The Technical Assistance Centers are a partnership between
Family Caregiver Alliance
and the ARCH National Respite Network and Resource Center.
The Centers provide technical assistance to the Aging and Lifespan Respite Networks on
caregiver and lifespan respite program development.
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Volume II, Number 2
November 23,
2010 |
Give Us Your
Feedback
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You can further shape the content of the Newsletter and the activities of the Technical Assistance Centers by
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FCA's on Facebook. Get
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In the Spotlight
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November is National Family Caregivers Month!
Join AoA in Celebrating Family Caregivers
A kickoff
celebration was held in Washington, DC on November 17th in celebration of the tenth anniversary of the National
Family Caregiver Support Program.
For the past ten years, the National Family Caregiver Support
Program, funded through the Older Americans Act Title III-E, has brought much needed services to family caregivers as they navigate the world of care
providing. In recognition of the vital role of caregivers, the Administration on Aging has created a new website that celebrates caregivers by providing
an opportunity for them to submit written and/or video testimonials. The website also provides tips on how programs can join in on this yearlong
celebration by hosting an event honoring family caregivers and posting events on the online calendar.
For more information, visit: Administration on Aging.
Read program featured remarks from HHS Secretary Kathleen
Sebelius.
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Upcoming Events
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To
see the full description of the event, click on the date.
November
2010
November 19-23: Gerontological Society
of America Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA.
December 2010
December 7: Webinar: Caregiving 101:
Exploring the Complexities of Family Caregiving.
January 2011
January 12: California Working Families
Policy Summit, Sacramento, CA.
April 2011
April 26-30: 2011 Aging in America, San
Francisco, CA.
May 2011
May 15-17: 2011 Alzheimer's Action
Summit, Washington, DC.
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Research & Practice
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New Booklet Explores Three Types of Frontotemporal Dementia
The National Institute on Aging recently published a free booklet "Frontotemporal Disorder: Information for Patients, Families and
Caregivers." Read more...
New National Resource Center on LGBT Aging
Established through a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration on Aging, the National Resource Center on
Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Aging was recently launched to assist professionals and older LGBT adults in accessing current information
pertaining to the LGBT community. Read more...
Reducing the Stress of Hospitalization for Patients with Dementia
The United Hospital Fund's Next Step in Care recently published "Reducing the Stress of Hospitalization for Patients with Dementia and
Their Family Caregivers: A Providers Guide." Read more...
Study Examines Differences in How Siblings Serve as
Caregivers
A recent report, "Providing for Older Parents: Is it a Family Affair?" examined differences in how siblings provide care for their parents.
Using a 50-year longitudinal study of 10,317 men and women who graduated from Wisconsin high schools in 1957, the report analyzed whether parents received
caregiving assistance and if so, which children provided the in-home care. Read more...
The National Institute on Aging Seeks Individuals Who Are Experiencing Early Stages of Mild Cognitive Impairment
for Their Study "Imagine a World Without Alzheimer's"
ADNI GO, a landmark research study sponsored by the National Institute on Aging at the National
Institutes of Health is examining the sequence and timing of events at the initial onset of mild cognitive symptoms and may help scientists to better
identify who is at risk for Alzheimer's Disease, as well as the effectiveness of potential prevention and treatment strategies. Read more...
FCA Blogs!
Executive Director, Kathleen Kelly, and dedicated FCA staff writers explore numerous topics in their blogs that
cover a range of issues and current trends in caregiving. Join the discussion and post a comment
of your own.
Give Us Your Feedback You can further shape
the content of the Newsletter and the activities of the Technical Assistance Centers by telling us about your areas of interest. Please respond to our
brief questionnaire here.
Innovations Clearinghouse on Family Caregiving
For additional research based information and informed practices, visit FCA's Innovations Clearinghouse/Online
Technical Assistance Center. Search the Clearinghouse to identify best practices, specific tools and policy & advocacy efforts; connect with fellow
professionals from the aging networks; and request specialized technical assistance.
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Lifespan Respite News
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2010 National Respite Conference is Huge Success!
(Fourth in a continuing series)
On October 24-27, the 2010 National Lifespan Respite Conference was held in Baltimore, MD. The Conference was attended
by more than 400 people from nearly every state. The conference was hosted by the all-volunteer run Maryland Respite Care Coalition in partnership with
ARCH and other member state respite coalitions. ARCH celebrated its 20th Anniversary at the opening reception. Read more...
