The Caregiving Exchange August 2012

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1 1 of 7 11/12/2012 2:30 PM The content in this preview is based on the last saved version of your - any changes made to your that have not been saved will not be shown in this preview. The Caregiving Exchange August 2012 Welcome Message Welcome to the August 2012 newsletter! Are you all enjoying the summer? We especially enjoyed July 10 because we came together with coalitions leaders and speakers at the 6th Annual National Conference for Caregiving Coalitions. We had a wonderful conference and the participants went home with many ideas for their coalition to accomplish their mission. Under the picture of the blue bear that joined us in Denver (scroll below) you can find the link to the PowerPoint presentations! We are also excited to announce that the 7th Annual National Conference for Caregiving Coalitions will be held on Wednesday March 13, 2013 in Chicago at the ASA annual meeting! July 18 was also very special because NAC met with Congressman Langevin for an interview. You can read the full article in the legislative update section of this newsletter below. On July 31 there was the third Quarterly Family Caregiving Coalition Call of this year. The theme was "Networking and Learning: What are other Caregiving Coalitions doing and what are their lessons learned." You can find the links to the PowerPoint presentations of that call in the coalition news and updates section. In the News, Reports and Publications section you can read about some great opportunities and there is a guest blog post from Barbara Stahura. She writes about how family caregivers and their care recipients can cope by putting a pen to paper. We are also pleased to announce two new Sustaining Members of the Alliance Novartis and Aging in Motion. If you click on their names you will be directed to their website to find out more about their important work. Enjoy reading, Gail! Gail Gibson Hunt President & CEO 6th Annual National Conference for Caregiving Coalitions

2 2 of 7 11/12/2012 2:30 PM This is the blue bear at the Colorado convention center who welcomed everybody who attended our conference. The PowerPoint presentations are available online now! Please visit our website and relive our conference. Here are some quotes from people who attended this year's conference. Statements from our attendees: "The rich content of the conference was a tremendous value! Being able to network with other professionals in aging services was a highlight of the day."

3 3 of 7 11/12/2012 2:30 PM "Great to be in a conference with other professionals for across the country that share the same passion and focus on the needs of family caregivers." "The NAC Conference is very worthwhile as it provides important information from current research and about public policy issues. It is also inspiring to hear what kinds of activities other coalitions engage in and is a source of useful ideas to share with our own coalition." Next year's 7th Annual National Conference for Caregiving Coalitions will be held in conjunction with ASA's 2013 Aging in America Conference, Chicago, IL, on March 13, Updates will appear on our conference page. Plan NOW to join us at ASA in Chicago on Wednesday March 13, 2013 for the 7th Annual National Conference for Caregiving Coalitions!

4 he Caregiving Exchange Newsletter 4 of 7 11/12/2012 2:30 PM We hope you will find the sign next year to join us at the 7th Annual National Conference for Caregiving Coalitions on Wednesday March 13, 2013.

5 5 of 7 11/12/2012 2:30 PM News, Reports and Publications Great Opportunities In an attempt to help family caregivers understand and define resources in the community, a member of the Sarasota Caregiver Forum Committee developed The Language of Care reference tool. This straight forward glossary of terms is a wonderful reference guide for family caregivers as they begin to learn about what type of care is available, how to find and ways to pay for care. This tool was provided to attendees at the Annual Caregiver Forum and shared with health care professionals in the community. Aptly named, it serves as a reminder to health care professionals the importance of communicating with family caregivers in a language they understand. To read The Language of Care click here. The Pew Internet Project and the California HealthCare Foundation released a new report: "Family Caregivers Online." The report states that the internet is an integral part of a family caregiver's life. From the 79% caregivers that have access to the internet, 88% look online for health information. Caregivers are more likely than other internet users to take advantage of social tools like reading a personal health story online and using sites such as Facebook. The study findings also reveal that caregivers are more likely than other internet users to read online reviews of drugs, clinicians and medical facilities. To learn more click here. A new fact sheet from AARP's Public Policy Institute focuses on the importance and benefits of high-quality caregiver assessments. While some long-term care programs include an assessment of the caregiver(s), many are focused solely on the ability or willingness to provide care, instead of also addressing the caregiver's own health and well-being. The authors explain that assessing caregivers and connecting them to tailored services leads to better quality care as well as a higher quality of life for the caregiver. To read the fact sheet click here. Guest Blog Post For this newsletter we invited Barbara Stahura to write a guest blog post to help family caregivers with their coping and caregiving abilities. Barbara Stahura, a Certified Journal Facilitator, guides family caregivers and their care recipient in harnessing the power of therapeutic journaling for themselves. In this blog post she gives advice on how you can strengthen yourself just by putting a pen to paper. Click here to read the blog post. Congratulations Congratulations to The Women's Institute for a Secure Retirement (WISER) and its president, Cindy Hounsell who are being recognized this month by two highly respected business and personal finance publications for their leadership role in promoting financial education and security for woman. Money Magazine named Hounsell (one of NAC's Board Members) in its article Heroes for helping woman secure their financial futures. The July ForbesWoman column named WISER's website one of its Top 100 websites for Woman 2012 list. Read the Money Magazine here and the ForbesWoman column here. FYI The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) funds research to provide patients, their caregivers and clinicians with the evidence-based information needed to make betterinformed health care decisions. On July 23, PCORI announced the start of a public comment period for its draft Methodology Report, which proposed standards for the conduct of PCOR. "We believe that methods matter - that patients deserve research results that meet the highest scientific standards," said Committee Chair Sherine Gabriel, MD, MSc, Professor of Medicine and of Epidemiology and the William J. and Charles H. Mayo Professor at the Mayo Clinic. "We now need the input of all health care stakeholders to ensure that their perspective is reflected in this resource. " To read the Methodolgy Report and make comments please click here.

