| A newsletter of FCA's National Center on Caregiving |
May 28, 2008
Volume VIII, Number 11
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IN THIS ISSUE
State Legislation, Policy & Reports
- California: Paid Sick Days Legislation Passes Assembly More...
- Growing Number of States Develop Alert Programs for Missing Seniors More...
Federal Legislation, Policy & Reports
- Legislation Introduced to Expand Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) More...
- Senate Committee Holds Hearing on Alzheimer's Disease More...
International News
- European Union: Demographic Changes and Family Caregiving over the Next Twenty Years More...
Research Reports & Journal Articles
- Post-Hospital Clinic Provides Support to Family Caregivers More...
- CDC Report on a Public Health Approach to Assuring Healthy Caregivers More...
Conferences & Trainings
- Satellite Broadcast: "Health Implications of Caregiving" More...
- Save the Date: Dementia Summit September 17 More...
Funding, Media & Miscellaneous
- Caregiving Legacy Awards: Details Available on FCA's Website More...
- CMS Funding Available for ADRCs and Single Point Entry Programs More...
- Grants Available for Respite and Early Memory Loss Programs More...
- USA Today Article Highlights Lack of Training for Family Caregivers More...
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California: Paid Sick Days Legislation Passes Assembly
On May 28, 2008, the California Assembly passed a bill (A.B. 2716) that would allow all workers in the state to accrue paid sick days for personal illness, to care for a sick family member or to recover from domestic violence or assault. The bill would guarantee workers at small businesses up to 40 hours or 5 days a year of paid sick leave, and all other workers 72 hours or 9 paid sick days a year. The bill will move on to the Senate for hearings in June. For more information, visit:
Paid Sick Days California
California Legislature
Growing Number of States Develop Alert Programs for Missing SeniorsA recent issue of State Health Notes, a National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) publication, features an article about the growing number of states enacting laws that call for the development of "Silver Alert" or "Senior Alert" programs. Similar to Amber Alerts for children, these programs notify the public when an older adult with dementia or other form of cognitive impairment goes missing, often because they've wandered away from home. The article, "'Silver Alerts' sound the alarm when certain seniors go missing," explains that program specifics vary from state to state, but in general, the disappearance of the older adult must represent a danger to his or her health or safety to warrant the activation of an Alert. For more information, visit: National Conference of State Legislatures
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Legislation Introduced to Expand Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
On May 13, 2008, Representative Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) introduced the Family Fairness Act (H.R. 6029) which would expand the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to cover all part-time workers. Currently, employees must work full-time, or 1,250 hours in the year immediately preceding their leave, to be eligible for FMLA leave. The bill amends the FMLA to eliminate that requirement, allowing part-time employees who meet other FMLA requirements, including working for their employer for at least one year, to become eligible. For more information, visit:
Thomas
Senate Committee Holds Hearing on Alzheimer's Disease
On May 14, 2008, the Senate Special Committee on Aging held a hearing called "The Future of Alzheimer's: Breakthroughs and Challenges." Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Conner, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Alzheimer's patient Charles Jackson, Alzheimer's caregiver Suzanne Carabone, and Dr. Rudi Tanzi of Harvard University testified. The hearing focused on funding for Alzheimer's research, the support needs of people with Alzheimer's and their caregiving families, and what it is like to live with the disease. For more information, visit:
Senate Special Committee on Aging
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European Union: Demographic Changes and Family Caregiving over the Next Twenty Years
An article published in the April 2008 bulletin (Number 444) of the Institut National d'etudes Demographiques (INED) provides projections of the dependent elder population in Europe up to 2030 and examines questions about who will care for these adults. In the article, "What family support will dependent elders have in 2030? European projections," Joëlle Gaymu and colleagues discuss various family situations and the availability of family caregivers, the rising need for formal care as people live longer and the differences between men's and women's access to family care. For more information, visit:
Institut National d'etudes Demographiques
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Post-Hospital Clinic Provides Support to Family Caregivers
An article in the May 2008 issue of the Annals of Long-Term Care (Volume 16, Number 5) describes the benefits of a geriatric post-hospital clinic embedded within a Geriatric Evaluation and Management (GEM) clinic in North Carolina. According to the article by Dr. Cristina Hendrix and colleagues, "Post-Hospital Clinic for Older Patients and Their Family Caregivers," the post-hospital clinic provides follow-up appointments for older patients within one to two weeks after hospital discharge. The clinic also focuses on the family caregiver, providing referrals to community services, as well as caregiver education and support to mitigate caregiver stress and burden. For more information, visit:
