Dear Friends:
June is Pride Month, commemorating the Stonewall riots and the continuing struggles and achievements made by the LGBTQ community. One of FCA’s founding values is to honor diversity and inclusion. We consider family to be an inclusive term and we recognize that caregivers might be friends, partners, and community.
To help address the needs of LGBTQ caregivers, FCA has developed special resources and partnerships to ensure we’re addressing the unique challenges and legal concerns they face. This month FCA joins the world in celebrating Pride Month, and we’re proud to advocate for and support LGBTQ caregivers everywhere.
Sincerely,
Calvin Hu
Education Coordinator
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“What the caterpillar calls the end, the rest of the world calls a butterfly.”
― Lao Tzu
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SPARK Screening Sheds Light on Often-Undiagnosed Disease: Lewy Body Dementia
SPARK, Robin Williams and His Battle with Lewy Body Dementia is a 45-minute documentary offered by the Lewy Body Dementia Association (LBDA). The film, funded by LBDA with support from a grant from Acadia Pharmaceuticals, Inc, focuses on the personal journey Robin and Susan traveled before his death to provide raw insight into this often misunderstood and misdiagnosed disease.
On Wednesday, June 30, FCA will host a free SPARK screening and panel discussion featuring Bruce L. Miller, MD (Director, Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco), and Robin Riddle (Board Member and CEO of Brain Support Network). As part of this screening, Kim Hayes has interviewed LBDA executive director Todd Graham to learn how the film is contributing to greater understanding, detection, diagnosis, and quality care management of LBD.
Please click here to read Kim’s interview, and here to register for the screening. |
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Aging and Intimacy: For Older Adults and Family Caregivers (Recording)
The desire for intimacy does not decrease with age. However, older adults may experience changes that alter the ways in which intimacy can be nurtured both physically and emotionally. While family caregivers often experience changes in roles, expectations, and responsibilities, they also share multiple layers of intimacy.
This class explores various avenues for intimacy and how family caregivers can foster them on their unique caregiving journeys. The discussion will also explore the ways that aging, intimacy, and sex interconnect, as well as the physical and social factors that affect intimacy and sexual health for older adults.
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FCA Offers Education, Advocacy, and Self-Care Support for Spanish-speaking Caregivers
In our primarily English-speaking health care and legal systems, Spanish-speaking family caregivers may find themselves overwhelmed, poorly served, and even mistreated. Fortunately, FCA offers compassionate, evidence-based assistance and support in Spanish at no cost.
FCA’s Adriana Sanchez provides Spanish-language services to family caregivers in the San Francisco Bay Area. Please click here to read about Adriana’s role and how she works with caregivers.
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FCA is Hiring
We’re looking for qualified and interested applicants to fill current openings in our San Francisco office. The positions are: Family Consultant, Community Engagement Specialist, and Caregiver Resource Specialist (National). FCA is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and is committed to creating a diverse environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. Please click here for more information or to apply. |
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Get Your Own Personalized Caregiving Resource Dashboard
Go online to complete a brief questionnaire and get a personal dashboard loaded with information that matches your unique caregiving needs. CareNav, our secure online service, offers quality information, support, and resources for family caregivers of adults with chronic physical or cognitive conditions such as Alzheimer’s, stroke, Parkinson’s, and other illnesses.
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Journaling for Caregivers (webinar recording)
In this hands-on webinar, we explore journaling as a way to relieve stress, find the meaning and purpose that often gets lost in day-to-day activities, and find new ways to share our love with the one we care for. The objectives of the Journaling for Caregivers webinar are to: learn how to free write with no judgements, say what you need to and see how it changes the way you feel, and to find or re-discover hope. This webinar is presented by B. Lynn Goodwin.
To view a recording of this webinar please click here.
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FDA Approves New Alzheimer’s Drug
Aducanumab (sold as the brand name Aduhelm) has just been approved by the FDA. It is the first Alzheimer’s drug to win such approval in 20 years. AARP has written an article for those living with the disease, and their family members and friends on five common questions about the drug. It should be noted that many dementia experts are divided on if the drug will be effective. |
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Caregiver Resource Center Classes
The California Caregiver Resource Centers (CRC) serve families and caregivers of adults affected by chronic and debilitating health conditions (FCA is the San Francisco Bay Area CRC). FCA is now hosting a calendar of classes, workshops, and events compiled from each of the 11 CRCs and open to family caregivers across the country.
For more information on June events, please click here, July events can be viewed here.
