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| Home > Newsletters > Caregiving PolicyDigest > Volume X, Number 18, October 6, 2010
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©Family Caregiver Alliance
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| A newsletter of FCA's National Center on Caregiving |
October 6, 2010
Volume X, Number 18
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IN THIS ISSUE
State Legislation, Policy & Reports
- Health IT Gives Consumers Choice More...
Federal Legislation, Policy & Reports
- Medicare Might Wait To Be Fixed Until After Elections More...
- Military Family-Friendly Employers Award More...
International News
- Children Forgotten In Dementia Care More...
- Thinking Outside-the-Box Finds Creative Approach To Dementia Crisis More...
- Urban Area Chinese Haunted By Suicide More...
- The Cost Of Dementia Care More...
Research Reports & Journal Articles
- Researchers Discover Genetic Risk Increasing Late-Onset Alzheimer's More...
- Vitamin D "Cause Or Consequence" Of Depression? More...
Conferences & Trainings
- National Caregivers Conference More...
- Traumatic Brain Injury Conference More...
- 2010 National Respite Conference More...
- 5th Annual Southern Maryland Dementia Care Conference More...
- Conference On Methodological Challenges In Comparative Effectiveness Research More...
Funding, Media & Miscellaneous
- Mediation Eases Tensions Over Parent Care More...
- $68 Million In Grants Align With The Needs Of Seniors And Individuals With Disabilities More...
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Health IT Gives Consumers Choice
In a statewide development Health IT, is using technology to provide a user friendly, consumer-driven interoperable system to facilitate inclusion by consumers into health coverage or other human services programs. Health IT will be important for caregivers or others wanting to more closely monitor the best health care options in their community, making the health care system more transparent. Under the health reform law, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has the power to implement Health IT enrollment standards in the states. Stacy Dean, Director at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, stated that consumer usability recommendations are aimed at making consumers "a partner" in the eligibility process, giving consumers control over what benefits they wish to pursue. For more information, visit:
iHealthBeat
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Medicare Might Wait To Be Fixed Until After Elections
Congress may delay a 23% cut in Medicare reimbursement until after the elections. According to policy experts in organized medicine, there is a "reimbursement crisis." All the work required surrounds the sustainable growth rate (SGR), a Medicare formula used to determine physician reimbursement. The formula sets an annual target for Medicare spending and when that target is exceeded Medicare is to decrease physician reimbursement to recoup the difference. Organized medicine supporters argue, physicians practice expenses have risen at a faster rate than the gross domestic product and want the formula replaced by one that measures inflation. An anonymous Washington source stated that, "given the economy, the budget, politics and people, and not seeing a permanent fix possible, it would be hard to come up with several billion dollars." For more information, visit:
Medscape
Military Family-Friendly Employers Award
Senators Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) and Michael Crapo (R-ID) introduced S 3811on September 21, to establish the Military Family-Friendly Employer Award for employers who establish workplace policies to assist the working spouses and caregivers of service members, and also employers addressing family and home needs during deployment. For more information, visit:
THOMAS
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Children Forgotten In Dementia Care
Canadian experts urge openness with children when it comes to dementia because children may blame themselves or worry the disease will be their future. At age 14, David Greene drove with his father to make sure he didn't run stop signs. Then the day came when his father was no longer "there," and David was seen a stranger. Taylor, a 12 year old who fundraised for the Alzheimer's Society was worried about getting dementia and asked to be tested. Children and teenagers have stood in the background of families caring for a loved one. As Canadians marry and have children later, the number of youth confronted with dementia is expected to grow. "We need to be open with our children," says Marg Eisner, program director for the Alzheimer's Society in Hamilton, suggesting that through education, children will have a "scientific explanation," as to why their grandmother is saying mean things, but not meaning it. For more information, visit:
The Globe and Mail
Thinking Outside-the-Box Finds Creative Approach To Dementia Crisis
A recent article in the Globe and Mail discussed Canada's efforts to address dementia. A focus identifying the person behind the dementia, to circumvent their deficits. By searching for a proven, innovative and non-pharmacological intervention, the country takes a step closer to formulating a national plan. Canada turned to the Montessori principle, created by the Italian physician and educator, Maria Montessori. She believed adapting the environment to suit the needs of children could relieve boredom and encourage a higher level of independence and social engagement. Cameron Camp, an American psychologist and researcher, discovered that the Montessori's philosophy could be adapted to dementia by also using environmental cues. The Centre for Studies in Aging at McMaster University discovered that boredom is one of the triggers for dementia. For more information, visit:
The Mail and Globe
Urban Area Chinese Haunted By Suicide
Bernama News in Beijing reports an increase in suicides because of an increase in the age of China's population, rising medical costs, and added hardship on the elderly migrant workers relocating to urban areas. Many of China's urban residents were moved out in their senior years as China pushed for modernization of its cities. Leaving the elderly population in unfamiliar urban communities alone at a vulnerable age created a wider gap in the distance from their families, said Jing Jun, professor from the Department of Sociology at Tsinghua University. China at this time is also highlighting children's filial obligation to care for their elderly parents, which is made more difficult when parents are moved further away. For more information, visit:
Bernama.com
The Cost Of Dementia Care
According to the newly released World Alzheimer Report 2010: The Global Economic Impact of Dementia from Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI) dementia care would be the world's largest company by annual revenue, exceeding Wal-Mart (414 billion) or Exxon (311 billion). The total worldwide cost is 604 billion in 2010, and 1% of the world's gross domestic product (GDP). If dementia were a country, it would be ranked the 18th largest economy. ADI, a non-profit based in London, is a federation of 73 national Alzheimer's organizations, including the US Alzheimer's Association. By 2030, worldwide societal costs will increase by 85%, and this could be a conservative projection. The report details where these care costs are attributed. The report also comments on where the US government is headed with its already overburdened healthcare system. For more information, visit:
Health Informer
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Researchers Discover Genetic Risk
A team of researchers identified a gene that appears to increase the risk of developing late-onset Alzheimer's disease. The gene is abbreviated as MTHFD1L, on chromosome six. The importance of this gene is that it is known to influence the body's levels of homocysteine, and those higher levels of homocysteine are the risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's, said Dr. Pericak-Vance, Director of the John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Researchers found differences in variations of the genetic sequence of MTHFD1L between people with and without Alzheimer's, and it offers a unique insight. The details are published in the September issue of PLoS Genetics. For more information, visit:
EurekAlert
Vitamin D "Cause or Consequence" Of Depression?
