Vol. 10, No. 6
June 19, 2019
FCA Needs Support of California Residents
FCA and fellow state Ca regiver Resource Centers (CRCs) are advocating for increased services and support for the millions of California family caregivers. To pay for this much needed expansion of services and support, FCA and the CRCs have asked for additional funding from the state budget. Thanks to the help of partner organizations, and the letters, emails, calls, and advocacy of thousands of California residents, the California legislature has endorsed our request!

We now need your help for the last step to secure this funding. Please contact Governor Gavin Newsom and inform him that you support increased funds for California family caregivers, and urge him to approve the CRC budget request.
  • To call Governor Newsom, dial (916) 445-2841.
  • To email Governor Newsom, click here. Fill out the form and choose “Budget Proposal 2019-20" from the subject drop down menu.
Sample phone message or email:

My name is _____________ and I live in _____________, California. I am [calling/emailing] to say that I support the CRC budget augmentation, for increased funding for the California Caregiver Resource Center system. I am asking you to show your support for Californias caregivers by approving the CRC budget request.

Thank you for your continued support of California’s caregivers!

Sincerely,

Calvin Hu
Education Coordinator
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
“Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”

— Francis of Assisi
WHAT’S NEW AT FCA
Thank you for Your Support of California Caregivers

On June 9, the California Legislative Budget Conference Committee approved FCA’s request to expand and improve services for family caregivers across the state of California.This could not have happened without your help and determined grassroots advocacy, sending letters, signing onto letters of support, making calls, and showing up at the state capitol.

We are grateful to our colleagues who sent letters of support and testified on our behalf at the budget hearings: CA Collaborative for Long Term Services and Supports (37 organizational members), CA Association of Adult Day Services (CAADS), AARP, Justice in Aging, Multipurpose Senior Service Program Site Association, Alzheimer’s Los Angeles, Alzheimer’s Association, UC Davis School of Nursing, Cal PACE, The Youth Movement Against Alzheimer’s, and the nearly 1000 other organizations and individual family caregivers that wrote letters of support, signed onto our budget request, or made a call to the budget committee. Thank you!
Summary of Recent FCA Educational Materials and Resources for Caregivers

Throughout the 2018-2019 fiscal year, FCA has expanded its library of resources and educational materials available to caregivers. Ten of our most popular  fact and tip sheets  were translated into  Spanish, Vietnamese, and Chinese (both traditional and simple) . Our  Caregiving 101: On Being a Caregiver  and  Caregiver’s Guide to Understanding Dementia  fact sheets had narration added to them, in English, Cantonese, Mandarin, Vietnamese, and Spanish, to aid caregivers who may have difficulty reading. To help caregivers with stress in practicing self-care, we added relaxation exercise audio playlists onto our  YouTube channel , available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese and Cantonese. Additionally, partner videos from Home Alone Alliance have been added to our online video library, providing the caregivers we serve with even further resources. 
FCA Executive Director Kathleen Kelly Featured Guest on Tote + Pears Podcast

FCA’s Kathleen Kelly joined Tote + Pears co-founder
Amber Anderson for a discussion on women and long-term caregiving. The conversation topics included work and caregiving, the biggest challenges for female caregivers, and daughters as caregivers.
FCA is Hiring

FCA is looking for qualified and interested applicants to fill current openings in our San Francisco office. Please click here to see available positions for Social Worker/Family Consultant – bilingual (English/Cantonese), and Social Worker/Family Consultant.
INFORMATION YOU CAN USE
Hot Weather Tips

Caregivers for older individuals face additional challenges when the temperature rises. Normal physiological changes that occur later in life, medications, or a cognitive impairment can inhibit an older person’s ability to tell if they are suffering from unhealthy temperatures. Please read FCA’s article to learn tips on how to keep a loved one cool, and how to spot the warning signs of a heat related problem.
FREE FCA WEBINAR
Long-Term Care in California: What Is It and Who Pays for It?

Long-term care can mean very different things to different people and matching the right level of service to the recipients is often unreasonably difficult. This webinar will examine the various levels and settings for long-term care, including some of the important rules and interesting issues involved. In addition, we will focus on payment options and how care recipients can identify good providers and maximize their care coverage, while minimizing their expense.

