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STATE LEGISLATION & POLICY
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1. California completes Olmstead plan
The state of California has completed work on the 2003 Olmstead plan and submitted it to the state legislature. It details the steps needed to achieve a system that would provide services in the most integrated setting appropriate for persons with disabilities. The report also includes steps taken to solicit feedback from caregivers, as well as the role that caregivers play in the successful implementation of the Supreme Court's Olmstead decision. Read the report:
http://www.chhs.ca.gov/olmstead.html
2. Minnesota updates caregiver website
Minnesota has updated caregiver information available on the Internet. The updated site is a service of DARTS (Dakota Area Resources and Transportation for Seniors), a nonprofit organization that provides professionally coordinated in-home and transit services to seniors and their families. DARTS also provides caregiver support groups, education sessions, volunteer respite care, information and assistance and care management. View the new site: http://www.caregivermn.org/HomePage.asp
3. Iowa enacts bill to assist caregivers
The Iowa General Assembly has approved H.F. 386, which amends the Older Iowans Act. Among other measures, the legislation recognizes the need to support family caregivers within the context of home and community-based services. The bill was signed into law by the Governor on May 21, 2003. See details at:
http://www.legis.state.ia.us/GA/80GA/Legislation/HF/00300/HF00386/Current.html
FEDERAL LEGISLATION & POLICY
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4. Supreme Court ruling on family leave
In a landmark ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court has affirmed that all state employers must comply with the Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA). By a six-to-three margin, the Justices ruled that state employees are fully covered under the FMLA and are entitled to monetary damages if they are deprived of unpaid leave to recuperate from a serious illness or care for a sick family member or new baby. More details:
http://www.nationalpartnership.org/content.cfm?L1=3&L2=1.0&NewsItemID=543
5. Federal campaign on caregiving
Assistant Secretary for Aging, Josefina G. Carbonell, appeared before the Senate Special Committee on Aging to announce the release of a new public service campaign, "Who Cares for the Caregivers?" The campaign targets baby boomer caregivers with information on available support services in their community and how to access these services. More details on the testimony and public service campaign: http://www.aoa.gov/press/pr/2003/05_May/05_20_03.asp
6. AoA annual report
The U.S. Administration on Aging (AoA) has made available its 2003 annual report. The report includes a section on AoA's caregiving initiatives, such as the publications and research it has developed under the National Family Caregiver support Program (NFCSP). Download the report:
http://www.aoa.gov/about/annual_report/annual_report.asp
7. House hearing on long-term care for veterans
The U.S. House Committee Veterans Subcommittee on Health recently held a hearing addressing long-term care services for veterans. Testimony covered a wide variety of programs administered by the Veteran's Administration (VA), including the availability of support services for caregivers. View testimony: http://www.house.gov/va/hearings/schedule108/may03/5-22-03/witness.html
RESEARCH & REPORTS
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8. HHS and DoL examine the long-term care workforce
In a recent report to Congress, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Labor (DoL), examine the adequacy of the long-term care workforce. The report, "The Future Supply of Long-Term Care Workers in Relation to the Aging Baby Boom Generation" includes a section addressing the role of family and informal caregiving in meeting current and future long-term care needs. Download the report: http://aspe.hhs.gov/daltcp/reports/ltcwork.htm
9. WHO publishes "Key Policy Issues in Long-Term Care"
A recent book published by the World Health Organization (WHO), "Key Policy Issues in Long-Term Care" includes a chapter addressing the role of and support to the family. The chapter includes a review of the international literature on the prevalence of informal care for people with disabilities; public and private initiatives to support informal caregivers; and policy issues raised by these strategies. Other topics include who is responsible for long-term care; the conflict between work and caregiving; the substitution of formal for informal services; and whether cash or services should be provided. Read: http://www.who.int/chronic_conditions/Policy_Issues.pdf
JOURNAL ARTICLES
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10. Caregivers and end-of-life patients
"The Stressful Caregiving Adult Reactions to Experiences of Dying (SCARED) Scale: A Measure for Assessing Caregiver Exposure to Distress in Terminal Care" appears in the June 2003 edition of the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. The authors find that the SCARED scale, "may be a clinically useful tool for identifying caregivers at risk for [Major Depressive Disorder] and quality-of-life impairments, as well as potential aspects of caregiving to target for treatment." Read the abstract: http://ajgp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/11/3/309
11. "Family Involvement in End-of-Life Hospital Care"
The June 2003 edition of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society includes this article addressing the impact of families on end-of-life care. The authors found that, "the presence of a family member at death appears to be an indirect measure of family involvement during patients' hospitalization. Family involvement before death may reduce the use of technology and increase the use of comfort care as patients die." The abstract is available:
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/servlet/useragent?func=showIssues&code=jgs
CONFERENCES, MEDIA & MISCELLANEOUS
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12. Technology and caregiving conference
The SPRY (Setting Priorities for Retirement Years) Foundation National Conference, "Computer-based Technology and Caregiving for Older Adults," will be held October 2 -3, 2003 in Bethesda, MD. The purpose of the conference is to increase awareness among family caregivers of the ability of computer-based technology to assist in the care of older persons. The conference will include details on consumer information and education; delivery and coordination of services, including patient monitoring and compliance; and personal health records and medical information. Family Caregiver Alliance is a cosponsor of the conference. Conference details: http://www.spry.org/special_events/special_events.html
13. Healthcast on long-term care
The Kaiser Family Foundation has made available a recent healthcast on long-term care. "The 21st Century Challenge: Providing and Paying for Long-Term Care" is the first in a series of events organized to debate the financing of long-term care. The purpose of the forums is gain insight from caregivers, policymakers and researchers about the challenges of providing and paying for long-term care. View the healthcast:
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/health_cast/hcast_index.cfm
14. Self-assessment tool for working caregivers
The National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (N4A) has developed "Supporting Working Caregivers: A Self-Assessment Tool for Community Agencies." The instrument can be used by community agencies to measure progress in becoming caregiver-friendly. It offers a way to assess an agency's strength in addressing the needs of caregivers as well as areas where improvements may be needed. Further, it has been designed to assist agencies in making decisions about how to adapt policies, programs and operations to better meet the needs of caregivers. Additional information: http://www.n4a.org/caregiver_assessment_tool.cfm
15. Gerontological social work conference call for abstracts
The Council on Social Work Education's Strengthening Aging and Gerontology Education for Social Work project is accepting abstracts for their 2004 conference. Deadline for submissions is June 15, 2003. The conference will be held February 27 - March 1, 2004 in Anaheim, California. Conference details:
http://www.cswe.org/sage-sw/whoweare/ngswc.htm
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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.
©2003 Family Caregiver Alliance
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