Nearly
120,000 children in US have lost a primary caregiver to COVID-19:
Internal CDC data Since the onset of the pandemic, children in the
U.S. have faced multiple challenges and hardships. Tragically,
recent data reveals that a staggering number of children have
been faced with the most heartbreaking reality: the loss of a
caregiver to COVID-19. An estimated 119,000 children across the country
have lost a primary caregiver due to COVID-19 associated death,
and more than 140,000 children experienced the death of a primary
or secondary caregiver, defined as co-residing grandparents or
kin, according to data in an internal Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention document obtained exclusively by ABC News. “This is yet another horrible byproduct of the
pandemic and we as a global community must commit to supporting
these children and families. The effects of this pandemic will be
felt for decades,” Dr. Rebecca Katz, director of the Center for
Global Health Science and Security at Georgetown University
Medical Center, told ABC News. The data is provisional, and the CDC confirmed to
ABC News that it plans to release official data next month. |
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From ABC
News | July 20, 2021 |
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U.S.
must invest in caregiving to stay competitive, Commerce
Secretary Raimondo says Family care remains the top barrier for women to
seek employment and it’s weighing on the labor market recovery,
Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said on CNBC Thursday. “We still have millions of women who are out of
the workforce and we know the No. 1 reason that they say
they’re out the workforce is they’re still struggling to get
care for their kids or their elderly loved ones,” she told “Mad
Money” host Jim Cramer. The challenge is in turn affecting hiring at many
companies across the nation. Many women juggling caretaking
demands are passing up on job opportunities or even promotions
due to responsibilities existing at home, said Raimondo, whose
department is tasked with promoting U.S. economic growth. More than a year after the coronavirus pandemic
upended the economy and led to massive layoffs, recent data
from the Census Bureau shows 1.5 million women have yet to
return to the workforce due to childcare constraints.
Addressing it is critical to ensuring that America remains
competitive, Raimondo said. From: CNBC
| July 15, 2021 | |
| The
Caregiving Crisis Didn’t Start with COVID-19—It Won’t End With
Biden’s $400 Billion Plan On March 31, 2021, Biden proposed a $2
trillion American Jobs Plan—$400
billion of which would be allocated to the care economy to
expand access to quality, affordable home- or community-based
care for aging relatives and people with disabilities. The
Biden administration says this proposed investment will help
caregivers by raising their wages, creating stronger benefits
and providing new caregiving jobs. This proposal was born out of Biden’s campaign,
where he stated he would invest $775
billion in the caregiving economy by allowing 12
weeks of paid family and medical leave, hiring three million
Americans in care and education jobs, expanding Medicaid home-
and community-based services, ensuring
affordable child care and
universal preschool, among other promises. But many feminists—such as Josephine Kalipeni,
deputy director at Family
Values at Work, a national network helping
to grow the movement for family-friendly workplace policies—say
the proposed plan of $400 billion should only be seen as an
initial investment, not a solution to the caregiving
crisis. From:
Ms. Magazine | June 23, 2021 | |
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Powerful
Tools for Caregivers: Virtual Edition July 14 - August 25, 2021 | 6 PM EST | Online The six-week Powerful Tools for Caregivers Program
helps people who are caring for an aging loved one. This could be
a parent, grandparent, spouse, sibling, neighbor or friend. This
virtual, interactive workshop will help caregivers learn
techniques to help them take care of themselves while taking care
of a loved one, manage stress and understand the complex emotions
that often come with caregiving. The class will help you: · Find
resources · Learn
relaxation techniques · Manage
emotions, including depression, guilt and resentment · Find
confidence in dealing with the demands of caregiving Click
the red link below to learn more and register by calling (833)
262-2200 or email wellnessprograms@aaa1b.org. |
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Understanding
Social Isolation and its Impact on Older Adults and Those Living
with Disabilities July 28, 2021 | 2 PM EST | Online Strong social connections are central to our
physical and mental well-being. But when vulnerable older adults
experience setbacks or life transitions, they may become
disconnected and isolated. Through research, we know that the
negative health consequences of social isolation include impaired
mental performance, a compromised immune system, and a heightened
risk of chronic disease, as well as depression. The health risks
of prolonged isolation are equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a
day. This webinar presentation and discussion hosted by
the National Council on Aging is designed to help practitioners
across sectors – as well as individuals and caregivers – better
understand the similarities and important differences between
loneliness and social isolation and the impact on health and
well-being of older adults. Click
the red link below to learn more and click HERE to
register. |
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The Circle
of Care Guidebook for Caregivers of Children with Rare and/or
Serious Illnesses Release Webinar August 5, 2021 | 2 PM EST | Online This webinar will introduce the National Alliance
for Caregiving's new resource, The Circle of Care Guidebook
for Caregivers of Children with Rare and/or Serious Illnesses.
