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FCA has led the way in supporting family caregivers for over 35 years. Your donation makes all the difference!


Connections Credits
Editors
Calvin Hu
Michelle Venegas  

Contributors
Kathleen Kelly
Calvin Hu
Lana Sheridan
Michelle Venegas
Leah Eskenazi

Communications
and Layout
Francesca Pera

Executive Director
Kathleen Kelly


Board of Directors
President
Jacquelyn Kung

Vice-President

Dan Lieberman

Treasurer
Jeff Kumataka

Athan Bezaitis
Wanda Borges
Herman S. Brown, Jr.
Tricia Dell
Ping Hao
Catherine Lelong
Rajiv Mehta
Chris Park
Scott Peifer 
Kathleen Raffel
Celeste Takatsuno 
F. Burns Vick


Quick Links
Family Caregiver Alliance's fee-for-service care management currently serving the San Francisco Bay Area. Click here for further information. 
Vol. 7, No. 1
January 14, 2016
Dear Friends:

A new year has arrived, and with it new opportunities for caregiving and self care. Some of you have been caregiving for years. For others, maybe you noticed over the holidays that your parents aren't doing as well as you thought they were doing, and you're new to this caregiving journey. 

Regardless of how long you have been a caregiver, Family Caregiver Alliance is here to provide information and support. Our website offers tip and fact sheets, videoswebinars, and support groups. You can also find us on social media for the latest articles about caregiving and news about caregiver advocacy locally and nationally. 

With the start of the year, we hope that you will not only continue to provide dedicated care to your loved ones but to yourselves as well. We encourage you to also make a commitment to your own self care, health, and happiness. 

Sincerely,

Calvin Hu
Caregiver Education Coordinator
[email protected]
QUOTE OF THE MONTH

"The greatest discovery of the 20th Century is that our attitude of mind determines our quality of life, not circumstances
"

-- William James, father of American psychology

WHAT'S NEW AT FCA
The 2015 Gilbert Awards Recipients
The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation and Family Caregiver Alliance are pleased to announce the winners of the 2015 Rosalinde Gilbert Innovations in Alzheimer's Disease Caregiving Legacy Awards. The awards honor outstanding nonprofit programs that address the needs of Alzheimer's disease caregivers. Winners each receive $20,000 in support for their programs.

This year's recipients include: the University of Michigan Stamps School of Art & Design, Arts & Minds, California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform (CANHR), and the Clerk & Comptroller's Office, Palm Beach County.

The awards will be formally presented at a reception during the Aging in America Conference on March 22, at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington D.C.

A New Years Thank you to our Donors!
All of us at FCA would like extend a big thank you to our generous donors. Every donation you make helps us support and advocate for family caregivers, who are frequently the unsung heroes. 
This year we were also honored to receive generous gifts from two anonymous donors that will support our direct services to caregivers.
To view a list of our recent donors, please visit our donor thank you page
If you would like to support our work with your tax-deductible gift, please visit our donation page.   
Aging in America Conference - American Society on Aging
The Aging in America Conference will be held in Washington D.C. March 20-24. FCA is honored to be represented by Executive Director Kathy Kelly and FCA Board of Directors member Rajiv Mehta, who will both be presenting at the conference. The winners of the Gilbert Awards will also be formally recognized during a special reception at the conference.

Nine To Ninety Coming to PBS Stations in January
Nine To Ninety tells the complex story of Phyllis Sabatini and Joe Sabatini. Married for more than 60 years, the couple live in a home sheltering three generations. Phyllis eventually decides to move cross country to lighten the caregiving and financial difficulties her daugher faces. But this move is not only a separation from her daughter and grandchildren, but also of her husband.
INFORMATION YOU CAN USE
Dementia: Is This Dementia and What Does it Mean?
"Dementia" is a widely used term commonly understood to indicate problems of thinking and memory. But dementia is not a diagnosis, it's a symptom. What then is the cause? This fact sheet will explain dementia causing diseases and conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, and Huntington's disease among others. 
Grief and Loss
Grief is the process of how to accept the unacceptable. Growing up, most of us thought of grief as something that happens after the death of a loved one. However, when a family member or friend is struck by a chronic illness or a cognitive impairment, grief is felt even before a physical passing. This fact sheet explains the symptoms, stages, and types of grief.
ARTICLES FOR CAREGIVERS
Jane Austen's Guide to Alzheimer's
Emma was published 200 years ago, and since then has been subjected to much scholarly analysis. Carol J. Adams takes a fresh look and writes an interesting and original option piece for the New York Times on how Emma was actually about caregiving. 











