Amendment to the Illinois Act on the Aging (H.B. 4508)

• This bill expands the Department on Aging's Long Term Care Ombudsman Program to include advocacy services for residents of community-integrated living arrangements.

An Act Relating to Palliative Care (H.B. 1994)

• This bill amends Chapter 191, RSMo, to create the Missouri Palliative Care and Quality of Life Interdisciplinary Council, a palliative care consumer, professional information, and education program designed to improve the quality and delivery of state patient-centered and family-focused care.

AARP: Governor Takes Steps to Address Needs of NY's 50+ Middle Class            

• This statement from the New York division of AARP highlights Governor Andrew Cuomo's new proposal for paid family leave, which would serve to assist caregivers of aging parents, spouses, and other loved ones, and his continuing advocacy for family caregivers through the expansion of advanced home health aides and other caregiver support services.

An Act Relating to the Division of Elderly Affairs (H.B. 7178)

• This bill establishes a community senior services grant program through the Division of Elderly Affairs to provide financial assistance to municipalities and nonprofit organizations that operate senior centers and/or senior programs that assist older residents to remain living in the community.

An Act to Adopt the Elder Abuse Task Force's Statutory Recommendations (S.B. 54)

• This bill amends existing statute to include the recommendations of the Elder Abuse Task Force in order to protect South Dakota seniors and adults with disabilities from abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

Dementia Crisis Unit Pilot Program (A.B. 786)

• This bill requires the Department of Health Services to prepare a report describing where individuals with dementia are currently placed in crisis situations and proposes a pilot program for coalitions of two or more counties to create dementia crisis units that provide a therapeutic environment for these individuals.

Funding for Dementia Care Specialists (A.B. 788)

• This bill increases funding to the Department of Health Services for fiscal year 2016-2017 to authorize dementia care specialist staff increases in aging and disability resource centers in counties with a population under 150,000. The bill also increases funding for the training of dementia care specialists in these resource centers.

'A Lot of Things Passed Me by': Rural Stroke Survivors' and Caregivers' Experience of Receiving Education From Health Care Providers

• This research featured in The Journal of Rural Health examines rural Appalachian Kentucky stroke survivors' and caregivers' experiences of receiving education from health care providers with the long-term goal of optimizing educational interactions and interventions for rural populations. Results of the study suggest that improved access to educational providers, proactive identification of informational needs by providers, and greater inclusion of caregivers in education are integral to supporting health behavior changes to improve life poststroke and to prevent future strokes.

General Practice Based Psychosocial Interventions for Supporting Carers of People with Dementia or Stroke: A Systematic Review

• This BMC Family Practice research review describes the dearth of literature that investigates the impact of supportive interventions for family caregivers of individuals with dementia or stroke. The available evidence suggests that interventions such as the provision of information and educational materials serve to improve carer well-being and emotional health, but that the impact on physical health and social conditions is less clear.

A Palliative Care Doctor Weighs California's New Aid-In-Dying Law

• This NPR article profiles the response of a palliative care doctor, Carin van Zyl, to the passage of California's new aid-in-dying law. Van Zyl expresses her concern that the law might lead people to consider lethal medications over other options that may better accommodate their wishes. She describes the ways in which palliative care can often relieve much of the suffering that prompts people to ask for death. She also thinks more should be done to make palliative medicine more accessible so we can aid patients in choosing the best course of action for their care.

Elder Orphans: The Need for Community

• In this Huffington Post blog post, aging advocate Carol Marak highlights the plight of aging adults who live alone or at a great distance from spouses, children, or other loved ones--sometimes called "elder orphans." According to Marak, 22 percent of Americans 65 and older are in danger of becoming elder orphans, and often suffer from depression and feelings of isolation. She offers suggestions for building community and starting a national conversation about those aging alone and sharing resources for support, including a significant social media presence.

More Research Needed to Prevent Elder Abuse

• This Fox News Health report argues that more research is needed to prevent the maltreatment and abuse of elders, which can have significant effects on their health, quality of life, and lifespan. A study issued by researchers at Bar Ilan University in Israel found relatively little research addressing elder maltreatment that met scientific standards, and lacked specificity about the quality of interventions or the type of caregivers they target, and calls for more well-developed research into these matters.

