Sunday, September 1, 2019

National Alliance for Caregiving - email newletter



AUGUST 26, 2019



Tough Choices: Changing Lives with Shared Decision-Making

"Caregivers and other trusted individuals close to the patient should be considered as partners in the decision-making process, as caregiver support is critical for LVAD patients. Our role as caregivers is to fully understand what is at stake, and if we accept our role, be an advocate, supporting our patient’s wishes for the way they will live and the way they will die."

Wendy Keller was a beloved sister, mother, and grandmother who was diagnosed with heart failure of unknown cause. About a year after her diagnosis, she suffered a cardiac arrest and had a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implanted. The device extended her life by seven months but during that time she suffered multiple complications.

Wendy, her daughter Melinda, and her sister Ginny, all have devoted their careers to improving the quality of healthcare. After Wendy’s death, Melinda and Ginny vowed to use their background and experience to help other patients with heart failure and their families. In doing so, they’ve shared their perspectives as stakeholders on the PCORI-funded DECIDE-LVAD trial, a project that aims to promote uptake of its findings to improve shared decision making about LVAD implantation.  

From: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute | August 2, 2019





Getting a Parent with Dementia the Best Long-Term Care for the Money

"Liz Kozlowski and her staff at Brookdale Senior Living’s Westlake Village, outside of Cleveland, knew that resident Ed Petrigac and his wife Yvonne had started an auto parts business. But it wasn’t until they read his life story that they realized he also had a love of cars. That knowledge helped the staff provide better, more patient-centered care for Petrigac, a Korean War veteran who lived in the facility’s memory-care unit.

And, based on a recent independent study conducted through a grant for my firm, MemoryWell, familiarizing professional caregivers with residents’ life stories can be impactful for the people with dementia in long-term care — and their families."

From: Next Avenue | AUGUST 16, 2019
Aging Baby Boomers Raise the Risk of a Long-Term Care Crisis

"Taking care of the aging population is a crisis in the making, and no one — not families, not government programs, and not the healthcare workforce — is prepared for it.

The big picture: Providing healthcare to aging Baby Boomers will strain Medicare's finances, but the problem is even bigger than that.

Long-term care— the kind of services typically performed in a nursing home or by a home health aide — largely falls through the cracks of both public and private health insurance, saddling seniors and their families with financial and emotional burdens they often didn't anticipate or plan for."

From: Business Insider | August 19, 2019




Help Re-authorize the Older Americans Act with n4a's
Advocacy Toolkit!



The Older Americans Act (OAA) connects older Americans and their caregivers to services that help older adults age with health, dignity, and independence in their homes and communities.

In 2019, Congress must reauthorize this vital federal program that serves every community in the country. With the rapid growth of America’s aging population, it is essential that Congress hear from local aging advocates, like you, about making wise investments in critical OAA programs and services.

With n4a’s advocacy tools and resources, you can ensure that your voice is heard on OAA reauthorization! The Older Americans Act expires on September 30, 2019, and securing a bipartisan reauthorization is the top policy priority of n4a. As n4a's campaign expands and advances, you can keep checking back on their website for updates, resources, and ways you can help.



Caregivers: Expectations and Lifestyle Sacrifices
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Are middle-income Baby Boomers prepared for the possibility of providing care during their retirement? Bankers Life Center for a Secure retirement has recently released new data as a supplement to their initial study, A Growing Urgency: Retirement Care Realities for Middle-Income Boomers.

This data new data highlights the urgency for individuals in the Baby Boomer generation to plan on taking on caregiving duties during their retirement.

"According the U.S. Census, by 2035, older generations are projected to outnumber children for the first time in U.S. history. Who will take care of this aging population? What lifestyle changes are to be expected? Do caregivers and care recipients see eye to eye?"
Helping Employers Support and Retain Working Caregivers
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Did you know more than 60% of America's 40 million family caregivers balance work on top of their caregiving duties? That's why AARP has partnered with Northeast Business Group to offer a free toolkit for employers to better support the caregivers in their workplace.

The toolkit, Supporting Caregivers in the Workplace: A Practical Guide for Employers, includes an overview of the challenges faced by working caregivers, steps on how to create a caregiving-friendly worklpace, and resources for employers and working caregivers.

AARP also offers additonal programs to encourage caregiver frendly workplaces across the country. Click HERE to find out more.





UPCOMING WEBINAR!
"Extra Help" for Prescription Drug Costs
Under Medicare’s Low Income Subsidy (LIS)
August 27, 2019 | 2-3:30 PM ET
Online

Please join this webinar for the launch of NAC's virtual toolkit on applying for "Extra Help" with prescription drug costs under Medicare's Low Income Subsidy (LIS). The webinar will feature a guest presentation on the LIS program by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Learn more about "Extra Help" HERE.


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