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Vol. 7, No. 11
November 16, 2016
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Dear Friends:
November is National Caregiver Month. It’s the month dedicated to celebrating, honoring, and supporting you, one of 40 million family caregivers across the country.
November was also an important election month.
And while you may be either dismayed or pleased by the results, one thing we can certainly all agree on is that caregivers need more support, and should no longer be taken for granted. As a family caregiver, your voice is a powerful one and it deserves to be heard.
Family caregivers are experts in caregiving, possessing very specialized, hard earned skills, and emotional toughness. As an expert, who then is better than you to advocate for yourself, your loved one, and your fellow caregivers? Elected officials create policy, and decide on budget priorities, locally and nationally.
By writing, calling, and meeting your elected officials, you can educate them on what exactly it is to be a caregiver, and help them create policies and programs to support family caregivers. This month and in the coming year we hope you will contact your elected officials, enlighten them, and gain an ally to help fight for you, and caregivers nationwide.
As always, FCA will continue to advocate for you, in the San Francisco Bay Area, in Sacramento, and in Washington D.C.
P.S. On Monday, November 21, our office will move to a new location. The address is: 235 Montgomery Street, Suite 950, San Francisco 94104
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“
This month, and every month, let us lift up all those who work to tirelessly advance the health and wellness of those they love. Let us encourage those who choose to be caregivers and look toward a future where our politics and our policies reflect the selflessness and open-hearted empathy they show their loved ones every day
.”
—
Barack Obama, president
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Presidential Proclamation on National Family Caregivers Month
Caregivers and caregiving has increasingly become part of the national dialogue. As such,
President Obama issued a proclamation celebrating National Family Caregivers Month. Connections has quoted a part of his proclamation above. You can read the entire text at the White House website.
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FCA’s Kathleen Kelly Named ‘Influencer in Aging’
FCA is honored that
Next Avenue
has named Executive Director
Kathleen Kelly
one of 50
Influencers in Aging
for 2016. Influencers are chosen based on their “tireless work, passion, and an unspoken, but shared mission to unleash the potential power of older people.” Additionally, Next Avenue influencers were selected for their dedication to work that improves the lives of older adults.
You can read about the selection process here.
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San Francisco Votes ‘Yes’ on Dignity Fund
FCA would like to thank those in San Francisco for your support of Proposition I, creating the Dignity Fund. The Dignity Fund will secure funding for services and support for seniors, veterans, adults with disabilities, and adults with serious chronic health conditions. The fund will also grow with San Francisco's revenues in anticipation of an aging population.
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San Francisco LGBT Dementia Care Project Featured in the San Francisco Bay Times
The San Francisco Bay Times, recently published an article about the
LGBT Dementia Care Project. The story gives a detailed account of the stages and goals of the collaboration between FCA, the
Alzheimer’s Association, and
Openhouse
. T
he project seeks to
increase access to dementia care for LGBT senior
s and adults with disabilities. Free training will be available to San Francisco health and social service providers on the dementia care needs in the LGBT community
and their caregivers.
(800) 272-3900.
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CANHR Publishes Free Booklet on the New Medi-Cal Recovery Laws
California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform (CANHR) has recently published a revised booklet on the Medi-Cal recovery laws that will go into effect starting January 1, 2017. These new laws will effect the assets of a Medi-Cal recipient
who dies on or after the start of 2017.
This booklet can be downloaded for free here.
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Nine to Ninety Available to Stream
Nine To Ninety can now be viewed
online
. This short documentary film tells the love story of Phyllis and Joe Sabatini, happily married for more than 60 years. Nine to Ninety documents the difficult end-of-life decisions the Sabatinis and their multi-generational family face, similar decisions many families experience. T
he increased burden of care ultimately leads Phyllis to the heartbreaking choice to move cross the country without her husband, daughter, or grandchildren.