Robert Stewart, MD, of Kings College London, and Vasant Hirani, MSc, of University College London, United Kingdom, report in the September issue of Psychosomatic Medicine that "vitamin D deficiency has been investigated in relationship to mental disorders in younger adults, but little research has been done in older adults, despite the higher potential impact." Further, "it is possible that depressive states were a cause, rather than a consequence, of vitamin D deficiency." Proving causality could be reaching, but sufficient evidence comes from this survey to begin a clinical trail on the effects of vitamin D supplementation on depression risk. For more information, visit:
Medscape Medical News
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National Caregivers Conference, October 26, 2010
The Family Support Center of New Jersey is sponsoring this conference, which will concentrate on the critical importance of caregivers and the advances technology is having on caregiving. Caregivers will gain information on easily accessible, cost effective supports to all populations, regardless of age or disability.The conference is held at the Renaissance Woodbridge Hotel located on 515 Highway 1 South, Iselin, NJ 08830. For more information, visit:
Technology: The Future Of Caregiving
Traumatic Brain Injury Conference, November 2nd and 3rd, 2010
Presented by Brain Injury Services, Inc., Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center
and the National Resource Center for TBI and will be held at the College of William & Mary, 301 Monticello Avenue, Williamsburg, VA 23185
This two-day workshop will explore the impact of brain injury on family systems and will provide detailed information for counselors and others on how to screen clients and integrate modified treatment strategies to work effectively with survivors and their families. For more information visit:
TBI
2010 National Lifespan Respite Conference, October 24th and 27th, 2010
The Maryland Respite Care Coalition in partnership with the ARCH National Respite Network will host the National Respite Conference at the Sheraton Baltimore City Center Hotel in Baltimore, MD. The theme is RESPITE: Create It!! and is a call for advocates and professionals to showcase the many creative ways in which Respite Care is delivered throughout the nation.
This conference is intended for everyone who supports family members and caregivers of individuals across the Lifespan. This is an especially exciting year as the new federally funded Lifespan Respite States and the 20th Anniversary of ARCH are celebrated. For more information, visit:
Maryland Respite Care Coalition
5th Annual Southern Maryland Dementia Care Conference, November 3, 2010
This conference is intended for Caregivers, professionals in aging and related services, and volunteers working with older adults. The conference is held at the Greater Waldorf Jaycees Community Center, located at 3090 Crain Highway, Waldorf, MD 20601
Topics include: Grieving the Loss of a Loved One, Sensory Stimulation: What it is and how to use it as an Activity Intervention for Persons with dementia, Caring for the Caregiver: One Day at a Time, Exercise and Alzheimer's - Keep 'Em Moving; Keep 'Em Safe, Depression and Alzheimer's Disease. For more information, visit:
Alzheimer's Association
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Conference on Methodological Challenges in Comparative Effectiveness Research,
December 2nd and 3rd, 2010
The National Institutes of Health and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality are co-sponsoring a conference on Methodological Challenges in Comparative Effectiveness Research. The conference objectives are: A Family Perspective; Targeted Family Intervention Theories Identification, Assessment & Intervention; Complex Families: Ethical Therapeutic Intervention. Held at the Masur Auditorium, Building 10 (Clinical Center) National Institutes of Health 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.For more information, visit:
The Hill Group
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Mediation Eases Tensions Over Parent Care
AARP Bulletin magazine features an article about elder mediation becoming a trend. When siblings disagree about care for a parent, it could mean it's time for an objective party to help guide discussions, as in the case with Ella Bayliss who moved from her home because of Alzheimer's, to an assisted living facility. Of her four daughters none could agree on where their mother should go or if she should stay in her home. One daughter lived in another state and deferred to the decisions of her three siblings. One of the sisters didn't like the assisted living facility where their mother was moved. One sister believed she was in the best position to make decisions because she lived nearby and was the one taking their mother to doctor's appointments or to the emergency room at 2 a.m. At an unpleasant impasse, the family turned to elder mediation. For more information, visit:
AARP
$68 Million In Grants Align With The Needs Of Seniors And Individuals With Disabilities
Funds provided through the Affordable Care Act provide programs for grantees to administer support to seniors, individuals with disabilities, and their caregivers.There are four main areas of support for consumers. One is to make it easier to manage Medicare and Medicaid benefits, another is designed to navigate options for long-term care including community-based resources, a third would strengthen the Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRC's) counseling options, and the fourth offers consumers assistance when transitioning from nursing or rehabilitation facilities. States, territories, tribal and community-based organizations are eligible for these grants, however, not all states are eligible for all programs. For more information, visit:
HHS.gov
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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
?2010 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 900, San Francisco, CA 94104.
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