Annals of Long-Term Care
CDC Report on a Public Health Approach to Assuring Healthy Caregivers
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Kimberly-Clark Corporation recently released a monograph, "Assuring Healthy Caregivers, A Public Health Approach to Translating Research into Practice: The RE-AIM Framework." It presents key questions and methods to help program developers, planners and evaluators use the framework in caregiver intervention programs, policy work, and other caregiver support services. For more information, visit:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Satellite Broadcast: "Health Implications of Caregiving"
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in partnership with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), is hosting a satellite broadcast called "Health Implications of Caregiving" on June 25, 2008 from 1:00-2:30p.m. (Eastern Time). The broadcast will provide family caregivers and professionals with information on how caregiving impacts health, as well as tips on self-care and innovative programs focused on caregiver health. For more information, visit:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Save the Date: Dementia Summit September 17
The Center for Applied Research on Aging and Health (CARAH) at Thomas Jefferson University is hosting a summit on dementia on September 17, 2008 in Philadelphia. The event, called "A New Age in Dementia Care: Turning Evidence into Practice," is for researchers, educators and service providers to explore innovations and new models for delivering evidence-based services, training health professionals and conducting research to support adults with dementia and their families in home and community-based settings. Registration information will be available soon. For more information, visit:
Center for Applied Research on Aging and Health
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Caregiving Legacy Awards: Details Available on FCA's Website
Information and details about the first annual Rosalinde Gilbert Innovations in Alzheimer's Disease Caregiving Legacy Awards is now available on the Family Caregiver Alliance (FCA) website. Three awards of $20,000 each will be awarded to organizations that are initiating unique programs that address the needs of Alzheimer's caregivers. One award will be granted in each of these categories: Creative Expression, Diverse/Multicultural Communities, and Policy and Advocacy. The materials currently posted online include information about the award background, an awards timeline and eligibility and submission conditions. The application will be available on the FCA website June 16, 2008. Bestowed with a grant from The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation, FCA's National Center on Caregiving is overseeing the awards program. For more information, visit:
Family Caregiver Alliance
CMS Funding Available for ADRCs and Single Point Entry Programs
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced that approximately $8 million is available under the Real Choice Systems Change grants program for FY 2008, in addition to $5 million for Aging & Disability Resource Center /Area Agencies on Aging grants. These funds support states' efforts to address complex issues in long-term care reform. These grants in particular support the improvement of hospital discharge planning for Medicaid-eligible patients. In addition to the base grant, states may apply for funding to enhance, expand or develop a new Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) or a Single Point Entry Program. The deadline to apply for this funding is June 17, 2008. For more information, visit:
CMS
Grants Available for Respite and Early Memory Loss Programs
The Brookdale Foundation Group has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for group respite and early memory loss programs. Non-profit organizations and public agencies interested in developing a new dementia-specific, social model program are eligible to apply. The grants are for $7,500 for the first year and are renewable for $3,000 in the second year based on evaluation of the first year's activities and potential for future continuity of the program. The deadline to apply is July 2, 2008. For more information, visit:
Brookdale Foundation
USA Today Article Highlights Lack of Training for Family Caregivers
An article in USA Today on May 18, 2008, "Lack of transition training confronts family caregivers," discussed an Institute of Medicine (IOM) report which asserts that family caregivers lack training while, at the same time, they are being asked to do more to care for sick and elderly relatives. Family caregivers face particular challenges when their family member is released from the hospital and - without training - they become responsible for giving them medicine, transferring them from a chair to a bed, and tending to other medical and personal care needs. The IOM report also warns that the U.S. is faced with shortages of professionals trained in gerontology and geriatric care. For more information, visit:
USA Today
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©2008 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 PolicyDigest@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 1100, San Francisco, CA 94104.
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