ARCH Lifespan Respite Training and TA Center to Host State
Lifespan Respite Summits in 2011
ARCH is now soliciting applications from collaborative partnerships of
state government agencies, state respite coalitions/organizations, and Aging and Disability Resource Centers to hold statewide Lifespan Respite Summits in
states that do not yet have a federal Lifespan Respite Grant. The purpose of the summit is to bring together diverse public and private groups and family
caregivers with similar respite interests to learn about the federal Lifespan Respite program, states' best practices, building state respite coalitions,
and to help assist the state in planning its own Lifespan Respite system. Read more...
GAO Lifespan Respite Report Released
On October 22, the Government Accounting Office released a report to Congress on the Lifespan Respite Care Program mandated by the Lifespan
Respite Care Act of 2006. Since the program is relatively new, GAO could not carry out the cost benefit analysis required by the legislation, but they did
prepare a descriptive summary of current state Lifespan Respite grantee activities. To conduct its required audit, GAO interviewed officials from AOA and
reviewed related documentation including grant applications, notice of awards, grantee work plans, and semi-annual progress reports. The ARCH program
director was also interviewed to obtain background information on respite care and information about the National Resource Center on Lifespan Respite
Care. Read more...
Save the Date!
The 2011 National Lifespan Respite Conference will be held in
Phoenix, AZ, November 2-4, 2011. The event will be hosted by the AZ Caregiver Coalition and the AZ Lifespan Respite Care Network in partnership with the
ARCH National Respite Network and the National Respite Coalition. The theme for the conference is The Many Faces of Respite, celebrating culture and
diversity. Stay tuned for more information. Read
more...
For everyone--Twitter @archrespite
Give ARCH your Feedback
We Need Your Input! The AoA funded Lifespan Respite Training and Technical Assistance Project of the ARCH
National Respite Network and Resource Center would greatly appreciate your input in planning its training and TA activities. Please take a moment to
respond to our online questionnaire by clicking here.
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Family Caregiver Alliance | National Center on Caregiving
180 Montgomery Street, Suite 900
San
Francisco, CA 94104
(800) 445-8106
www.caregiver.org
ARCH National Respite Network and Resource Center
4016 Oxford Street
Annandale, VA 22003
(703) 256-2084
www.archrespite.org
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This project is supported, in part, under a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Aging. Grantees
undertaking projects under government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. These contents, however, do not
necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and endorsement by the Federal Government should not be assumed. ?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, visit the Family Caregiver Alliance website at www.caregiver.org.
To subscribe or unsubscribe to the Newsletter of the Technical Assistance Centers, use the following link:
www.caregiver.org/caregiver/jsp/content_node.jsp?nodeid=2366
Or, contact Family Caregiver Alliance using our toll-free phone number: (800) 445-8106
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.
The Newsletter of the Technical Assistance
Centers 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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In the Spotlight
November is National Family Caregivers Month!
Join AoA in Celebrating Family Caregivers
A kickoff celebration was held in Washington, DC on November 17th in celebration of the tenth anniversary of the National Family Caregiver Support
Program.
For the past ten years, the National Family Caregiver Support Program, funded through the Older Americans Act Title III-E, has brought much needed
services to family caregivers as they navigate the world of care providing. In recognition of the vital role of caregivers, the Administration on Aging
has created a new website that celebrates caregivers by providing an opportunity for them to submit written and/or video testimonials. The website also
provides tips on how programs can join in on this yearlong celebration by hosting an event honoring family caregivers and posting events on the online
calendar.
For more information, visit: Administration on Aging.
Read program featured remarks from HHS Secretary Kathleen
Sebelius.
Upcoming Events
Gerontological Society of America Annual Conference
November 19-23, 2010
GSA's Annual Scientific Meeting, "Transitions of Care Across the Aging Continuum," will be held November 19-23 in New Orleans, Louisiana this year. The
event attracts international attention and is attended by gerontologists from around the world.
For more information, visit: Gerontological Society of America Annual
Conference.
Webinar: "Caregiving 101: Exploring the Complexities of Family Caregiving"
December 7, 2010
Participants attending the webinar will gain a better understanding of the challenges and benefits facing family caregivers. The webinar will
offer insight on the characteristics of family caregivers, contributing factors to caregiver stress, emerging issues and barriers that affect family
caregivers and the importance of validating the family caregiver experience. This webinar is useful for staff and volunteers who are interested in gaining
a broad understanding of what it means to be a family caregiver. Presenter: Donna Schempp, LCSW
To RSVP, visit: Caregiving 101: Exploring the Complexities of Family
Caregiving.
