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| Home > Newsletters > Caregiving PolicyDigest > Volume IX, Number 24, December 16, 2009
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| A newsletter of FCA's National Center on Caregiving |
December 16, 2009
Volume IX, Number 24
Happy and Healthy New Year from the staff at FCA!
** Please Note: Due to the holidays, the next issue of Caregiving PolicyDigest will be sent
Wednesday, January 6, 2010.
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IN THIS ISSUE
State Legislation, Policy & Reports
- NCC Releases "Making the Case: Saving Your State's Caregiver Support Programs" More...
- NASUA Releases New Reports on Aging Policy, Practice and the Impact of the Economic Downturn More...
- New Report on Laws Prohibiting Family Responsibilities Discrimination More...
Federal Legislation, Policy & Reports
- Congress Passes Comprehensive Funding Bill, Includes Family Caregiver Support Program More...
- Caregiving Amendment to Health Care Reform Introduced More...
International News
- "China Home to 10 Million Alzheimer's Patients" More...
Research Reports & Journal Articles
- Caregiving in the U.S. 2009 Released More...
Conferences & Trainings
- National Health Policy Conference February 8-9 More...
- Family Caregiver Alliance and National Alliance for Caregiving Host Sessions at 2010 Aging in America Conference March 15 More...
Funding, Media & Miscellaneous
- "Why $75-A-Day Matters to Caregivers" More...
- CMS Releases New Video and Resource Guide on Family Caregiving More...
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NCC Releases "Making the Case: Saving Your State's Caregiver Support Programs"
The National Center on Caregiving (NCC) at Family Caregiver Alliance (FCA) recently released "Making the Case: Saving Your State's Caregiver Support Programs." This paper is intended to help advocates, program administrators, service providers and caregivers fight for their state and local caregiver support programs. It includes background information, statistics, talking points and a list of additional resources to help make the case for maintaining public funding for crucial caregiver support services. For more information, visit:
Family Caregiver Alliance
New Report on Laws Prohibiting Family Responsibilities Discrimination
On December 14, 2009, the Center for WorkLife Law released the first comprehensive nationwide survey of state and local laws that prohibit family responsibilities discrimination. The report reveals that many communities go beyond state and federal statutes in enacting caregiver protections at work. At least 63 local governments in 22 states have passed employment anti-discrimination laws that protect workers with family caregiving responsibilities. The Center for WorkLife Law is housed at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. To read Caregivers as a Protected Class?: The Growth of State and Local Laws Prohibiting Family Responsibilities Discrimination by Stephanie Bornstein and Robert J. Rathmell, visit:
Center for WorkLife Law
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Congress Passes Comprehensive Funding Bill, Includes Family Caregiver Support Program
Both the House of Representatives and the Senate passed an omnibus appropriations bill (H.R. 3288) that will fund the majority of federal agencies, including the Administration on Aging (AoA), through the end of FY 2010. The bill includes a 1.5% increase for Older Americans Act programs, bringing the total AoA budget to $1.52 billion. The National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP) received level funding of $154.2 million, while the Choices for Independence, congregate meals and home-delivered meals programs received small increases. President Obama is expected to sign the bill shortly. For more information, visit:
National Council on Aging
House Appropriations Committee
Caregiving Amendment to Health Care Reform Introduced
As they debate health care reform, senators have proposed a number of amendments to the legislation (H.R. 3590), including some that would impact family caregivers. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) introduced an amendment that would promote information and referral services to family caregivers of Medicare beneficiaries at the point of admission or discharge from a hospital or post-acute care setting in an effort to assist them in locating available community support services. It would also provide for an assessment of the needs of family caregivers of Medicaid beneficiaries eligible for home and community-based services. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) introduced an amendment, similar to her Caring for an Aging America Act (S. 750), which would establish the Geriatric and Gerontology Loan Repayment Program in order to help attract and retain a qualified geriatric workforce. Other amendments are related to the provision of quality care, the direct care workforce and fixing the Medicare doughnut hole. For more information, visit:
Thomas
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"China Home to 10 Million Alzheimer's Patients"
China Daily recently reported that almost 10 million people in China have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, and the number is growing. China has more people with Alzheimer's than any other country, although the rate is similar to that of other developed nations. Experts predict the number of people with Alzheimer's is likely to exceed 26 million by 2040. For more information, visit:
China Daily
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Caregiving in the U.S. 2009 Released
The National Alliance for Caregiving, in collaboration with AARP, recently released Caregiving in the U.S. 2009. Replicating similar studies conducted in 2004 and 1997, this report details the prevalence, implications and costs of caregiving and the demographics of caregivers. According to the data, an estimated 65.7 million people served as an unpaid family caregiver to an adult or child in the previous twelve months. Caregivers tend to be female (66%), are an average age of 48 years old, most often care for a parent (36%), and seven in ten care for someone 50 years and older. For more information, visit:
National Alliance for Caregiving
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National Health Policy Conference February 8-9
The 2010 National Health Policy Conference, hosted by AcademyHealth and Health Affairs, will be February 8-9 in Washington, D.C. Participants will hear experts from government, industry, and academia recap the progress of health care reform at the federal and state levels, its impacts, and the emerging challenges. Breakout sessions will cover innovations in long-term services and supports, health information technology, redesigning the health care workforce, and more. Early registration discounts are available until December 21. For more information, visit:
AcademyHealth
Family Caregiver Alliance and National Alliance for Caregiving Host Sessions at 2010 Aging in America Conference March 15
The National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) and the National Center on Caregiving (NCC) at Family Caregiver Alliance (FCA) are hosting sessions at the 2010 Aging in America Conference focused on mobilizing family caregivers and caregiving coalitions in a climate dominated by economic downtown, health care reform and an aging population. U.S. Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, a leading voice in health care reform and sponsor of the Retooling the Healthcare Workforce for an Aging America Act, will kick off the day's events with a presentation at 9:30 a.m. The sessions will be held Monday, March 15, 2010 at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago. The session hosted by NAC, the "Fourth Annual Conference for Caregiving Coalitions: Have we Turned the Corner? The Economic Downturn and its Impact on Caregiving Coalitions," will be held from 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. The session hosted by FCA, "Making Our Voices Heard: Mobilizing Family Caregivers as Advocates," will be held from 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Aging in America, the annual conference of the American Society on Aging and the National Council on Aging, is being held March 15-19, 2010 in Chicago. Participants are encouraged to sign up for the NAC and FCA sessions, but pre-registration for those sessions is NOT required. All are welcome. To register for the whole conference, visit:
Aging in America
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"Why $75-A-Day Matters to Caregivers"
Howard Gleckman of the Urban Institute wrote a column on December 14, 2009, which argues that a national long-term care insurance program - like the one proposed in the CLASS Act and included in health care reform legislation - would be an important benefit for many caregiving families, even if it provided only $50-$75 a day. Gleckman uses data from the Caregiving in the U.S. 2009 report to make his case that such a benefit could help many employed caregivers remain in the workforce longer and provide assistance and respite to many elderly spousal caregivers. For more information, visit:
Kaiser Health News
CMS Releases New Video and Resource Guide on Family Caregiving
A new video and resource guide on family caregiving were recently featured on Ask Medicare, CMS' website for caregivers. The video tells one family's caregiving story and highlights programs and resources that benefit and enhance caregivers' well-being. To view the video and download the resource guide, visit:
YouTube
"Resources and Benefits for Caregivers"
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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.
To subscribe or unsubscribe to Caregiving PolicyDigest, use the following link: www.caregiver.org/caregiver/jsp/content_node.jsp?nodeid=836
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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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