Objectives:
  • List the major points on the long-term care continuum
  • Identify the factors that differentiate good long-term care providers from bad long-term care providers
  • Assess government benefit and private payment options for long-term care

Speaker:
Tony Chicotel is from Cleveland, Ohio and a graduate of The Ohio State University College of Law and the University of California School of Public Policy. He has worked in Las Vegas representing people in mental health facilities, and San Diego as a staff attorney for a program providing free legal services to San Diego County residents aged 60 and older. For the past 13 years, Tony has worked as a staff attorney for California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform in San Francisco and has taught elder law and policy courses in local universities. He has written a number of publications regarding the rights of long-term care consumers, conservatorships, and health care decision making. In 2006, Tony was awarded a California Lawyer Magazine “Attorney of the Year” Award for his work in elder law and in nursing homes.

When: Wednesday, June 26, 11 a.m. to 12 noon (PT)
Where: ONLINE
Cost: No charge
Contact: Calvin Hu, chu@caregiver.org, (415) 434-3388 
Registration: Click here
ARTICLES FOR CAREGIVERS
Look Beyond the Friendly Tour When Choosing Elder Care

Many family caregivers find it difficult to choose a residential living facility for a family member or relative. One way to determine if a facility will be the right fit for a loved one is to tour the facility. However, these tours may not present a realistic picture of what living in the residential facility is really like. Mary Jacobs, Special Contributor for Dallas News, gives tips on how to thoroughly evaluate an elder care facility.

For more information on the types of residential care facilities, and how to select the best one for your situation, please read FCAs tip sheets on residential care here .
Stan Lee and Peter Max: What to Learn From Their Elder Abuse Cases

Elder abuse is a common crime that affects at least ten percent of adults 60 and older. Recently, trusted advisers and family have been arrested or accused of elder abuse committed against Stan Lee and Peter Max. While few Americans are as wealthy as Lee and Max, their cases demonstrate how older Americans of all income levels can and do become victimized by elder abuse. Next Avenue’s Pat Pattison provides tips on how to protect an older family member, relative, or friend from this type of crime.

For more information, please view FCAs webinars on elder abuse and financial elder abuse.
CAREGIVERS CONNECT: SF BAY AREA EVENTS
Fremont Retreat

You are invited to join FCA and the City of Fremont for a FREE one-day retreat designed especially for you, the family caregiver. Enjoy a visit to Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose, located in the historic Mission San Jose district of Fremont. The tree lined campus includes the largest mission-era olive grove in California, a labyrinth, and numerous gardens and green spaces throughout. You’ll enjoy a complimentary breakfast and lunch, educational presentations for caregivers, a therapeutic group activity, and a chance to share your experiences with other family caregivers.

The retreat will be located in the Dominican Center. Click here to view a campus map.

Pre-registration is required. Please let us know if you have a disability and require specific accommodations. Unfortunately we are unable to accommodate professional caregivers at this event. 

When: Thursday, June 20, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
43326 Mission Circle, Fremont 94539
Cost: No charge
Registration:  Click here
Contact: Calvin Hu,  chu@caregiver.org, (415) 434-3388 x 313
Caregiver Conversations

Join FCA for a day of learning, support, and information exchange in Contra Costa County!

This convening is for family and friends caregiving for an adult living with a complex illness (e.g. dementia, general frailty, Parkinson’s, stroke, Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS), Multiple Sclerosis, and similar conditions), and professionals who provide services to caregivers and care receivers in Contra Costa County.

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Heather Young, co-author, Home Alone Revisited study, 2019. Professor and Dean Emerita Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing, UC Davis. 

Welcome by Ken Carlson, Mayor, Pleasant Hill

**Respite services are available on a first-come, first-served basis.**

When: Tuesday, June 25, 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: Pleasant Hill Community Center, Perera Pavilion
320 Civic Drive, Pleasant Hill 94523
Cost: No charge
Registration: Online registration is closed. To register please call Leah, (415) 434-3388.
CAREGIVERS CONNECT: SF BAY AREA PARTNER EVENTS
Caring for the Caregiver

Center for Elders’ Independence “Caring for the Caregiver” program provides information, skills training, and support for family caregivers.Topics for Caring for the Caregiver include: self-care, home safety, and fall prevention, stress reduction, memory loss and cognitive decline, and end-of-life planning.