Save the Date: California Working Families Policy Summit
January 12, 2011
Join the California Center for Research on Women & Families for the 2011 California Working Families Policy Summit which will be held on Wednesday,
January 12, at the Sacramento Convention Center.
At the start of a new legislative session with a new governor, the Summit will feature California's leading advocates who will present their
legislative priorities for working families. Issues to be addressed include health care, welfare, nutrition, child care, work/life balance and more.
For more information, visit: California Center for Research on Women &
Families.
Save the Date: 2011 Aging in America
April 26-30, 2011
The annual conference of the American Society on Aging (ASA) is being held in San Francisco, California during April 26 - 30, 2011. The conference
attracts professionals from diverse disciplines and provides an opportunity for attendees to learn about current trends within the field of aging. Family
Caregiver Alliance (FCA) and the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation will be hosting a reception at the conference on Thursday April 28th at 5:30 p.m.
to honor the winners of the third annual Rosalinde Gilbert Innovations in Alzheimer's Disease Caregiving Legacy Awards.
For more information, visit: American Society on Aging.
Save the date: 2011 Alzheimer's Action Summit
May 15-17, 2011
The Alzheimer's Association Alzheimer's Action Summit is being held in Washington, D.C. next year. The summit is in an informative event to learn about
Alzheimer's disease, networking opportunities, and create dialogue about this important issue. The conference also attracts professionals from diverse
disciplines who are interested in learning about advocacy efforts.
For more information, visit: Alzheimer's Association.
Research and Practice
New Booklet Explores Three Types of Frontotemporal Dementia
The National Institute on Aging recently published a free booklet "Frontotemporal Disorder: Information for Patients, Families and Caregivers."
Overviews of the three types of frontotemporal diagnoses are discussed including information regarding common symptoms, treatment plans and disease
management. While frontotemporal dementia can be devastating on an individual's life and loved ones, this booklet offers solace to family members and
caregivers by providing practical advice and valuable resources.
For more information, visit: National Institute on Aging.
New National Resource Center on LGBT Aging
Established through a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration on Aging, the National Resource Center on
Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Aging was recently launched to assist professionals and older LGBT adults in accessing current information
pertaining to the LGBT community. The resource center, a project of Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders, provides visitors access to timely publications
regarding the aging community, program directories of state and local resources, educational trainings, multimedia resources, technical assistance, email
alerts and much more.
For more information, visit: National Resource Center on LGBT Aging.
Reducing the Stress of Hospitalization for Patients with Dementia
The United Hospital Fund's Next Step in Care recently published "Reducing the Stress of Hospitalization for Patients with Dementia and Their
Family Caregivers: A Providers Guide." Next Step in Care is a national campaign that aims to engage medical and long term care facilities, home
health agencies, and patient advocacy groups in addressing transition-related issues. Health care professionals will gain insight on how to build trust
and reduce anxiety levels among family caregivers and their patients with dementia.
For more information, visit: Next Step in
Care.
Study Examines Differences in how Siblings Serve as Caregivers
A recent report, "Providing for Older Parents: Is it a Family Affair?" examined differences in how siblings provide care for their parents. Using a
50-year longitudinal study of 10,317 men and women who graduated from Wisconsin high schools in 1957, the report analyzed whether parents received
caregiving assistance and if so, which children provided the in-home care. The odds of one child assisting the parents (as compared to no children
assisting) increased by 30 percent when one of the offspring was female. Parents with two sons (but no daughters) were least likely to receive caregiving
assistance.
For more information, visit: California Center for
Population Research.
The National Institute on Aging Seeks Individuals Who Are Experiencing Early Stages of Mild Cognitive Impairment for Their Study "Imagine a World
Without Alzheimer's"
ADNI GO, a landmark research study sponsored by the National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health is examining the sequence and
timing of events at the initial onset of mild cognitive symptoms and may help scientists to better identify who is at risk for Alzheimer's Disease, as
well as the effectiveness of potential prevention and treatment strategies. Specifically, researchers seek volunteers between the ages of 55 and 90 years
old who may be transitioning from normal cognitive aging to an early stage of mild cognitive impairment, a condition that may progress to Alzheimer's
disease. This two-year, 24 million-dollar study focuses for the first time on people experiencing the very earliest complaints of memory problems that
affect their daily activities. Several nationwide clinical research sites are taking part in the ADNI GO study and are looking for participants.
