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Vol. 16, No. 11
November 2025
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Dear Friends:
November is National Family Caregivers Month, recognizing the contributions, resilience, and dedication of more than 50 million family caregivers. Family caregivers perform a vital, essential service by tending to the needs of millions of people across the country. The work can be brutally difficult and often makes extraordinary demands on physical and emotional health, relationships, finances, and careers.
FCA is dedicated to supporting and advocating for family caregivers, with accessible resources that are tailored to specific needs and unique situations. Our National Family Caregivers Month post brings together some of these resources including the Smart Caregiving Series, Smart Patients, and Just in Time Tipsheets.
Sincerely,
Calvin Hu
Education Coordinator
edprograms@caregiver.org
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“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”
— Aesop
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LGBTQ+ Advance Directives and Long-Term Care Facility Resources
FCA seeks to support and advocate for family caregivers of all communities. LGBTQ+ caregivers can face unique challenges that may add additional complications, hurdles, and frustrations on top of their caregiving load. Ames Simmons, Senior Lecturing Fellow at Duke Law, has compiled a special list of resources for LGBTQ+ caregivers which FCA is pleased to share here. These resources focus on Advance Care Planning and Finding a LGBTQ+ Friendly Long Term Care Facility.
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Weaving Memories: A Holiday Guide to Preserving Family Stories (online workshop)
Transform meaningful conversations into lasting keepsakes
Join FCA for a free 75-minute online workshop led by Dan Jung, founder of Storia and former caregiver to his grandmother with dementia.
As caregivers, we spend countless hours with our loved ones—but meaningful conversations about their life stories often get lost in the daily routines of care. This session will teach you practical techniques to:
- Facilitate story-sharing that feels natural, not like an interview or interrogation
- Turn storytelling into an engaging activity that brings joy to both you and your loved one
- Capture and preserve memories using voice, photos, and simple documentation tools
Drawing from his caregiving experience and work helping families preserve their stories, Dan will share conversation prompts that spark memories naturally and simple ways to record and organize stories as you gather them. You'll leave with practical tools to start preserving your loved one's stories and create meaningful keepsakes that honor their legacy.
This workshop is perfect for family caregivers seeking to honor their loved one's legacy and create deeper connections through storytelling.
When: Thursday, December 4, from 11 AM to 12:15 PM (Pacific)
Registration: Click here
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Smart Caregiving by FCA: Holiday Caregiving
For many family caregivers, the holidays can bring additional stress and challenges related to family gatherings and social engagements. FCA has recently published a new Smart Caregiving resource to help caregivers better manage this hectic time. Suggested guidance incudes asking for what you need, re-setting expectations, and adapting holiday activities.
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Please help FCA support family caregivers
Did you know that when you donate to Family Caregiver Alliance, a not-for-profit, you help us continue offering essential resources, support and advocacy for family caregivers? Each year, FCA supports thousands of family and friend caregivers as they navigate their caregiving journey.
While each journey is unique, the physical, emotional, and financial toll that caregiving often demands is noteworthy, and our efforts are directed at helping caregivers alleviate some of these great burdens. Please help us support family caregivers with your donation.
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Medi-Cal: The Return of the Asset Limit
Below is an an update from our partners at California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform (CANHR).
After a brief period of expanded access, California plans to reinstate the asset limit for Medi-Cal, once again placing financial eligibility restrictions on older adults seeking healthcare through the state’s Medicaid program. This policy change, effective January 1, 2026, marks a significant reversal from the recent efforts to eliminate barriers for older adults and people with disabilities. Many Medi-Cal beneficiaries want to know how to keep their benefits and services, especially given that the return of the asset limit is fast approaching. This article aims to provide some clarification based on recently released guidance from the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), which provides oversight to California’s Medi-Cal program.
Please click here to view the full post.
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Improving Practice: New Training to Support Diverse Family Caregivers
Family caregivers are essential partners in care, yet their needs often go unrecognized — especially when cultural, linguistic, and social differences shape their caregiving experience. Health care workers and social workers are on the front lines of supporting these caregivers, and having the right skills and awareness can make all the difference.
To meet this need, FCA is proud to present the course “Improving Practice: Working with Diverse Family Caregivers.” This online training helps professionals deepen their understanding of diverse caregiving realities and adopt practical strategies to better support all families.
This four-hour, self-paced course is designed for all professionals who work with family caregivers, with special relevance for social workers. It is available in two versions: Free Version-- Open to all professionals at no cost & NASW-Approved CEU Version for 4 continuing education contact hours (nominal administrative fee).
This training is funded by CalGrows, an initiative of the California Department of Aging, dedicated to strengthening the caregiving workforce and improving services for all families.
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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.
To learn more, click here or register here.
