July 13, 2006

A look at informal caregivers

The term "caregiver" refers to anyone who provides assistance to someone else who is, in some degree, incapacitated and needs help. "Informal caregiver" and "family caregiver" are terms that refer to unpaid individuals such as family members, friends and neighbors who provide care. These individuals can be primary or secondary caregivers, full-time or part-time, and can live with the person being cared for or live separately.

59-75% of caregivers are female

35-64 years old is the age span of the majority of caregivers

34 million adults (16% of population) provide care to adults aged 50+

8.9 million caregivers (20% of adult caregivers) care for someone over age 50 who has dementia

5.8 - 7 million people (family, friends, neighbors) provide care to people aged 65+ who need assistance with everyday activities

37 million unpaid family caregivers are estimated to be providing long-term care services by 2050, an increase of 85% from 2000

Resources for caregivers
Working with older adults can mean working with their caregivers as well. It's important to remember that seniors may be better served when their caregivers are given helpful resources.

The Family Caregiver Alliance offers a host of fact sheets on caregiving issues, health conditions and legal issues that you can download and print for the caregivers with whom you come in contact. Fact sheet topics include:

• Advocacy Tips for Family Caregivers
• Caregiver's Guide to Understanding Dementia Behaviors    
• Caregivers' Guide to Medications and Aging
• Caregiving and Depression 
• End-of-Life Choices
• Home Away from Home: Relocating Your Parents 
• Taking Care of YOU: Self-Care for Family Caregivers
• Work and Eldercare
• Alzheimer's Disease
• Parkinson's Disease
• Stroke
• Finding an Attorney
• Protective Proceedings: Guardianships and Conservatorships
• Durable Powers of Attorney and Revocable Living Trusts
• Legal Issues in Planning for Incapacity
  

The FCA website has the entire list of fact sheets available. Some fact sheets are also available in Spanish and Chinese.

Helping you help caregivers
If you would like to offer more direct service to caregivers, FCA offers a toolkit for Controlling Frustration: A Class for Caregivers. Both the leader's and participant's manuals are available in English and Spanish for a nominal fee. More information is available on the FCA website.

Indiana caregiver statistics
FCA recently published The Caregiving Across the States Online Resource which details results from a 2-year, 50-state caregiving study. The goal of the study was to profile the experience of all 50 states and the District of Columbia since the passage of the National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP) in providing publicly funded caregiver support services to family and informal caregivers of older people and adults with disabilities.

Click here to read Indiana's profile.

Indiana Alzheimer's caregiver study seeks participants
Jacquelyn Frank, PhD, Associate Professor at the University of Indianapolis Center for Aging & Community, is currently conducting a research project on Alzheimer's family caregivers titled, Ethnicity, Race and Gender Effects on the Emotional Needs and Information Preferences of Spouse and Adult-Child Alzheimer Caregivers.

The purpose of Frank's study is to better understand the emotional needs of family caregivers in Indiana and to learn what types of information and programs caregivers believe could help lower their level of stress. Phase I of her research, which took place during Spring 2006, consisted of focus groups with spouse and adult child caregivers. Phase II consists of a survey to be completed by caregivers who provide care to either a parent or a spouse with dementia. As part of her study, Frank is including family caregivers who may have a parent or spouse residing in assisted living or a nursing home, as well as those who are caring for spouses or parents in their own homes.

To date, the study has gathered survey data from 225 family caregivers from across Indiana. However, Frank is hoping to receive feedback from at least 350 caregivers by the end of September 2006.

She plans to present preliminary findings from her research at the Gerontological Society of America's annual conference in November 2006. The data from this study will be used to help community organizations and agencies in Indiana design programs and services that will better meet the emotional needs of caregivers throughout the duration of their caregiving journey.   

The Alzheimer's Association of Greater Indiana is offering administrative support to Frank for this study.

If you have questions about the study or if you know any family caregivers who may like to participate in this important research, please contact Dr. Jacquelyn Frank at the University of Indianapolis: (317) 791-5944 or jfrank@uindy.edu. To download a printable version of the survey, please go to the CAC homepage and click the survey link.

Course offers help for caregivers
CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions and the Alzheimer's Association of Greater Indiana are offering a six-session course, Powerful Tools for Caregivers, designed to giver caregivers tools to take care of themselves. Caregivers will learn to reduce stress, improve self-confidence, better communicate their feelings, balance their lives, increase their ability to make tough decisions, and locate helpful resources. The class will take place from 4:00-6:30pm on Wednesday afternoons, from August 16-September 20 at the Alzheimer's Association in Indianapolis, 9135 N. Meridian St, Suite B-4. The cost is $15 and includes a copy of The Caregiver Helpbook . This course is open to all caregivers, not only those caring for someone with Alzheimer's. If you know of someone who could benefit from this course, encourage them to call the Alzheimer's Association at 1-800-272-3900.

Around the state

Generations Area 13 Agency on Aging is kicking off "EngAGE Communities" -- a community-based planning and action initiative. EngAGE aims to prepare communities for the graying of America by envisioning, planning, and creating elder-friendly places that meet the basic needs and nurture the aspirations of older adults. Generations is partnering with the cities of Huntingburg and Linton to pilot the initiative. Kick off meetings are scheduled for July 25 in Huntingburg and August 3 in Linton. For more information, contact Nichole Like, Director of Community Development, at (812) 888-4854.

FSSA unveils OPTIONS program for long-term care -- The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration recently introduced the State's new OPTIONS program that will promote and support the full range of long-term care options for older Hoosiers. To learn more, visit the OPTIONS website.

