on "help for gay caregivers who look after the elderly." The author noted that "research suggests that gay and lesbian baby boomers are more likely to be caregivers than their heterosexual contemporaries, including siblings." The blog featured SAGE, an organization in New York City that serves LGBT caregivers, and efforts by the federal government to support this population of caregivers. For more information, visit:
New York Times
NPR: "Judith Fox Turns a Close-Up Lens on Alzheimer's"
A story on NPR's Fresh Air on November 19, 2009, featured Judith Fox, a photographer whose new book of photos, I Still Do: Loving and Living with Alzheimer's, is a chronicle of her husband's journey with the disease. In the story, Fox speaks about Alzheimer's disease and about being a caregiver for a decade. For more information, visit:
NPR
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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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