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Screening: SPARK – Robin Williams and his Battle With Lewy Body Dementia
The Lewy Body Dementia Association and the producers of Robin’s Wish have teamed up to create a documentary, SPARK: Robin Williams and his Battle with Lewy Body Dementia (LBD). This documentary tells the story of Mr Williams’ battle with undiagnosed Lewy body dementia, delves into the known science behind the disease, and highlights the disease’s impact the person with LBD and their family caregiver. A panel discussion will follow the screening.
This special screening of SPARK is in partnership with the Lewy Body Dementia Association and the Brain Support Network.
When: Wednesday, June 30, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (PT)
Cost: No charge
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Oral Health Techniques for Caregivers
Good oral health is synonymous with good overall health, and the ability to speak and eat remains relevant well into old age. Many caregivers are tasked with the responsibility of taking care of a loved one’s teeth once they are no longer able to for themselves. In this webinar you will learn how to care for someone else’s mouth as if it is your own.
Learning objectives:
- Understand the caregiver’s role in maintaining oral hygiene even for patients who do not express a desire for dental care.
- Have a basic understanding of oral health and hygiene.
- Understand why dentistry is relevant to good health.
- Review oral hygiene techniques.
- Recognize which mouths require professional intervention and how to get it.
Presenter: Dr. Rosa Mathai, DMD is a general dentist in private practice in San Francisco. She was formerly the chief of house call services with House Call Dentists and on staff at Kaiser Permanente and CPMC hospitals in San Francisco, providing dental care in their operating rooms and emergency care to inpatients. Dr. Mathai’s clinical experience spans nearly a decade of practicing safe and comfortable dental care for geriatric and special needs adults, especially those with complex medical needs.
When: Tuesday, July 27, from 11 a.m. to 12 noon (PT)
Where: ONLINE
Cost: No Charge
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When Family Caregivers Feel Used — and Angry About It
In the majority of caregiving situations of an older adult, one person becomes the primary caregiver and takes on most or all of the caregiving responsibilities. In many instances, adult children, relatives, and siblings of these older adults needing care who could offer help do not. AARP caregiving expert Barry J. Jacobs gives some suggestions on what caregivers can do if they feel manipulated or used by other non-contributing family members. |
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What Is Anticipatory Grief And How Does It Work?
Anticipatory grief is the feeling of loss that happens before the physical death of a loved one. It is common among those caring for someone with a terminal illness, or someone living with dementia. Forbes contributor Marissa Conrad explains the basics behind this normal grieving process, how one might feel, the stages, and how to cope with anticipatory grief.
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CAREGIVERS CONNECT:
SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA EVENTS
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護理101
這⼀個講座的⽬的是定義誰是照顧者，被定義為照顧者的重要性，幫助參加者明⽩作為照顧者有機會遇到的影響和需要知道的資訊。
舉⾏⽇期: 6⽉25號星期五 - 11am ⾄ 12pm
收費: 免費
語⾔: 普通話
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Screening: SPARK – Robin Williams and his Battle With Lewy Body Dementia
The Lewy Body Dementia Association and the producers of Robin’s Wish have teamed up to create a documentary, SPARK: Robin Williams and his Battle with Lewy Body Dementia (LBD). This documentary tells the story of Mr Williams’ battle with undiagnosed Lewy body dementia, delves into the known science behind the disease, and highlights the disease’s impact the person with LBD and their family caregiver. A panel discussion will follow the screening.
This special screening of SPARK is in partnership with the Lewy Body Dementia Association and the Brain Support Network.
When: Wednesday, June 30, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (PT)
Cost: No charge
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Caregiving Policy Digest is a publication of the National Center on Caregiving, a program of Family Caregiver Alliance. The newsletter offers a fresh look at the rapidly changing world of caregiving policy―at the local, national, and international levels.
You’ll receive briefings on key legislation, news on innovative public programs, and the latest information on caregiving and long-term care policy at national and state levels. Subscribe here. |
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Professional Research Listings
Graduate Student Research Listings
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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!
You can also help support FCA by choosing us as your Amazon Smile charity. |
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CONNECTIONS CREDITS
Editors: Calvin Hu, Al Martinez
Contributors: Kathleen Kelly, Executive Director, Calvin Hu, Lana Sheridan, Leah Eskenazi
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President: Celine Takatsuno
Vice-President: Keely Stevenson
Treasurer: Wyatt Ritchie
Secretary: Amanda Breeden Warner
Athan Bezaitis, Deborah Kan, Shruti Kothari, Catherine Lelong, Dan Lieberman, Rajiv Mehta, Scott Peifer, Kathleen Raffel, Tiffany Riser, Karen Sperling, Ian Tong
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101 Montgomery Street | Suite 2150 | San Francisco, CA 94104
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