State Chamber offers directory -- The Indiana Chamber of Commerce recently published the State Agency Directory, which includes information about all state agency directors as well as a map of state government buildings. The guidebook can help you know who's who at the state, plan senior advocacy activities and pursue state grants. To order a copy of the directory, please call 1-800-824-6885.

Grant expands older adult exercise/healthy living programs -- OASIS, an educational organization for mature adults, sponsored by Clarian Health Partners, has received a two-year, $150,000 grant from the Anthem Foundation to expand exercise and healthy living programs to older adults in the greater downtown Indianapolis area. The grant will help fund Active Start, a comprehensive fitness and wellness program for adults age 55 and older. Active Start classes will be taught in community settings where older adults live and congregate. Classes began in June at the Fountain Square Center, which houses the Southeast Health Center, Southeast Community Services and the University of Indianapolis Center for Aging & Community. CAC is providing classroom space for the Active Start classes. For more information, call Kimberly Rusununguko at (317) 253-1951.

Networking Breakfasts for Alzheimer's professionals -- The Alzheimer's Association of Indiana is sponsoring free networking breakfasts to provide professionals working in Alzheimer's care the opportunity to meet informally and interact with other professionals working in the field. Upcoming breakfasts include:

Ft. Wayne - Wednesday, July 19, 2006, 7:30-9:00am at the Ft. Wayne Alzheimer's Association, 6324 Constitution Dr. Topic: Memory Care Medication Updates

Warsaw - Tuesday, July 25, 2006, 7:30-9:00am at the Warsaw Senior Center, 800 N Park Ave. Topic: Daily Programming for High Functioning & Low Functioning Patients

Home Services Unlimited receives top rating -- HSU has been rated by Home Health Compare, a national database of home health providers' performance, as the number one provider in the Indianapolis area for reduction of pain associated with mobility. According to Home Health Compare's data, 82% of HSU patients report "less pain when moving around." The geographic peer group included 22 different home health care providers.

Nonprofit news

Training Opportunities - The Indiana Nonprofit Resource Network, hosted by the Indiana Association of United Ways, offers trainings on a variety of topics throughout the state. You do not have to be a United Way agency to participate.

Upcoming events include:

"Board Recruitment and Orientation," July 25 - Terre Haute
"Soliciting the Individiual Donor," August 10 - Logansport
"Fiscal Management," September 7 - Greensburg
"Legal Issues for Nonprofits," October 25 - Evansville

For more information, check out the INRN calendar, searchable by month or region, at http://www.iauw.org/NRNCalendar.htm or call 1-800-457-1450.

Updated book on nonprofit housing -- If nonprofit housing is on your organization's horizon, you may be interested in the latest edition of a classic book, Developing Affordable Housing: A Practical Guide for Nonprofit Organizations, Third Edition by Bennett L. Hecht. Click here to read excerpts, purchase a copy, or order an e-book version.

Grants to go for

AoA announces grants for prevention programs for older adults -- The U.S. Administration on Aging, in conjunction with several other Health and Human Services (HHS) agencies, has announced a $15 million collaboration with Atlantic Philanthropies to support the implementation of evidence-based programs that have proven to be effective in reducing the risk of disease and disability among older people. Under this initiative, AoA will provide competitive grants to states to establish evidence-based programs in at least three geographic areas. These programs will be delivered at the local level through aging services provider organizations, such as senior centers, nutrition programs, and faith-based organizations, in coordination with area agencies on aging and other partners. State Units on Aging and State Health Departments are eligible to submit grant applications by August 31.  For more information, read the Program Announcement or the HHS press release. 

Land O'Lakes Foundation Community Grants Program provides support through cash grants to nonprofit organizations that are working to improve rural communities in Indiana. Specifically Land O' Lakes includes organizations that work to alleviate hunger and are active in addressing and solving community problems. For more information and an application go to www.foundation.landolakes.com

The resource file

Chinese exercise may preserve memory -- Tai Chi and Qigong are two slow and gentle types of Chinese body-mind exercises that can help older people prevent memory loss and slowed thinking. A National Expert Advisory Group recently issued a Consensus Report summarizing benefits and identifying areas for future research on Tai Chi and Qigong. Click here to read the report, which offers guidance on how to begin a Tai Chi or Qigong program in your organization.

Our Parents, Ourselves: How American Health Care Imperils Middle Age and Beyond -- This book by Turiel J. Steinberg was recently reviewed in the Annals of Internal Medicine.  According to the review, this book "addresses basic concerns about the care of aging family members. The author discusses the transition from independent to dependent living, options for long-term care, and personal choice in these decisions. The next section covers patterns of cognitive decline and has tables on common medications, clinical patterns, and protective and exacerbating factors. The author explores components of health care central to aging, including prescription drugs (use and cost), health care rationing (implicit and explicit), and discussion of end-of-life care, as well as ethical dilemmas, such as euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. Each topic is addressed within the context of the U.S. health care system. Considerable attention is given to Medicare and Medicaid and how its inadequacies may affect access to and attainment of high-quality care for older U.S. citizens."

Related reading includes My Mother's Hip: Lessons from the World of Eldercare by Luisa Margolies, which was published in February 2004.

Have something to say?

If you have an idea or suggestion for the IANA e-news, or if your organization has an announcement you would like published, please contact Amy Magan at amagan@uindy.edu or (317) 791-5933. All submissions are subject to editing for length and clarity.

The IANA e-news is published the second Thursday of each month by the University of Indianapolis Center for Aging & Community.

University of Indianapolis Center for Aging & Community
901 S. Shelby Street  Indianapolis, IN 46203
(317) 791-5930 PHONE  (317) 791-5945 FAX  http://cac.uindy.edu