6 6 of 7 11/12/2012 2:30 PM Coalition news and updates The Quarterly Family Caregiving Coalition Call took place July 31,2012. Thanks again for all the people who participated during that call. The call featured three speakers who talked about Networking and Learning: What are other Caregiving Coalitions doing and what are their lessons learned. We are thrilled to see that 96 people joined the conversation! Hopefully we can achieve the same or an even better number on our next call in October. Sonnie Yudell, Program Manager at the Utah Caregiver Support Program, talked about her experience in developing and working in a coalition. She also provided advice and guidance on what it takes to build and maintain an active and thriving coalition. Jinx Hackler from the South Central Town Hall Caregiver Coalition and Adrienne Smith from the New Mexico Direct Caregivers Coalition gave a presentation on what they've learned while networking with different coalitions during our coalition conference in Denver. They talked about how coalitions recruit and engage new members and what the strategies are for growing and maintaining a coalition. The speakers also shared ideas and advice about how coalitions can network and expand their reach. If you missed the call or you just want to refer back to the PowerPoints they developed, please click here. Are you a part of a family caregiving coalition? If you would like to join NAC's network of family caregiving coalitions to support family caregiving coalitions or if you know a coalition that is not yet listed, please contact the Manager of Programs & Communications: stien@caregiving.org. Legislative update Congress is now in their August recess. A 6 month continuing resolution was adopted in the Senate, but remains to be accepted in the House. The impact of sequestration remains in debate or even if Congress will intercede to keep it from happening. Interview with Congressman Langevin This year is a very exciting year in politics. With the elections, coming up we wanted to hear from somebody who's on the front lines where Congress sees family caregiving issues in the future. To learn more, the Alliance interviewed Congressman Langevin (D, RI). There are a few take-home messages that we would like to share with you. First of all don't sit and wait until after the elections to advocate! The congressman says: "Be active, be vocal and be involved by speaking out and telling your stories. Put a human face on an issue that might otherwise go unnoticed. Meet with Senators, Congressmen and tell your personal story and tell them how pieces of legislation have an impact on the lives of family caregivers." We think the congressman gives a critical piece of advice for everybody who advocates for family caregivers. If you don't know where to start with advocating, please contact the Alliance ( or coalitions@caregiving.org) so we can help you. To read the full interview click here. Important passages are highlighted. Events & Opportunities The 8th International Short Break Association 2012 Respite Conference will spend time focusing on four themes: Opening the Door to the Community, The Key to Strengthening Families, Unlocking Resources and Treasures Found. October , Toronto, Ontario,

7 he Caregiving Exchange Newsletter of 7 11/12/2012 2:30 PM Canada, More info: Conference info Gerontological Society of America 65th Annual Scientific Meeting. The theme is "Charting New Frontiers in Aging." Charting implies connections - within and across disciplines, professions, individuals, cohorts, generations, systems, environments, cultures and nations. November , San Diego, California, More info: Conference info ASA's 2013 Aging in America Conference. Each year the field of aging faces numerous challenges and opportunities, and the Aging in America Conference is the place to meet and discuss them. Learn about the latest research and best practices, network with colleagues and stay on top of what's going on in the field. March , Chicago, Illinois, More info: Conference info 7th Annual National Conference for Caregiving Coalitions. Please join with fellow state and local family caregiving coalitions for an exciting day of networking, training and sharing great ideas designed specifically to help you improve the success of your coalition's work. March , Chicago, Illinois, More info: Conference info Forward This was sent to stien@caregiving.org by stien@caregiving.org Update Profile/ Address Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe Privacy Policy. National Alliance for Caregiving 4720 Montgomery Lane suite 205 Bethesda MD 20814