On-site respite care provided by BACS Adult Day Program. Complimentary dinner included.Participants must attend all sessions.

When: Fridays, June 21, 28, and July 5, 12, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
5714 Martin Luther King Jr. Way
Cost: No charge
Registration: DayBreak at (510) 834-4423
Take Charge!

Take Charge! is a Mission Hospice advance care planning workshop for anyone over the age of 18. At this workshop, participants will learn how to create an advance care plan. This plan includes thinking about what matters most, explaining wishes to family and friends, choosing a health care agent, writing down wishes, and sharing the plan.

Please register before attending this workshop.

When: Thursday, June 27, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Mills-Peninsula Hospital, Auditorium 2
1501 Trousdale Drive, Burlingame
Cost: No charge
Registration: Click here
Teepa Snow — Dementia Caregiver Conference for Professional and Family Caregivers

Join Campos Family Vineyards and Positive Approach to Care for a dementia caregiver conference. The featured speaker is Teepa Snow, who will talk about
brain changes in dementia, using a positive approach to dementia care, and making moments of joy for those living with dementia. The conference is for both professional and family caregivers. A taco bar lunch is available for purchase. Space is limited.

When: Friday, July 12, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
3501 Byer Road, Byron 94514
Cost: $40 (optional $17 for lunch)
Registration: Click here
Your Opinion Matters (Focus Group)

This focus group seeks feedback on the needs of Santa Clara County family caregivers. Adult family members or other informal (unpaid) caregivers age 18 and older, who provide care to individuals 60 years of age and older, are eligible to participate. All participants will receive a $20 Target gift card in appreciation for their time and insights. All information will be kept strictly confidential.

Respite care is available (limited space).

When: Wednesday, August 14, from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Where:  Campbell Recreation and Community Services, C35
1 West Campbell Avenue, Campbell 95008
Registration: Tina Wong-Erling, (408) 866-2147 
FCA FACEBOOK FLASH
FCA’s   Facebook page   offers articles and posts of interest for family caregivers. Please follow our page at www.facebook.com/FamilyCaregiverAlliance .
CAREGIVER POLICY
Headlines From the June 2019 Caregiving Policy Digest
  • ‘Surprise’ Medical Bills Issue Gets Rare Bipartisan Response
  • 2018 Profile of Older Americans
  • Medicare’s New Star Ratings for Rehab Services
  • The Best Time to Visit Your Doc
The entire June 5 issue is available  here .
Do You Get Caregiving Policy Digest?

Published monthly, this e-newsletter focuses on legislation and policy, caregiving research, and media coverage of caregiving issues. The recent issue is available   here. Visit the  archive  for past issues and click  here   to subscribe.
RESEARCH REGISTRY
OUR SUPPORTERS: THANK YOU!
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 40 years.
Your donation makes all the difference!
Follow FCA on Social Media!
101 Montgomery Street | Suite 2150 | San Francisco, CA 94104
Phone: (800) 445-8106 | Email: info@caregiver.org
Visit Family Caregiver Alliance’s  NEW   online solution for secure information, support, and resources for family caregivers of adults with chronic physical or cognitive conditions.    FCA CareJourney  provides a personalized dashboard loa   ded with inform   ation that matches your unique caregiving needs.
Visit  caregiver.org   today and  JOIN!
Visit FCA’s website
Family Care Navigator
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state-by-state resources
Help support Family Caregiver Alliance by choosing FCA as your   Amazon Smile   charity.  
Connections Credits
   
Editors
Calvin Hu
Paria Dea

Contributors
Kathleen Kelly
Calvin Hu
Lana Sheridan
Leah Eskenazi

Executive Director
Kathleen Kelly
FCA Board of Directors

President
Celine Takatsuno

Vice-President
Dan Lieberman

Treasurer
Wyatt Ritchie

Secretary
Kathleen Raffel

Amanda Breeden
Athan Bezaitis
Shruti Kothari
Catherine Lelong
Rajiv Mehta
Chris Park
Scott Peifer
Tiffany Riser
Keely Stevenson