Created with support from Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals and in
partnership with Global Genes, this guidebook provides
specialized information, support and website links to various
resources for caregivers of children with rare and/or serious
illnesses. Click
the red link below to learn more and click HERE to
register. |
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Submit
Nominations to Health Information Technology Advisory
Committee (HITAC) Deadline: August 24, 2021 The 21st Century Cures Act established HITAC to
provide recommendations to the National Coordinator for Health
Information Technology on policies, standards, implementation
specifications, and certification criteria relating to the
implementation of a health information technology infrastructure
that advances the electronic access, exchange, and use of health
information. The Act gave the Comptroller General of the United
States, head of the General Accountability Office (GAO),
responsibility for appointing a portion of HITAC’s members. GAO is now accepting nominations for HITAC
appointments. From these nominations, GAO expects to appoint at
least five new HITAC members, focusing especially on health care
providers, ancillary health care workers, health information
technology developers, and patient advocates. Members serve
3-year terms beginning January 1, 2022, with the terms subject to
renewal. Interested
nominees should submit letters of nominations and resumes to HITCommittee@gao.gov by August
24, 2021. |
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The Arc’s
2021 National Convention will be held in New Orleans from
September 27 - 29 Deadline to register at standard rate: August 27, 2021 The Arc’s National Convention is an unmatched
opportunity to connect and learn with advocates, professionals,
people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and
their families. If you are interested in employment, education,
advocacy, housing, criminal justice, and more – our sessions are
sure to challenge, inspire, and motivate! To learn
more about the convention click on the button below. Click here
to register. |
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The
National Home-Based Primary Care Learning Network is
accepting applications for its year-long participatory learning
experience Deadline to apply: August 30, 2021 The goal of the Learning Network is to
improve the care provided to homebound patients while promoting a
culture of better care and continuous learning in home based
medical care practices. The Learning Network experience starts and ends
with in-person meetings commencing and concluding the program.
Between in-person meetings, the Learning Network will facilitate
a series of video conference interactive learning sessions,
technical assistance, and access to web-based quality improvement
tools. Teams will complete an initial assessment of their current
practice, identify opportunities for improvement, and will work
between learning sessions to meet their aims. To apply for this program, click here. To
learn more about it, click the button below. |
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IN CASE YOU
MISSED IT... |
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World
Carers Conversation 2020 The World Carers Conversation took place online
December 13 -18, 2020 and enjoyed the participation of caregiving
experts and stakeholders from six continents (Africa, Asia,
Europe, Oceania, North America, South America) and 15 countries
(Australia, Canada, China, France, Ghana, India, Ireland, Israel,
Mexico, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United
States). This virtual showcase of cutting-edge caregiving
research, innovation, and impact around the world was held over 5
days, reaching more than 4,000 attendees and featured
more than a dozen sessions and a global town hall. Click below to view the recordings. |
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Reflecting
on Your Caregiving Journey Caregivers are often so focused on the daily tasks
of caregiving that they rarely have time to reflect on their role
as a caregiver and how it changes over time. For many, caregiving
is a multi-year journey and one that can start to feel
overwhelming. Regular reflection can help caregivers change their
mindset and transform their caregiving experience. In this July 21 discussion presented by Home
Instead, Dr. Lakelyn Hogan spoke with author and caregiving
consultant Dr. Aaron Blight to learn: * How to check one's assumptions about caregiving. * Ways to identify opportunities to improve their
situation. * Methods of reflection that can help caregivers
learn about themselves and improve their caregiving experience. |
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The ability to take time off when we’re sick and
need to rest. To accompany a loved one to a dialysis appointment.
