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STATE LEGISLATION & POLICY
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1. Hawaii editorial on caregiving, LTC legislation
The July 8, 2004 edition of the Honolulu Advertiser includes "Caregivers need a helping hand." Written by the House Majority Floor Leader, the editorial discusses the veto in 2003 of legislation to provide long-term care services to Hawaii's older population. The editorial focuses on the legislation's impact on the state's family caregivers and an overview of active measures in this year's legislative session. View:
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2004/Jul/08/op/op05a.html
2. Maine to award funds for pilot programs under Systems Change
Maine has been awarded a three-year Real Choice Systems Change Grant from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Maine will analyze and test the feasibility of offering cost-effective community options that support individuals with brain injury currently living in facilities and who wish to live in a more integrated setting. As part of the grant, Maine will award funds for the development of various pilot programs. One of the goals of the project is to provide coordination of local, state, and federal resources and to enhance natural community and family supports to promote transition to the most integrated setting possible. Letters of interest are due August 2, 2004. More info:
http://www.state.me.us/dhs/beas/real_choice_det.htm
FEDERAL LEGISLATION & POLICY
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3. Congress begins work on NFCSP funding levels
The House Appropriations subcommittee with jurisdiction over the National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP) has approved funds for fiscal year 2005. Appropriators voted to increase program funding to $163 million (including $6 million for the Native American Caregiver Support Program), an increase of $4 million from fiscal year 2004. The spending measure still needs approval by the full House, the Senate, and the president before taking effect. Action on this measure is expected throughout the summer. More info:
http://tinyurl.com/6gumm
4. AoA awards funds under Alzheimer's disease grants
The U.S. Administration on Aging (AoA) has awarded an additional $6.78 million under the Alzheimer's Disease Demonstration Grants to States (ADDGS) Program. The grants work to improve the responsiveness of home and community-based services to persons with dementia and their caregivers. Twenty-four states were awarded the additional funds. More info:
http://www.aoa.gov/alz/Public/alzabout/news/pr_alz_grants_july2004.asp
RESEARCH & REPORTS
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5. Top 20 list of actions states can take to improve LTC announced by NGA
At the National Governors Association's (NGA's) Annual Meeting in Seattle on July 18, 2004, outgoing NGA Chairman Idaho Gov. Dirk Kemthorne and a bipartisan task force of governors unveiled a Top 20 list of actions state can implement to improve long-term care and support for caregivers. Among them are expanding family and medical leave benefits, and improving the tax treatment of caregiver expenses. View:
http://www.subnet.nga.org/ci/5-top20.html
6. NGA releases issue brief on family caregiving
The National Governors Association (NGA) has made available "State Support for Family Caregivers and Paid Home-Care Workers." Co-authored by Lynn Friss Feinberg of the National Center on Caregiving at Family Caregiver Alliance, the issue brief explores the demands on family caregivers, identifies state strategies to assist and support family caregivers and addresses the role of paid home-care workers in home and community-based care. Download:
http://www.subnet.nga.org/ci/4-caregivers.html
7. Issue brief on the workplace and chronic conditions
The Center on an Aging Society at Georgetown University has made available "Workers Affected by Chronic Conditions: How Can Workplace Policies and Programs Help?" The issue brief examines the critical ways in which workers are affected by chronic conditions - their own conditions and the need to care for family members with chronic conditions. Workers who are able to balance work and family responsibilities through use of flexible work policies have higher job satisfaction. Employers, in turn, are able to achieve cost savings through increased productivity and employee retention. Download:
http://ihcrp.georgetown.edu/agingsociety/pubhtml/workplace/workplace.html
JOURNAL ARTICLES
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8. Preventive clinical services for family caregivers
The August 2004 edition of the Journal of General Internal Medicine includes "Quality of preventive clinical services among caregivers in the health and retirement study." Researchers found that "there were no significant associations between spousal caregiving and likelihood of caregiver receipt of preventive services." Abstract:
http://tinyurl.com/62b85
9. Experiences of Asian-American caregivers
The September 2004 edition of the Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology includes "Barriers to and unmet needs for supportive services: experiences of Asian-American caregivers." According to researchers "the service needs that caregivers most frequently reported as unmet were adult day care, meal services, and personal care. Results from a negative binomial regression analysis showed that elderly persons' chronic conditions, caregivers' educational attainment, and levels of informal assistance were significantly related to unmet service needs." Abstract:
http://www.kluweronline.com/issn/0169-3816/
CONFERENCES & TRAININGS
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10. VHA caregiver forum call for presentations
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) will host its second annual meeting focused on care coordination and the role of the family caregivers in Washington, D.C., November 16 - 18, 2004. The Office of Care Coordination is seeking proposals for poster presentations to be included in the program focusing on the following areas: caregiver assessment; caregiver education; innovative caregiver-focused programs; technology and caregiving; care coordination and caregiving case studies; respite care programs; and research and caregiving. Proposals are due August 15, 2004. More info:
http://www.va.gov/occ/Conferences.asp
11. National Indian Council on Aging conference
The National Indian Council on Aging conference will be held August 28 - 30, 2004 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. More than 1,500 elders, caregivers, service providers and tribal leaders are expected to attend. Workshops will include a focus on Indian caregiver programs. More info:
http://www.nicoa.org/conference.html
FUNDING, MEDIA & MISCELLANEOUS
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12. ASA hosts web events on family caregiving
The American Society on Aging (ASA) will present two free web events to address the issue of family caregiving. The first, Policy Trends to Support Family Caregivers, will be held September 14, 2004, 10 a.m. (Pacific Time). A web seminar, "Family Caregiving: Current Challenges for a Time-Honored Practice", will be held September 21, 2004, 10 a.m. (Pacific Time). Kathleen Kelly, Executive Director of Family Caregiver Alliance, will present at both events. More info:
http://www.asaging.org/webseminars/websem.cfm?EventID=11043
13. Mercury-News article on workplace eldercare programs
The June 15, 2004 edition of the San Jose Mercury News and the Monterey Herald website include "Elder Care Coverage: Employees Care for Relatives." The article indicates that workers who care for elderly parents also struggle with practical and emotional issues that can affect their work. And as the population ages, more workers will fall into that group. Included are a range of examples of workplace programs and benefits. View:
http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/business/9160040.htm
14. "Family Conversations with Older Drivers"
This guide provides information to help families initiate productive and caring conversations with older adults about driving safety, as well as practical information to help them advise loved ones on whether it is time to limit or give up driving. Suggestions are based on research with drivers over the age of 50, including a nationally representative survey; focus groups with older adults who have modified their driving; and interviews with family caregivers of persons with dementia. Download:
http://www.thehartford.com/talkwitholderdrivers/
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For questions or further information about Family Caregiver Alliance's National Center on Caregiving, contact us at PolicyDigest@caregiver.org.
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Caregiving PolicyDigest is a publication of the National Center on Caregiving, a program of Family Caregiver Alliance. The Digest is funded by the Archstone Foundation.
©2004 Family Caregiver Alliance
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