Even
with Tragedy, There is Hope: The
Powerful Love of a Caregiver "Kristi
Lengyel, UCB’s Head of Healthcare System Strategy, knows
firsthand the burden many caregivers feel when a loved one
experiences a life or death situation. In 2015, her cousin’s
wife, Melissa, was hospitalized after experiencing two arterial
breaks in the cerebral portion of her brain. Melissa underwent
extensive surgeries, testing, and treatment at multiple centers
across the country, including at Walter Reed Hospital. Her
husband, Colonel Louis Zeisman, an infantry officer, did his best
to ensure his wife had the health care she needed, while caring
for their sons at home and his soldiers in the Pacific. With
this, caregiving for Melissa quickly expanded beyond Louis – it
became the job of her whole family, including Kristi. Caregiving
meant cooking meals for the family, arranging medical
appointments, driving kids to sports practice, sending cards to
Melissa and her medical team, and encouraging Melissa that she
was getting better and stronger. ... Even
today, the memory of panic and hopelessness is present for
Kristi. But Kristi has found that even with tragedy, there is
always hope. It has given her the opportunity to not only
advocate for patients living with disabilities, but also to drive
her work at UCB." From: UCB U.S. News Room | November 20, 2020 |
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Navigating
the Challenges of Living a Longer Life "Approximately
53 million Americans are currently acting as caregivers to
their loved ones — a figure that has grown more than 20% in the
last five years, according to the Caregiving
in the U.S. 2020 report shared
by Whiting’s organization and AARP. Caregiving
is essentially a volunteer job, with individuals spending
nearly 24 hours a week attending to the needs of older
relatives, neighbors, and friends. And, according to the 2020
Caregiving report, one in five caregivers dedicate 41 hours a
week to care provision, easily compared to the workload of a
full-time job." I From:
Wells Fargo Stories | November 10, 2020 | |
| Biden’s Plan for Seniors Is Not Just a Plan for
Seniors "Despite
its integrated approach, the Biden plan does call for certain
programs most likely to benefit older people and their
caregivers. For example, it proposes a tax credit for as much
as $5,000 to reimburse families for expenses associated with
unpaid caregiving. 'It
helps the people in the middle, stuck between Medicaid' — which
primarily benefits the very low-income — 'and those with the
resources to pay for long-term care,' said C. Grace Whiting,
president and C.E.O. of the National Alliance for Caregiving." I From:
New York Times | November 27, 2020 | |
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Caregiver
Spotlight To help
raise the voices of America's caregivers, we are sharing some of
their stories. |
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TeriLynne and her sister, Zuzette, are one of the
1% of caregivers who identify as Native American. Because caring
for family members is a valued part of Native American culture,
many Native Americans do not identify as caregivers. TeriLynne
and Zuzette are from the Gila River Indian Community and have
cared for their aging parents together, as well as their own
children, two of which have chronic conditions. While TeriLynne lives further away, Zuzette lives
closer to their parents, which often leaves Zuzette feeling
overwhelmed and TeriLynne feeling guilty. |
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NAC
Invites You to the 2020 World Carers Conversation COVID-19
has created new opportunities to re-examine the way that health
care is delivered and the role of family caregivers in supporting
better patient outcomes. Much like the WHO’s COVAX initiative to
share data and research on caregiving and COVID-19, global partners
in caregiving can offer insight and learnings that may make
solutions for families more readily accessible to other
caregiving communities around the world. The
World Carers Conversation, to be convened from Sunday,
13 December 2020 through Wednesday, 16 December 2020, will
showcase cutting edge caregiving research, innovation, and impact
around the world as we collectively face the fallout from the
global pandemic. This event will be hosted by the National
Alliance for Caregiving and is made possible through the support
of the Embracing
Carers movement. Sunday,
13 December 2020 | 12:00-14:00 EST (GMT+5) |
Welcome and Opening Musical Reception Register
HERE. Monday,
14 December 2020 | 15:00-18:00 EST (GMT+5) | Caregiving
in the Americas Register HERE. Tuesday,
15 December 2020 | 6:00-9:00 EST (GMT
+5) | Caregiving in Europe, Africa & the
Middle East Register HERE. Wednesday,
16 December 2020 | 19:00-22:00 EST (GMT+5) | Caregiving
in Asia & the Pacific Register HERE. Thursday,
17 December 2020 (invitation only) Global
Town Hall On
Thursday, 17 December, the National Alliance for Caregiving will
be joined by the Adira Foundation for a Global Town Hall on
caregiving. Invited guests will get the chance to learn about and
engage with our recent framework on the reality of caregiving
during a pandemic, as well as hear from NAC and the Adira
Foundation on our recent partnership to launch a digital education
platform to support caregivers during the pandemic and beyond. Register
today! |
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Caregiving
in a Pandemic: Accessing Services and Supports December
7, 2020 | 3:00-5:00 PM EST | Online On
December 7th from 3:00-5:00 PM EST, join
NAC, SEARAC, the National Asian Pacific Center on Aging, and the