To spend time with a newborn or adopted child. Some of us have
this option, but far too many people in the United States do not. The National Partnership for Women & Families
brought together cross-sector business leaders who have been
advocating for paid leave — Airbnb, Levi’s, Patagonia, Seven
Seven Six, Sun Life, Thinx, ThirdLove, Brew HaHa! (a main street
business in Delaware), and Melinda French Gates. The message is loud and clear from business
leaders: no one should have to choose between our families and
our jobs — and paid leave is what every business needs to thrive. Watch our new video as
these leaders each share why they think ensuring all workers can
take time off work to care for themselves or a loved one is why
the time is now for paid leave. And join them in
the call for paid leave for all. Click here to
learn more or click on the red button below to view the video. |
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Dementia
care providers database |
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Best Practice Caregiving is a free online
database of proven dementia programs for family caregivers. It
offers a searchable, interactive, national database of vetted,
effective programs that offer much-needed information and
support. The database is an invaluable tool for healthcare and
community-based organizations, as well as funders and policy
makers to discover and share high quality programs for
caregivers. In the Best Practice database you will find
detailed information about: · focus of
each program · (e.g.,
reducing stress, understanding dementia, planning care,
skill-building, health & wellness, etc.) · program
implementation · research
findings · direct
utilization experiences of delivery sites · program
developer information. Click here to
learn more about the database or click the button below to access
it. |
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Home is
where the care is |
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What if you were one of the 2 million adults who are
homebound in the United States? Wouldn’t you want care to come to
you? With the nation’s older adult population increasing,
home-based primary care is quickly becoming the future of health
care for patients who are medically complex. New resources share
needed information about delivering primary care in the home: · The Better
Care Playbook’s Home-Based Primary Care Collection provides
research, resources and tools for delivering care at home.
The collection includes blogs from Rush@Home detailing its care
model elements and implementation insights, and the Department of Veterans Affairs highlighting
its successful program. · A Home Centered Care Institute (HCCI) House
Calls 101 course offers a simulated educational
experience to help you get started with home-based primary care. Click here to the
online course. Click the button below to browse the collection. |
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Report:
The United States should recognize and support caregiving youth |
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In the United States, more than 5.4 million
children and adolescents under age 18 provide care for family
members who are aging or have chronic illness, disability, or
other health conditions that require assistance. In this policy study published in the Society for
Research in Child Development's Social Policy Report, the
authors describe youth’s care for the family and highlight the
increasing prevalence, global challenges, and uneven successes of
measurement and categorization. They briefly summarize research
on how caregiving affects youth’s academic, social, and emotional
well-being. Next, they present novel, emerging evidence from the
public school-based 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey for the State
of Florida, which suggests that as many as 24% of middle school
students and 16% of high school students provide at least some
care to the family on a regular basis. Drawing on this evidence,
the authors' discuss targeted social programs which have been
shown to promote the well-being of caregiving youth outside of
the United States, as well as a 13-year-old school-based intervention
in The School District of Palm Beach County, Florida. The report concludes with specific recommendations
for a path toward recognizing and supporting caregiving youth via
policy and practice in the United States. Its aim is to increase
the awareness and feasibility of identifying and supporting
caregiving youth and their families via government-organized data
collection and targeted social policies. |
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Rosalynn
Carter Institute Report: Caregiving
in Military Families The Rosalynn Carter Institute (RCI) has
released a new report that
highlights the challenges experienced by the military-connected
caregiver population, in partnership with Blue Star Families
(BSF) , the nation’s largest non-profit dedicated to supporting
military families. The new research sheds light on the burdens
faced by caregivers in military families experience, including
greater financial stress, mental health challenges, and
inadequate sleep compared to their civilian counterparts. |
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ASA
Generations Today: New Toolkit Offers Ways to Better Connect with
Diverse Family Caregivers |
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The American Society on Aging's
(ASA) Generations Today has published an article,
"New Toolkit Offers Ways to Better Connect with Diverse
Family Caregivers," about the Diverse Elders Coalition (DEC)
toolkit. The "Caring For Those Who Care: Meeting the
Needs of Diverse Family Caregivers Curriculum" toolkit was
put together to help professional and voluntary caregivers,
providers and a wide array of professionals better understand the
unique realities and challenges diverse caregivers face and best
practices they can employ to better care for diverse family
caregivers, and ultimately, the older adults they care for. Click here to read
the article or on the red button to access the tool kit.. |
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Search.
