October 19, 2006

November is National Family Caregivers Month

Older adults may find themselves in more than one family caregiver role. The "traditional" role is that of caring for an aging parent or spouse. Another caregiving role that many of today's older adults assume is that of raising grandchildren.

4.5 million - children in the U.S. live in grandparent-headed households, which accounts for 6.3% of all children under age 18.

81,537 - Indiana children (5.2%) live in grandparent-headed households.

39,180 - of Indiana children living in grandparent-headed households are living there without either parent present.

48,181 -  Hoosier grandparents report they are responsible for their grandchildren living with them. Twenty percent of these grandparents are African-American; 4% are Hispanic/Latino; and 74% are White. 

Source: AARP Grandparenting Resources

National grandparents group
has Indiana roots

In 2003, six women in South Bend, Indiana who were raising their grandchildren formed their own support group when the one they had been attending disbanded. By March 2003, the group incorporated and trademarked the name Grandparents As Partners (G.A.P.) Limited. Within a few months, more than 20 families were involved in the group, which offers services beyond emotional support.

In April 2006, the group formed GrandFamilies (GFA) of America , a Title I C-3 organization, with chapters in Indiana, Michigan and Florida and forming in 22 other states and a staff of volunteers at its national headquarters in South Bend. The focus of GFA is to be an extension of the Navigator Program which currently exists in Indiana. The Navigator Program is a statewide network of attorneys and students from the law schools at Valparaiso University, Notre Dame University and Indiana University - Bloomington who help people navigate the legal processes for obtaining guardianship or custody of their grandchildren. GFA works closely with Generations United, AARP, the Children's Defense Fund, and the Child Welfare League of America.

In addition to the Navigator Program, G.A.P. Limited, the Indiana chapter of GFA, offers other services to grandparents including a clothing bank in South Bend to help grandparents outfit their grandchildren, who often arrive with nothing more than the clothes they are wearing; support groups in more than 24 Indiana counties; and a partnership with Nanny & Pappy's Respite Farm in Muncie, which offers a retreat for children over age five who are being raised by their grandparents.

The group is currently working the the United Religious Community to raise money to build Legacy Housing for grandparents raising grandchildren in South Bend. Legacy Housing will be a gated community with 32 apartments, a community meeting house, and programming such as computer classes and health promotion.

If you are interested in starting a G.A.P Limited support group in your area or you would like to refer a client to the organization, please call toll-free 1-866-272-3761. For more information on the efforts of GrandFamilies of America, please visit their website. For information on G.A.P. Limited and the services provided in Indiana, please call (574) 232-6890 or e-mail gapltdin@sbcglobal.net.

Other grandparenting resources
If you have clients who are raising grandchildren, check out the following:

• Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: Legal and Policy Challenges: A video-based educational package.
• Relatives as Parents Program:  Offers a series of fact sheets with Indiana-specific information on education, finances, legal services, medical consent, medical services, mental health and tips for working with agencies.
• Grant County RAPP: for grandparents living in or near Marion, Indiana. Call Lisa Cart at (765) 662-9971.
• Second Time Around: Support group at the Martin Luther King Multi-Service Center in Indianapolis. Contact Alice Oliver at (317) 923-4581.

Around the State
IHCA Board votes to open membership to ADS and AFC providers - At its Annual Business Meeting in October, the Indiana Health Care Assocation voted to open IHCA's membership to both adult day service and adult foster care providers, effective January 1, 2007. For more information, visit the IHCA website  or contact Amanda Hase, member communications manager, at (317) 636-6406, x105.

Almost Home: How We Live as We Age - a 2006 Indianapolis Spirit and Place Festival event, will take place Thursday, November 9 from 6:30-8:30pm at the University of Indianapolis, Schwitzer Student Center. Admission is free. Presented by University of Indianapolis Center for Aging & Community, WFYI Outreach and CICOA Aging & IN-Home Solutions. For more information, visit the CAC website or contact Kay Crawford at (317) 791-5934.

Arts and Aging workshop - Partners, a creative arts program for people with memory loss, in conjunction with the John Waldron Arts Center and Indiana University, will host a day-long arts and aging workshop on Wednesday, November 15 from 9:00am - 4:00pm focusing on the vital relationship between creative expression and the quality of life of older adults. The workshop fee is $10/person and includes lunch and materials. Those registering before November 3 will have their registration fee returned to them the day of the event. For more information, contact Roger Meridith at (812) 334-3000, x105.

"Connections 2006," a workshop for caregiving grandparents - will be held in Muncie on Saturday, October 28 from 8:30-noon at High Street United Methodist Church. For more information, contact Judy Rust at (765) 759-1121.

Toolkit for Non-Profits Symposium - will be hosted by the Non Profit Alliance (NPA) for Monroe County and Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs on Friday, November 3 and Saturday, November 4. For more information and to register, visit the NPA website.

Wellness trail opened East Central Indiana AAA - LifeStream Services, Inc., the local Area Agency on Aging for East Central Indiana, recently opened the LifeTrail, a system of 10 exercise stations to promote wellness for older adults, along the Cardinal Greenway community trail in Muncie. For more information on creating a similar experience for the seniors you serve, contact Donna Penticuff at (765) 759-1121.

Renovated school becomes senior housing complex - The former Westside Middle School in Union City, Indiana is now Hoosier Place, a 31-unit apartment complex for adults age 55 and over. Hoosier Place is an affordable housing project; rents are based on income guidelines. LifeStream Services, Inc. and it housing affiliate, Quality Housing Development, Inc. are planning a similar project for an inner-city school in Anderson. To inquire about how to undertake a similar venture in your community, contact Sally Harker at (765) 759-1121.

Senior art competition and exhibit - Do you know any older adults residing in Fayette, Franklin, Rush, Union or Wayne Counties with artistic talent? Encourage them to enter the art competition and exhibit for seniors age 60 and over, sponsored in November by the Area 9 Agency on Aging, with the support of Indiana University East. For more information, contact Judy Ford at (765) 966-1795.

The resource file
Check out these recommendations from AARP's Office of Academic Affairs:

Holistic aging - Baby boomers who have used non-traditional treatments to medical issues in their younger years are likely to increase the demand for such care in their retirement years. Read up on the subject in Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Older Adults: A Guide to Holistic Approaches to Healthy Aging , by Elizabeth Mackenzie and Birgi Rakel (Springer, 2006).           

Films explore aging issues - "Let's Face It: Women Explore Their Aging Faces" (26 minutes).
Exploration by mid-life and older women about the meaning of age as revealed in the face. "Everyday Choices" (28 minutes). An exploration of ethics and decision-making in home care and community nursing. Both films are available in VHS and DVD from Terra Nova Films. For information on purchase or rental, visit www.terranova.org.