THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE FOR CAREGIVING IS SEEKING FAMILY CAREGIVERS OF VETERANS FOR A NEW STUDY
This study will provide an opportunity for caregivers of Veterans to be heard and improve services for caregivers and Veterans now and in the future.
If you are a family caregiver of a Veteran or know of one, and wish to take part in this study, please sign up at:
www.gwsurvey.com/caregiversofveterans.html.
The National Alliance for Caregiving is seeking participants for a new study of family caregivers of Veterans. This study is intended to determine how caregivers of Veterans are coping and what community and VA services, resources, and programs would support and assist them with their caregiving activities.
Caregivers are defined as those providing unpaid assistance, such as personal care, bathing, dressing, feeding, help with medications and other treatments, transportation to the doctors' appointments, and arranging for services. Caregivers of Veterans from World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War through the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan will be included in the study. Caregivers include relatives and friends.
The study will use discussion groups, telephone interviews, and an Internet survey of caregivers of Veterans. The National Alliance for Caregiving is recruiting many family caregivers of Veterans from across the United States.
Cash incentives will be available for study participants and Veterans who refer them. Information obtained from the discussion groups, telephone interviews, and Internet survey will be confidential and will not be connected to the individual caregivers participating in the study.
Thank you for your consideration to participate in a study that could make a difference in the lives of caregivers of Veterans. Please contact Kathy Cameron at kathleen56@caregiving.org for more information.
This project is funded by a grant from the United Health Foundation.
CARE FOR THE FAMILY CAREGIVER: A PLACE TO START
Caregiving presents considerable challenges-physical, emotional and economic. There is no reason to suffer in silence. If you take away one thing from this booklet, remember, it's always OK to seek and ask for help. Getting help can enable you to become a better caregiver. This booklet is designed to give you an overview of the basic aspects and issues involved with caregiving.
It addresses the following important topics:
- The caregiving journey, told through family caregiver stories
- The basics of family caregiving
- Caregiving tips
- Caregiver training
- Caring for yourself
- Legal and financial issues to consider
- Where to turn for help
METLIFE STUDY OF WORKING CAREGIVERS AND EMPLOYER HEALTH CARE COSTS
If you are responsible for taking care of an elderly relative or friend, it will likely
impact your health and your employer's bottom line. Employees in the U.S. who are caring
for an older relative are more likely to report health problems like depression,
diabetes, hypertension or heart disease, costing employers an estimated average
additional health care cost of 8% per year, or $13.4 billion annually, according to the
MetLife Study of Working Caregivers and Employer Health Care Costs. The report, produced
by the MetLife Mature Market Institute® with the National Alliance for Caregiving in
conjunction with the University of Pittsburgh Institute of Aging, also found that younger
caregivers (ages 18 to 39) cost their employers 11% more for health care than
non-caregivers, while male caregivers cost an additional 18%. It also found that
eldercare may be closely associated with high-risk behaviors like smoking and alcohol
consumption. Exacerbating the potential impact to employers is the possibility that these
medical conditions may also lead to disability-related absences.
NAC RELEASES 2009 CAREGIVING IN THE U.S. SURVEY
Caregiving is still mostly a woman's job and many women are putting their
career and financial futures on hold as they juggle part-time caregiving
and full-time job requirements. This is the reality reported in Caregiving
in the U.S. 2009, the most comprehensive examination to date of caregiving
in America. The sweeping study of the legions of people caring for adults,
the elderly and children with special needs reveals that 29% of the U.S.
adult population, or 65.7 million people, are caregivers, including 31%
of all households. These caregivers provide an average of 20 hours of care
per week.
Caregiving in the U.S., which was funded by MetLife Foundation and conducted for the National Alliance for Caregiving in collaboration with AARP by Mathew Greenwald & Associates, is the result of interviews with 1,480 caregivers chosen at random. The study was designed to replicate similar studies conducted in 2004 and 1997 and includes, for the first time, a sampling of those caring for children as well as those caring for adults over the age of 18.
Caregiving in the U.S. 2009
- Caregiving in the U.S. Executive Summary
- Companion Report of those caring for someone age 50+
- Companion Report of those caring for Children with Special Needs
- Companion Report of those caring for Young Adults Age 18-49
- Companion Report of Ethnicity of those caring for someone age 50+
- Press Release (pdf version)
CARING FOR A DEPRESSED ELDERLY PARENT PODCAST
Listen to another informative episode from the Families for Depression Awareness continuing podcast series: Caring for a Depressed Elderly Parent.
Join Moderator Neil Johnson and Julie Totten, President and Founder of Families for Depression Awareness, with Gail Hunt, President and CEO of the National Alliance for Caregiving, and Jane Richardson who lives with and takes care of her 78 year old mother who has bipolar disorder.
Among other topics, the podcast covers:
- The fact that while depression is not a normal part of aging, fifteen percent of the elderly suffer from it. That's twice as high as the general population.
- Elder care national telephone line (Eldercare Locator: 1-800-677-1116)
- The typical day of a caregiver
- Challenges for the caregiver
- Caregiver support
One important point the podcast emphasizes is that family caregivers themselves are at serious risk for exhibiting depression symptoms. The podcast provides resources for caregivers and family members of caregivers.
If you're a caregiver or have an elderly parent with depression, you'll find this podcast essential. The podcast is available for downloading on iTunes and on the Families for Depression Awareness website at www.familyaware.org.
NEW SURVEY: ECONOMIC CONDITIONS TAKING TOLL ON FAMILY CAREGIVERS AND THEIR ABILITY TO PROVIDE CARE
The Evercare®/National Alliance for Caregiving Survey of The Economic Downturn and Its Impact on Family Caregiving, found that during the past 12 months, almost 20 percent of caregivers report a decline in the quality of care their loved ones receive as a direct result of the recession, and 14 percent say the amount of care they have been able to provide for others during this time period has decreased. The survey is published by Evercare, UnitedHealthcare and the National Alliance on Caregiving.
ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE CAREGIVING ADVISORY BOARD
MEETING SUMMARY
On April 8, 2009, the Alzheimer's Disease Caregiving Advisory Board, convened by the National Alliance for Caregiving, met to discuss how family caregivers and the medical community can work together to work in partnership with primary care physicians, neurologists, nurses and nurse practitioners, social workers, and therapists in understanding the diagnosis and progression of Alzheimer's Disease. To this end, a primary focus is the development and execution of feasible treatment strategies and working to improve the situation for Alzheimer's patients. The facilitated discussion was focused around the three questions.
- How can family caregivers and physicians best work together to develop and carry out therapeutic strategies for patients with Alzheimer's?
- What can nurse practitioners and other allied health professionals do, in concert with family caregivers, to improve the diagnosis and treatment of patients before they can be seen by a neurologist?
- Through what type of formal process can family caregivers most effectively provide direct input into the development of a caregiver's perspective into the Alzheimer's treatment guidelines?
National Family Caregivers Month (NFC Month) -- observed every November -- is a nationally recognized month that seeks to draw attention to the many challenges facing family caregivers, advocate for stronger public policy to address family caregiving issues, and raise awareness about community programs that support family caregivers. For more information visit www.thefamilycaregiver.org or call 800-896-3650.
