Vol. 10, No. 11
November 27, 2019
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Dear Friends:
November is
National Family Caregivers Month. It is a time to celebrate, and recognize the herculean efforts and sacrifices made by people across the country providing care to family members, partners, relatives, friends, and neighbors.
At FCA, we have been privileged to serve and support family caregivers for over four decades with
advocacy
work, one-on-one
counseling
,
educational materials
,
support groups
, and in-person and
online training
. This month, we join the rest of the nation in celebrating your achievements, mourning your setbacks, and working for a brighter future where you receive the tools and support you deserve.
Sincerely,
Calvin Hu
Education Coordinator
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“
“Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.”
— Nelson Mandela
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Reframing Aging
San Francisco residents, please take a moment to complete the Reframing Aging survey:
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FCA Fact Sheet on Legal Planning for Incapacity in Chinese Updated
Being incapacitated can happen to anyone at anytime. Having the proper legal documents completed and available to family and medical professionals will help ensure your wishes are clearly articulated and will be followed. These documents will also spare family from having to guess your wishes in case of incapacity.
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FCA Staff Visits Artists Anna Fitch and Banker White
Artists Anna Fitch and Banker White hosted FCA staff for a behind-the-scenes look at their newest project,
Heaven Through the Backdoor. Heaven Through the Backdoor documents the story of Yolanda Shae, a fiercely independent woman who chose to approach end of life on her own terms.
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FCA is Hiring
FCA is hiring! We’re looking for qualified and interested applicants to fill a current opening in our San Francisco office for a Social Worker - Family Consultant position. For more information and to apply
click here
. FCA is also seeking a part-time volunteer
Junior Accountant
.
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Enroll in IDEA — Program Designed to Reduce Stress and Increase Activity for the LGBTQ Caregiving Community
IDEA (Innovations in Dementia Empowerment and Action) is a program designed to improve the quality of life of LGBTQ adults living with memory loss and their caregivers. Participants will meet with a coach to learn exercises and strategies related to memory loss. The program includes nine in-person sessions and participants are compensated for their time. For more information, and to apply to participate in IDEA, please
click here.
To be eligible for IDEA, the adult with memory loss or their caregiver must be LGBT. Participants must live in the San Francisco, Los Angeles, or Seattle metropolitan areas.
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Recent Webinar Focuses on Tips for Advance Care Planning
Get the health care you want based on what matters most. This webinar will discuss how to talk about your wishes for care with the important people in your life, and cover how to choose someone to make health care decisions for you if you are unable to do so. The webinar will also cover how to write down your wishes using Advance Heath Care Directives and the Physician Order for Life Sustaining Treatment.
Click here to view a recording.
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Caregiving With Your Siblings During the Holidays
“I’m really worried about the holidays. I’ve got everything under control with my Mom and Dad. Then my sisters and their families come. I tell them that Mom and Dad tire easily and to make sure the grandkids don’t exhaust them. But they don’t listen to me. Mom and Dad can’t say no, everything gets crazy, and I’m the one who has to deal with the resulting mess.”
For caregivers in a similar situation, FCA’s
blog post
by Francine Russo may help you weather the arrival of visiting siblings. Ms. Russo’s advice includes accepting that there will be disruption, being comfortable with delegating tasks to siblings, and making changes to unmanageable meal traditions.
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The Important Thing to Do Before Leaving the Hospital
Managing the hospitalization of a family member, relative, or friend is a common responsibility for family caregivers. During these stressful times, a lot of planning and advocacy is usually required on the part of the caregiver. Next Avenue authors Dr. Jeffrey Schnipper and Carol Levine explain
medication reconciliation, the process used to help avoid prescription medication errors, and a critical task that needs to be completed before discharge.
Article co-author Carol Levine was a presenter on FCA webinar "Discharge Planning is a Family Affair" on hospital discharge planning. The webinar can be viewed
here
.
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Family and Medical Leave: How to Tell Your Boss You Need Time Off
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is a federal program that applies to about 40 percent of US employees.Under FMLA, eligible employees can take a maximum of 12 weeks of unpaid leave to provide care to a newborn, child, parent, or spouse. AARP's Kim Keister explains in detail the
Family and Medical Leave Act and offers practical suggestions on how to approach a supervisor on FMLA.
Information on the nine states that offer or will offer paid family leave can be read
here
.
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CAREGIVERS CONNECT: SF BAY AREA EVENTS
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Caregiver Conversations
—
A Day of Learning, Support, and Information Exchange
Caregiver Conversations is a special event for family and friends caring for an adult living with complex illness, professionals serving caregivers, and Alameda County residents who wish to learn more about family caregiving. Rita Choula, AARP diversity and caregiving expert, will be the keynote speaker. A continental breakfast and lunch will be included. Respite grants are available.
When:
Friday, January 24, 2020, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.(registration starts at 8:30 a.m.)
200 Franklin Street, Oakland 94612 (free parking available — near BART)
Cost:
No charge
Registration: Coming soon
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It Takes Two! A Refreshing Approach to Understanding and Coping With Dementia Behavior
This free four week class offers new skills and tools for family caregivers who care for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias. It Takes Two! offers the opportunity to learn more about your relative or friend’s ability to understand and communicate, new skills to handle troubling behavior, and how to feel more confident and positive about your caregiving role.
Pre-registration is required. This class is for family caregivers specifically, not providers.
When: Thursdays, February 13, 20, 27, and March 5, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
13909 East 14th Street, San Leandro 94578
Cost: No charge
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Headlines From the
October 2019
Caregiving Policy Digest
- National Volunteer Care Corp Announced
- Reducing Hospital Delirium
- Mail Carriers Offer Eldercare in France and Beyond
The entire October 2019 issue is available
here
.
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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.
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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 40 years.
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Follow FCA on Social Media!
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101 Montgomery Street | Suite 2150 | San Francisco, CA 94104
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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.
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Family Care Navigator
state-by-state resources
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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
Al Martinez
Contributors
Kathleen Kelly
Calvin Hu
Lana Sheridan
Leah Eskenazi
Executive Director
Kathleen Kelly
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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
Scott Peifer
Tiffany Riser
Keely Stevenson
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