Caregiving Innovation Presents $279 Billion Opportunity

• This Home Health Care News story details how the The Caregiving Innovation Frontiers (CIF) study supports the prediction that the caregiving market will drastically grow over the next four years. According to the study, by 2020 there will be far more Americans needing assistance of some kind than unpaid caregivers, which will create a strong demand in tapping into the needs of caregivers.

Senior Care Startup Will Give Equity, Employee Status to Caregivers

• According to this Forbes article, Honor, a startup that provides home care for seniors in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles, announced recently that it will make its caregivers employees. This decision marks a departure from its original Uber-like marketplace that matched freelancing care providers with the elderly and infirm. Employees will now be eligible for health benefits and be entitled to paid sick leave and training opportunities, among still other benefits.

Tech's New Wrinkle: Silicon Valley Still Doesn't Get 'Old'

• This Newsweek Tech & Science feature describes how the technology industry has long focused on catering to well-off young professionals while shying away from older adults and those who take care of them. The author also offers insight into the many developments that could significantly change the aging experience a decade from now (for example, in adapting virtual-reality glasses, driverless cars, and wearables to satisfying the needs of older adults).

Alzheimer's and Dementia Care Relief Grant Program

• Hilarity for Charity and the Home Instead Senior Care network are collaborating to award home care grants to those providing care to their loved ones living with Alzheimer's disease or other dementias.
• The grants will be awarded across the United States and Canada, and are meant to contribute to the provision of exceptional home care to families affected by this disease, and to give these families support and rest.

Family Caregiver Alliance's Social Media Campaign

• FCA has launched a campaign to raise awareness across social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, about the 40 million U.S. family caregivers who provide approximately $470 billion of unpaid service annually.
• FCA is currently posting photographs of caregivers across the country holding a sign that reads, "I am a Caregiver for my ________," to recognize and publicize the invaluable service family caregivers provide.
• To participate in the campaign, visit this page, where you can download your "I am a Caregiver for my ________" sign.

Put Your Family Caregiving on the Map (from the Atlas of Caregiving Pilot)

•   The Atlas of Caregiving Pilot offers information on how caregivers can create their own care map.
• A care map is a helpful way to visually represent all the people and services involved in a family caregiving situation.
• Once completed, the map will show all the individuals who are providing care and the relationships between them.

Winners announced in the 2015 Rosalinde Gilbert Innovations in Alzheimer's Disease Caregiving Legacy Awards

• FCA and The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2015 Rosalinde Gilbert Innovations in Alzheimer's Disease Caregiving Legacy Awards. Four remarkable nonprofit programs that address the needs of caregivers for people with Alzheimer's disease won in three categories: Creative Expression, Policy and Advocacy, and Diverse/Multicultural Communities. The programs were selected in a national competition and each will receive $20,000.

Resources for CBOs: The SCAN Foundation Linkage Lab Initiative

• The SCAN Foundation, through its Linkage Lab Initiative, offers a suite of resources for CBOs seeking partnerships with the health care sector. Resources include the following:
• Case studies from the first cohort of Linkage Lab grantees, which include information about their key objectives and strategies, successes, challenges, and lessons learned.
• Free online learning modules for CBOs to build leadership and management capacity.
• Perspectives from Dr. Bruce Chernof on the importance of forming effective health care/CBO partnerships.

The Community Research Center for Senior Health (CRC-SH) Releases a New Resource in the Arena of Evidence Based Programs (EBPs)

CRC-SH has developed a free web-based toolkit to guide CBOs through the selection, implementation, and evaluation of EBPs to better promote older adult health and well-being.

NOTE: All FCA/NCC Caregiving Policy Digest Research Registry listings are displayed in the manner they were received by FCA/NCC.

• Quality of Life Assessment for Caregivers of People with Traumatic Brain Injury
• Life Enhancing Activities for Family Caregivers (LEAF)

• The lived experience of hope among male caregivers during end of life care: a phenomenological study
• Relationships and Anticipatory Grief Levels among Alzheimer's Family Caregivers