Alzheimer's

NCAL has announced the publication of its annual Assisted Living State Regulatory Review. The report summarizes key selected state requirements for assisted living licensure or certification. It includes information on the following topics for all the states and the District of Columbia: 1) which state agency licenses assisted living, 2) recent legislative and regulatory updates affecting assisted living, and 3) requirements for resident agreements, admission and discharge requirements, units serving people with Alzheimer’s or dementia, staffing, and training.

The University of California, San Francisco and Northwestern University are testing a program for caregivers of people with Alzheimer's Disease. The program, titled LEAF (Life Enhancing Activities for Family Caregivers) is funded by a grant from the National Institute on Aging, and is designed to help lower stress and support caregivers. Participants must be the primary caregiver of someone with Alzheimer’s disease or probable Alzheimer's, be English-speaking, and have access to Wi-Fi.

Justice in Aging, in collaboration with the Alzheimer's Association, released a new survey of dementia training requirements in each state. The number of Alzheimer's and other dementia diagnoses is on the rise, but there is often little to no training for staff and professionals that work with these populations. This survey was conducted to identify the holes in state law and to find promising practices to inform improvements in the future. The findings are available in a five-paper series.

This study provides insights into higher-hour caregivers (at least 21 hours of care a week), caregivers ages 75 and older, multicultural caregivers, and the challenges facing caregivers in the workplace. While the “typical” family caregiver is a 49-year-old woman who cares for a relative, caregivers on the whole are becoming much more diverse. The study found nearly a quarter of America’s caregivers are millennials between the ages of 18 and 34 and are equally likely to be male or female.