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Caregiving 101: On Being a Caregiver
This newly published FCA Fact Sheet
provides an overview of caregiving for both new and experienced caregivers. Caregiving 101: On Being a Caregiver provides keys to self-care which include accepting that you cannot be perfect, setting realistic expectations for yourself and the person that you are caring for, and learning to say “no” to things you cannot do. This Fact Sheet
also introduces the “IRS of Caregiving,” also known as “Information, Respite, and Support.”
As part of National Family Caregivers Month (November), this Fact Sheet is available for download at no charge. To purchase a printed copy of this Fact Sheet delivered to your mailbox, please visit FCA’s
online order form. A print friendly format is also available.
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Advocacy Tips for Family Caregivers
Family caregivers, by virtue of necessity, become experts on caregiving. This is why family caregivers make great advocates, educating public officials so they can create policy and programs that support the crucial work family caregivers perform.
Advocacy Tips for Family Caregivers o
ffers information on how you can contact your local, state, and federal elected officials to advocate for yourself and the person for whom you are providing care.
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Six Very Good Reasons Why Family Caregivers Need A Union
Ann Brenoff, writing for the Huffington Post, makes the argument for creating a union for family caregivers. Some of the benefits this caregiver union might negotiate for are pay for caregivers, reimbursement for caregiving expenses, legal workplace protections, and credits towards Social Security. Read the article here.
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How to Talk About End-Of-Life Care When a Loved One Has Alzheimer's Disease
The Conversation Project has published an informative
blog post on understanding end-of-life wishes of a family member or loved one with dementia. The post gives a number of tips and strategies for starting this discussion, in addition to a free specially designed dementia Starter Kit.
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CAREGIVERS CONNECT: SF BAY AREA EVENTS
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Communicating and Advocating With Medical Professionals
Navigating our health care system for the first time can be a daunting experience, often leaving family caregivers confused and frustrated by an unsympathetic and bureaucratic system. This workshop will help to clarify the current realities of the health care experience for caregivers. Participants will learn to use effective communication techniques and powerful communication tools to become better healthcare advocates for the persons for whom they are caring.
1301 Ralston Avenue, Belmont 94002
Cost: No Charge
Registration: Silverado Belmont Hills Memory Care front desk (650) 264-9020
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CAREGIVERS CONNECT: SF BAY AREA PARTNER EVENTS
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Annual Circle of Care Conference for Families
At this Alzheimer’s Association educational conference, caregivers and professionals will have the opportunity to learn more about Alzheimer’s disease. The conference will include presentations on the current therapies available, an explanation of the village movement, the importance of end-of-life conversations, and more.
The conference includes breakfast/lunch and exhibitor fair.
When: Friday, December 2, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
1221 Chess Drive,
Foster City 94404
Cost: $50 general admission, $100 professionals
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Professional Research
Graduate Student Research
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OUR SUPPORTERS: THANK YOU!
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We would like to take a moment to extend a warm thank you to the many generous supporters who make the work we do possible through thoughtful donations to Family Caregiver Alliance.
FCA has led the way in supporting family caregivers for over 35 years.
Your donation makes all the difference!
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Follow FCA on Social Media!
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785 Market Street | Suite 750 | San Francisco, CA 94103
Phone: (800) 445-8106 | Email: [email protected]
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Family Care Navigator
Caregiver tool for
state-by-state resources
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Family Caregiver Alliance’s fee-for-service care management currently serving the San Francisco Bay Area. Click here for further information.
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Help support Family Caregiver Alliance by choosing FCA as your
Amazon Smile
charity.
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Connections Credits
Editors
Calvin Hu
Michelle Venegas
Contributors
Kathleen Kelly
Calvin Hu
Lana Sheridan
Michelle Venegas
Leah Eskenazi
Communications and Layout
Francesca Pera
Executive Director
Kathleen Kelly
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President
Jacquelyn Kung
Vice-President
Dan Lieberman
Treasurer
Jeff Kumataka
Athan Bezaitis
Wanda Borges
Herman S. Brown, Jr.
Tricia Dell
Ping Hao
Catherine Lelong
Rajiv Mehta
Chris Park
Scott Peifer
Kathleen Raffel
Celine Takatsuno
F. Burns Vick
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