Jane Austen [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Pros and Cons of Smaller Long-Term Care Facilities
Many caregivers are hesitant to move their loved ones into large long term care facilities, like a nursing home or assisted living facility. Amy Fontinelle writing for Investopedia lays out some of the advantages and disadvantages of choosing a smaller, less traditional model for long term care. 
CAREGIVERS CONNECT: SF BAY AREA EVENTS

It Takes Two: A Refreshing Approach to Understanding and Coping With Dementia Behavior
This four-week class is designed to help the caregiver of someone with memory loss better understand and communicate with their family member by learning more about their family member's ability to understand and communicate. Caregivers will learn new ways to respond to troubling behavior, and feel more confident and positive about their caregiving role. 

Please note: This class is only open to residents of San Francisco. You will need to be able to attend all four consecutive sessions.  

When: Four Fridays, February 5, 12, 19, and 26, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: Jewish Home of San Francisco302 Silver Avenue, San Francisco 94112
Cost: Free 
Instructor: Hilda Uribe-Escobar, MPH, Family Consultant, Family Caregiver Alliance 
Registration: Hilda Uribe-Escobar, (415) 434-3388 ext. 319 (please leave a message with your name, number, and the name of this class)
CAREGIVERS CONNECT: SF BAY AREA PARTNER EVENTS
Family Caregiver Education Series
The City of Fremont Family Caregiver Support Program is pleased to offer a series of eight workshops designed to provide training, education, support, and resources for those caring for elderly loved ones. Workshops will be offered on Mondays, beginning on January 25. 

Schedule:
1. January 25 - Caregiving 101
2. February 1 - Normal Aging and Ways of Improving Memory
3. February 8 - Caring for Loved Ones with Alzheimer's and Memory Problems
4. February 22 - Caring for Loved ones with Parkinson's disease
5. February 29 - Stress Management for Caregivers
6. March 7 - Communication Strategies
7. March 14th - Taking Care of Yourself
8. March 21st - Caregiving and Forgiveness
  
Pre-registration for this series is required. This program is available at no cost to all community members. Donations to City of Fremont are greatly appreciated.

When: Eight Mondays starting January 25, 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Where: Fremont Senior Center, 40086 Paseo Padre Parkway, Fremont 94536
Cost:
 Free
Registration: Fremont Senior Center, (510) 790-6600
When Families Share a Soldier's Stress: Helpful Information and Practical Skills for Military Families With Secondary Trauma (Webinar)
When military service members return home with PTSD, they unknowingly share their pain with their closest family members. This "secondary trauma" or "vicarious trauma" can create a host of emotional, social, behavioral, and physical problems for families.
Please join Jane Meier Hamilton, RN, MSN, hosted by Easter Seals, on how to break the cycle of secondary stress, learn important facts about secondary trauma, and hear about skills and resources to help you cope.

When: Tuesday, January 26, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. (PT)
Where: Online
Cost:
 Free
Registration: Click Here
The Basics: Memory Loss, Dementia, and Alzheimer's Disease
At this workshop, brought to you by the City of Santa Clara in partnership with the Alzheimer's Association, you will learn about the differences between normal aging and dementia, the basics of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders, the diagnostic process, planning for the future, and management of the disease. 

When: Thursday, January 28, 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Santa Clara City Library, 2635 Homestead Road, Santa Clara 95051 
Cost: Free
Registration: Jenny Hsiao, [email protected], (408) 615-2906
Dementia Awareness: A Path for Families -- A Morning of Information and Support
A diagnosis of dementia can be overwhelming for families as they search for information, resources, and support. Join Seniors At Home for a panel discussion where you will learn how to recognize the signs of dementia, understand its symptoms and behaviors, and how to access resources and support available for caregivers. Q & A will follow the panel. 

When: Sunday, January 31, 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Where: Peninsula Temple Sholom, 1665 Sebastian Drive, Burlingame 94010 
Cost:
 Free
Registration: click here
Contact: Joan Goldner, [email protected], (650) 688-3068
RESEARCH REGISTRY
OUR SUPPORTERS: THANK YOU!
We would like to take a moment to extend a warm thank you to the many generous supporters who make the work we do possible through thoughtful donations to Family Caregiver Alliance.

FCA has led the way in supporting family caregivers for over 35 years.
Your donation makes all the difference!


785 Market Street | Suite 750 | San Francisco, CA 94103
(800) 445-8106 | [email protected] | www.caregiver.org