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Taking Care of YOU: Self-Care for Family Caregivers
Self-care is an important, and often overlooked, aspect of caregiving. Practicing self-care will help with mental, emotional, and physical health and will also benefit the person for whom you are providing care. Reading Taking Care of YOU is a useful first step in practicing self-care. Some of the topics covered in this fact sheet include identifying personal barriers, reducing stress, seeking goals, and starting to exercise.
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Depression and Caregiving
It is estimated that over 20 million adults in the United States had at least one major depressive episode. For family caregivers, it is not unusual for caregivers to develop mild or more serious depression as a result of the constant demands they face while providing care. Everyone has negative thoughts or feelings that come and go, but when these feelings become intense, leave you drained, tearful or irritable, it may well be a warning sign of depression. This FCA resource includes information on symptoms, special caregiver concerns, what to do if you think you have depression, and treatment options.
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Holding a Family Meeting
Caregivers are often advised to seek help to lessen the caregiving workload. For many individuals, the natural place to turn for such help is family. FCA’s Holding a Family Meeting fact sheet provides information on how to approach the subject, advice on creating an agenda, lists key points to consider discussing, and explains potential conflicts that may arise.
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FCA Offers Program For Caregivers of People With Dementia
For those facing the challenges of dementia, FCA and Tembo Health have partnered to deliver comprehensive dementia care directly to family caregivers’ homes through the CMS GUIDE Model. It’s free for those with traditional Medicare.
The innovative GUIDE Model (Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience) is designed to transform dementia care, by focusing on a person-centered approach that empowers individuals with dementia and their caregivers.
GUIDE offers: comprehensive care planning, caregiver support, access to critical services (like respite care, transportation, and home modifications), and peace of mind.
To learn more about the GUIDE program and schedule a complimentary consultation click here.
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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 November events, please click here.
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I Can’t Talk to My Ill Spouse Anymore. How Can I Still Find Emotional Support?
Being a caregiver to a spouse or partner can prove very challenging, so AARP has enlisted their caregiving expert, family therapist and clinical psychologist Barry Jacobs, to provide guidance. The particular challenge tackled is finding support and asking for help as a spouse caregiver.
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Five Ways Unpaid Caregivers Can Avoid A Decades-long Financial Setback
For many family caregivers, the financial burdens of providing care can be dire. They are unable to afford to hire additional care needed, but quitting their job to completely devote themselves to caregiving would leave them without income and other work-related benefits like a 401k. Robert Powell writing for Yahoo, provides considerations for those who may be facing this difficult financial situation.
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CAREGIVERS CONNECT:
FCA EVENTS
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Let’s Get Away, Together!
This series is comprised of interactive sessions with each week focusing on a new place or cultural activity, while incorporating storytelling, music, poetry writing, and/or a simple craft. Each session will include a follow-up message filled with tips, activities, and recipes for families to continue to enjoy after the virtual trip. The focus of each group is to explore a new world, experience a variety of engaging opportunities, and enjoy a sense of camaraderie and community.
-November 4th
Encore – Let’s Spend Another Day at the Louvre in Paris, France!
-November 11th
Let’s Experience and Learn More About the Music of the Military!
-November 18th
Let’s Explore the Rugged Coastlines, Alpine Meadows, and Rainforests of Olympic National Park!
-November 25th
Encore – Let’s Travel the Globe to Move Through More Lighthouses!
-December 2nd
Let’s Discover and Celebrate Some Lesser Known December Holidays and Observances!
-December 9th
(In honor of National Crossword Day) Let’s Celebrate the People Who are Cruciverbalists!
-December 16th
Let’s Travel Around the World to Enjoy the Spectacular Decorations for the Holiday Season!
When: Tuesdays, Oct 21-Dec 16 | 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM (Pacific)
Where: ONLINE
Cost: No charge
Registration: Click here
This class is funded by Alameda County Department of Adult and Aging Services, Contra Costa County Area Agency on Aging, the City of San Francisco’s Department of Disability and Aging Services, San Mateo County Aging and Adult Services, Sourcewise, and the California Department of Aging.
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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.
Click here to view archived issues of Policy Digest.
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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!
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CONNECTIONS CREDITS
Editors: Calvin Hu, Al Martinez
Contributors: Kathleen Kelly, Executive Director
Calvin Hu, Ingrid Olivar, Leah Eskenazi
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President: Ian Tong
First Vice President: Karen Sperling
Second Vice President: Deborah Kan
Treasurer: Keely Stevenson
Secretary: Amanda Breeden Warner
Amber Christ, Shruti Kothari, Mary Ellen Kullman, Sarita Mohanty, Ambika Pajjuri, Tiffany Riser, Wyatt Ritchie, Marda Stothers
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