Diverse Elders Coalition for Caregiving in a Pandemic:
Accessing Services and Supports. This event is made with the
support of the John A. Hartford Foundation. The
first 75 participants may be eligible for a $25 thank you gift
card! |
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Social Engagement During the Holidays: Creative
Initiatives and Resources December 9, 2020 | 1:00 PM EST | Online For many older adults, the holidays will look
different this year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Join
engAGED for a webinar focused on social engagement during the
holidays that will spotlight initiatives and resources to help
older adult clients celebrate the holiday season, even when they
can’t be with family and friends in person. |
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The Impact of the 2020 Election on Serious Illness
Care Policy December 9, 2020 | 3:00-4:00 PM EST | Online Join
this webinar as C-TAC’s legislative and regulatory experts review
the likely priorities of the new Biden Administration and
Congress, focusing on specific players and policies. Webinar
participants will be able to describe the general health care
policy environment as well as the likely key Biden Administration
priorities for serious illness care. Participants will also be
able to discuss key Congressional champions for serious illness
care and important pieces of legislation. |
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A Forum on Financial Planning for People With IDD December 15 | 2:00 PM EST | Online The
ability to save is crucial in securing a life plan for people
with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) who often
rely on public benefits like Supplemental Security Income (SSI),
Medicaid, and housing and food assistance to pay for things that
they need to live in the community. Join The Arc for a webinar to
learn how people with IDD can plan for their financial future. |
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California Caregiver Resource Centers Events December, 2020 | Online Throughout
December, the California
Caregiver Resource Centers are
hosting a series of virtual learning events for caregivers. Click
the red link below to register and watch recordings of past
events! | |
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WEBINAR
RECORDING Flattening the Caregiver Crisis Curve November 18, 2020 | 1 PM EST On
Wednesday, November 18, 2020 at 1 PM EST, C. Grace Whiting,
J.D., President and CEO, National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC),
and Jennifer Olsen, DrPH, Executive Director of the Rosalynn
Carter Institute for Caregiving (RCI) along with Torchlight’s
Adam Goldberg, M.Ed., CEO and, and Carolyn Romano, J.D., Vice
President of Product, joined the Flattening the Caregiver Crisis
Curve webinar. The panel addressed the impact COVID-19 is having
on family caregivers, who are also balancing the demands of work.
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PATIENT
AND CAREGIVER STUDIES |
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GWU Research on Black American Male Caregivers This
research study is examining the impact of caregiving on a
person’s cognitive, physical, and physiological health for Black
American males that care for family or a loved one diagnosed with
Alzheimer’s or dementia. II For more
information on this study and to participate click the red link
below. | |
| COVID-19 Vaccine Clinical Research Registry Looking for a way to be a part of COVID-19
clinical research? You may be eligible to participate in a
COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial. Be part of a global COVID-19
vaccine clinical research program with Leapcure. I I Click
the red link below to pre-register. I | |
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Dartmouth
Seeking Volunteers for a Study This research study is being conducted by
researchers at Dartmouth College. You would be given a fictitious
story about a patient and/or caregiver role(s) and asked to
complete some tasks in a two digital-prototypes of an
Audio-Personal Health Library (a library of audio recordings of
doctor office visits). All sessions will occur on Zoom for around
45 minutes. You will receive $30 for your time. If
interested, contact Susan Tarczewski at 603-646-7066 or susan.m.tarczewski@dartmouth.edu. |
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What
Providers Should Know About African
American and Black Family Caregivers |
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The
Diverse Elders Coalition provides culturally
appropriate support to caregivers. One
helpful tool for providers is a factsheet on how to support
African American and Black caregivers. Check
out What Providers Should Know About African American and
Black Family Caregivers with the red link below. |
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A
Patient’s Guide to Telemedicine |
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"Telemedicine
allows patients to have a remote, non-emergency office visit with
their health care provider by using a smartphone, computer or
tablet. Research shows most patients are highly satisfied with
telemedicine visits, and in most instances these visits are as
good as in-person visits," (From: Drug
Watch). Telemedicine
is an important service for patients and caregivers during the
pandemic and beyond. Click the red link below for a patient's
guide to telemedicine. |
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FOLLOW US
TO STAY CURRENT ON CAREGIVING! |
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