Find. Help. Connecting Organizations To Resources
That Help Older Adults And Their Caregivers
During Emergencies |
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Today, a new resource is available to help leaders
and staff at organizations serving community-dwelling older
adults and their caregivers find resources to support these
populations during public health emergencies. Search.
Find. Help. is a searchable online library that connects
organizations to approximately 300 existing resources that can
help older adults and caregivers—ranging from tip sheets to
prepare older adults for public health emergencies to tools to
identify individuals in a community who need support following a
disaster. The resources focus on addressing social isolation,
chronic conditions, elder abuse and neglect, caregiver support,
delayed medical care and emergency preparedness. Search. Find. Help. was born out of the need to
connect organizations to existing resources that can help older
adults and their caregivers before, during, and after an
emergency. A recent formative research study found
hundreds of resources that could help older adults and their
caregivers—but there was a need to centralize the resources and
connect them to organizations that could use them. Search. Find.
Help. organizes hundreds of resources and offers easy-to-use
search features for organizations to identify and learn more
about resources that can meet the needs of their populations. |
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Supporting
Better Dementia Care |
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Attending to an older adult’s mentation, or
cognitive function, is a fundamental principle of our
Age-Friendly Health Systems movement and is especially critical
for older adults and their families living with all forms of
dementia. In 2020, the John A. Hartford Foundation expanded
its efforts toward improving dementia care through initiatives
that support clinicians and family caregivers who provide it. |
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Chronic
Disease Month Social Toolkit |
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July is Chronic Disease Month. Take a look at the
Chronic Disease Coalition's social toolkit for ideas about how to
to educate, advocate and activate chronic patients
everywhere. |
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New
Materials on COVID-19 Vaccination for People With IDD
and Caregivers |
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COVID-19 is challenging to explain, live through,
and communicate about. The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention’s (CDC) National Center on Birth Defects and
Developmental Disabilities has developed a new set of COVID-19
vaccine materials specifically designed for people with IDD who
have extreme low literacy and their caregivers. These free
materials use simple illustrations and easy-to-read messages to
explain how to get a COVID-19 vaccine. |
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2021
Global State of Caring Report |
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The International Alliance of Carer
Organizations’s 2021 Global State of Care report provides an
in-depth profile of the issues, approaches, policies, and
innovations that are needed to support carers. It profiles
the carer policies and practices in 18 countries. This
interacting tool features carer initiatives addressing six
universal carer priorities: · Recognition:
Legislation and awareness campaigns · Financial
support: Income support, pensions, and benefits · Work
and education: Carer-friendly workplaces and educational
initiatives · Health
and well-being: Health and social supports · Information
and knowledge: Resources and education · Evidence-informed
practices: Innovative policies and practices |
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AHEAD
Study Join a
trial that aims to help prevent Alzheimer’s disease, funded
by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Eisai Inc.,
which is testing an investigational treatment aimed at delaying
memory loss before noticeable signs of Alzheimer’s disease begin. |
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LEAF:
Life Enhancing Activities for Family Caregivers |
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Researchers
at UCSF and Northwestern University are testing a program for
family caregivers of people with Alzheimer's
Disease designed to increase levels of positive emotion,
which in turn can help lower stress and support ways of coping
with the stresses of caregiving. Click the red link below to learn more and click HERE to take
the pre-screening survey. | |
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Veteran
User Experience Research Study |
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Are you
a Veteran? Active duty or Reserves? A caregiver? A family member?
The Department of Veterans Affairs wants to make it easier for
you to explore, apply for, manage, and track your VA benefits.