For more information, visit: ADNI.
FCA Blogs!
Executive Director, Kathleen Kelly, and dedicated FCA staff writers explore numerous topics in their blogs that cover a range of issues and current
trends in caregiving. Join in on the discussion or post a
comment of your own.
Give Us Your Feedback
You can further shape the content of the Newsletter and the activities of the Technical Assistance Centers by telling us about your areas of interest.
Please respond to our brief questionnaire here.
Innovations Clearinghouse on Family Caregiving
For additional research based information and informed practices, visit FCA's Innovations Clearinghouse/Online Technical Assistance Center. Search the Clearinghouse to identify best practices, specific
tools and policy & advocacy efforts; connect with fellow professionals from the aging networks; and request specialized technical assistance.
Lifespan Respite News
2010 National Respite Conference is Huge Success!
On October 24-27, the 2010 National Lifespan Respite Conference was held in Baltimore, MD. The Conference was attended by more than 400 people from
nearly every state. The conference was hosted by the all-volunteer run Maryland Respite Care Coalition in partnership with ARCH and other member state
respite coalitions. ARCH celebrated its 20th Anniversary at the opening reception.
Over 60 workshops were held on respite innovation and best practices, safety issues in respite, and respite for special populations, including foster
and adopted children, at-risk children, teens with developmental disabilities, and grandparents and other relatives. Congregate programs for individuals
with dementia, early stage social clubs, camping as respite, and intergenerational respite approaches were highlighted as well. Several volunteer respite
models using faith-based communities, university students, and the TimeBanks method in Rhode Island were presented. A presentation on Nancy's House in
Philadelphia assisted participants with understanding respite as focused exclusively on caregiver health and wellness. A family caregiver track, with
presentations by family caregivers themselves, included presentations on maintaining mental health, how to provide care within difficult familial
relationships, how respite needs change over time, long-distance caregiving, issues for sibling caregivers, and the male caregiver, including the
presentation of a new research study on the African-American male caregiver. Several workshops addressed respite marketing and public awareness, focusing
on how to increase family caregiver use of respite.
In a special workshop, Mary Jo Alimena Caruso, Chair of the Pennsylvania Respite Coalition, and Guy Caruso with the Institute on Disabilities, Temple
University, used the principles of Social Role Valorization by Dr. Wolf Wolfensberger to raise awareness of how social stigma, labels, and life
experiences affect and shape the quality of respite care for everyone involved. They explored respite service models to examine if the respite received =
the respite needed and desired. The ten themes of Social-Role Valorization (SRV) were used to illustrate how to give or receive respite care in a manner
that is meaningful and responsive. In another, Maggie Edgar from ARCH presented the latest information on global respite initiatives and perspectives from
the International Respite Conference held last June in Galway, Ireland. We were privileged to hear from Sheila Marcelo, CEO of Care.com, about the latest
web-based technology to assist family caregivers in finding respite.
Federal respite initiatives were highlighted including presentations by Greg Link from the Administration on Aging and Lifespan Respite grantees from
Arizona, Illinois, North Carolina, and Texas. Several workshops presented by staff from the US Department of Veterans Affairs, including Heather
Mahoney-Gleason, Daniel Schoeps, Sarah Hyduke and Laura Balun, focused on the respite needs of veterans and discussed a myriad of new caregiving and
respite initiatives for veterans and their family caregivers. Kathy Kelly, Executive Director of the Family Caregiver Alliance did a presentation on the
latest national family caregiving policy issues, including provisions in health care reform that will directly affect family caregivers and the new
Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act, both signed into law in early 2010.
The plenary sessions were especially moving and motivating at the same time. Of special note, keynote speaker Judith Fox, an award-winning photographer
from Southern California, shared her long journey as the caregiver of her husband who had Alzheimer's. Fox's award-winning photographs are in the
permanent collections of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), the Museum of Photographic Arts (MoPA) and the Harry Ransom Center in Austin, as
well as private and corporate collections throughout the United States and Europe. Fox has been featured in dozens of newspaper and magazine articles and
interviewed on numerous television and radio shows, including Terry Gross' NPR show "Fresh Air." She shared photos from her book, "I Still Do: Loving and
Living with Alzheimer's," which was named "one of the best books of 2009" by Photo-Eye Magazine.
Another keynote was presented by the Rev. Earl E. Shelp, Ph.D., President, Interfaith CarePartners, Inc. Rev. Shelp is a scholar in the disciplines of
medical ethics, theological ethics, and pastoral theology. In 1988, he co-founded and began service as President of Interfaith CarePartners, which
received, among other seven national awards for program excellence and record of service, a President's Service Award. With his colleague Dr. Ron
Sunderland, Dr. Shelp created the Care Team model of congregation-based volunteer caregiving in 1985. From 1986 to June 2009, Care Team members gave 1.75
million hours of volunteer service in the program.
Vincent DeMarco, the President of the Maryland Citizen's Health Initiative, a coalition of over 1000 organizations seeking to insure quality,
affordable health care for all Marylanders, provided a rousing call to advocacy. Conference participants were also privileged to hear from Michael Marcus,
Program Director for Older Adults of the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, on "Funding Initiatives Across the Lifespan." He also shared information
about the Weinberg Foundation's Family and Informal Caregiver Support Programs initiative in 14 sites. These program are undergoing rigorous evaluation.
For a brief description of the projects, please visit the Caregiver Program website.
Among the most moving plenary sessions of the conference was a panel of two college students who shared their personal experiences of being raised by
their grandparents. Monica Olsson, currently a senior at the University of Washington, participated as a panelist with a young man who was raised by his
grandmother, along with his social worker, Robert Matthews. The panelists received a standing ovation at the end of their presentation and many ranked it
as one of the highlights of the 3-day conference. Monica showed a 6-minute video written, directed, and filmed by her when she was a high school student.
The video, It Takes a Village, tells her story of how she and her twin sister were raised by her maternal grandparents. In the short video, she not
only interviews her grandparents, but also conducts an amazing interview with her mother who couldn't face the challenges of raising twins with physical
disabilities.
Cindy R. Padilla, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary on Aging, Administration on Aging, US Department of Health and Human Services, provided a
heartfelt closing keynote. She shared her personal caregiving experiences as a moving tribute to the nation's family caregivers. Reiterating AoA's
commitment to family caregiving, she discussed the importance of respite to the nation's long-term care system and the health and well-being of the
nation's caregivers.
For conference highlights and selected PPT breakout session presentations, see the ARCH website.
ARCH Lifespan Respite Training and TA Center to Host State Lifespan Respite Summits in 2011
ARCH is now soliciting applications from collaborative partnerships of state government agencies, state respite coalitions/organizations, and Aging and
Disability Resource Centers to hold statewide Lifespan Respite Summits in states that do not yet have a federal Lifespan Respite Grant. The purpose of the
summit is to bring together diverse public and private groups and family caregivers with similar respite interests to learn about the federal Lifespan
Respite program, states' best practices, building state respite coalitions, and to help assist the state in planning its own Lifespan Respite system. Only
four states will be selected for grants up to $1700 and Summits will be expected to take place from January 2010 through March 18, 2011. For more
information or to download an application, visit the TA Center or contact Jill Kagan, ARCH Program Director, at jbkagan@verizon.net or by phone at (703) 256-2084.
GAO Lifespan Respite Report Released
On October 22, the Government Accounting Office released a report to Congress on the Lifespan Respite Care Program mandated by the Lifespan Respite
Care Act of 2006. Since the program is relatively new, GAO could not carry out the cost benefit analysis required by the legislation, but they did prepare
a descriptive summary of current state Lifespan Respite grantee activities. To conduct its required audit, GAO interviewed officials from AOA and reviewed
related documentation including grant applications, notice of awards, grantee work plans, and semi-annual progress reports. The ARCH program director was
also interviewed to obtain background information on respite care and information about the National Resource Center on Lifespan Respite Care. The report
includes a supportive statement from the Administration on Aging. For the full report, Respite Care: Grants and Cooperative Agreements Awarded to
Implement the Lifespan Respite Care Act. GAO-11-28R, October 22, click here.
For Everyone—Join ARCH on Facebook and on Twitter @archrespite.
Save the Date!
The 2011 National Lifespan Respite Conference will be held in Phoenix, AZ, November 2-4, 2011. The event will be hosted by the AZ Caregiver Coalition
and the AZ Lifespan Respite Care Network in partnership with the ARCH National Respite Network and the National Respite Coalition. The theme for the
conference is The Many Faces of Respite, celebrating culture and diversity. Stay tuned for more information.
© 2010 Family Caregiver
Alliance. All Rights
Reserved. No portion of this newsletter may be reproduced without the express permission of
Family Caregiver
Alliance.
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