Teams at the VA want to hear your feedback about improvements
they are making to VA websites, mobile applications, and other
digital tools -- to ensure that these services are usable and
relevant for you. Click
the red link below to learn more and click HERE to
register. |
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NEW Centralized
Guidebook for Caregivers of Children and Adolescents with Crohn’s
Disease |
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The
National Alliance for Caregiving is proud to present a Circle
of Care Guidebook for Caregivers of Children and Adolescents
Managing Crohn’s Disease, a new resource designed to help
caregivers navigate their journey caring for a child or
adolescent with Crohn’s disease. The centralized guidebook offers
effective information and tools that have helped other caregivers
in similar situations. If you or someone you know cares for a
child or adolescent living with Crohn’s disease, make sure to
check out the guidebook at www.caregiving.org/guidebooks. You’ll
learn about: · Everyday
tips on caring for a child or adolescent with Crohn’s disease; · Understanding
Crohn’s disease from a medical perspective; · Information
on treatment and care coordination; · Understanding
the cost of care and access; · Empowering
your child to manage their Crohn’s disease; and · Caring
for yourself and your family. There is
also a section with a comprehensive list of other online and
print resources for caregivers, the child living with Crohn’s
disease, and his or her family that are referenced throughout the
guidebook. Visit www.caregiving.org/guidebooks to
learn more and access important resources. The
guidebook was developed with support from The
Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust. | |
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The John
A. Hartford Foundation's Dissemination Center |
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Employers play a vital societal role by providing
employment, work experience, employee benefits, and the ability
for workers to save and invest for a secure retirement. This
report examines the pandemic's impact on employers across
company, their response, and timely opportunities. A strong
employee benefits package, including retirement benefits, health
insurance, workplace wellness programs, and caregiver support,
can create a win-win situation for employers and their employees.
Especially now, as our nation is emerging from the pandemic,
employers need support from policymakers to continue paving the
way for their recovery and to make it as easy as possible to
enhance their business practices and expand their benefits
offerings. |
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Navigating
the Pandemic: A Survey of U.S. Employers |
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Employers play a vital societal role by providing
employment, work experience, employee benefits, and the ability
for workers to save and invest for a secure retirement. This
report examines the pandemic's impact on employers across
company, their response, and timely opportunities. A strong
employee benefits package, including retirement benefits, health
insurance, workplace wellness programs, and caregiver support,
can create a win-win situation for employers and their employees.
Especially now, as our nation is emerging from the pandemic,
employers need support from policymakers to continue paving the
way for their recovery and to make it as easy as possible to
enhance their business practices and expand their benefits
offerings. |
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The American Society on Aging has released a
12-week webcast series that will feature interviews with diverse
legendary pathfinders who have spent decades in the field of
aging, health and social services. Each interview will be
conducted by Ken Dychtwald, to capture the wisdom and character
of gerontology’s pioneers to inform, inspire and guide current
and future professionals in the fields of aging and related
services for years to come. | |
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Can We
Talk About Caregiving? Tips to Support Family Caregivers |
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Caregivers are an essential part of our healthcare
system. Many people, though, don’t see themselves as a
“caregiver” and, as a result, don’t realize the critical role
that they play. Here are five tips to help caregivers recognize
their role, learn about the resources that can support their
specific needs and feel more prepared for the challenges of
caregiving. | |
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Brain
Guide By UsAgainstAlzheimer's |
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UsAgainstAlzheimer's
has released a new resource for you and your
family's brain health. It’s never too late to take action on
brain health. BrainGuide is a
first-of-its-kind platform that empowers people with knowledge
and resources to take the best next steps in managing their own
or a loved one’s brain health. The
BrainGuide memory questionnaire does not provide a diagnosis, but
it can help guide you toward information and resources that
inform the next best steps you or a loved one can take. No
information is recorded or shared with anyone other than the
person completing the questionnaire. The BrainGuide memory
questionnaire can be completed as a self-administered
questionnaire or filled out by a caregiver or someone close to
you. Questionnaires are not recorded or shared with anyone other
than the individual completing the questionnaire. Click
the red link below to take the memory questionnaire. | |
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FOLLOW US
TO STAY CURRENT ON CAREGIVING! |
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