Caregivers

NADRC's "Dementia Training Resources for Professionals and Volunteers" provides links to training and educational materials for professionals and volunteers working with people living with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD). The resources are intended to increase the dementia-capability of organizations, professionals, and volunteers by providing information on how to recognize, understand, and meet the unique needs of people living with ADRD and their caregivers.

This brief outlines lessons from the Center for Health Care Strategies’ MassHealth Care Planning Learning Collaborative, where Massachusetts Accountable Care Organizations and Community Partners integrated care planning across their organizations to improve care for Medicaid members with complex needs. This brief can inform providers, payers, and community partners in other states seeking to improve care for people with complex health and social needs.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted long-standing issues of understaffing and insufficient care delivery in nursing homes. On February 28, 2022, the Biden Administration announced it would be implementing a minimum staffing standard for nursing homes and increasing scrutiny on corporate owned nursing homes. This report analyzes federal data regarding nursing home staffing levels and how it effects residents' outcomes.

A Master Plan for Aging (MPA) is a cross-sector, state-led strategic planning process that can help states transform the infrastructure and coordination of services that support older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers.This brief outlines unexpected benefits of the MPA process, and illustrates how they can help states respond to new priorities and challenges, such as public health emergencies and health equity.

The majority of individuals who need long-term services and supports (LTSS) in the United States rely on unpaid assistance from family and friends. The economic value of the unpaid care they provide is estimated to be over $470 billion annually. Unmet needs and waiting lists for Medicaid Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) place significant strain on individuals with disabilities and their families. This report explores how increasing access to HCBS services can reduce out-of-pocket costs for families and strengthen employment and financial wellbeing of family caregivers.

This report summarizes findings from research involving stakeholder organizations working with family caregivers in the private and public sectors. The report includes insights into best practice models and action steps that can be included in the national strategy to meet the RAISE goals. Additional stakeholder groups such as the direct care workforce, county health care providers, employers, aging and disability organizations, faith-based groups, respite care providers, and others participated in a series of individual interviews and group listening sessions.

This webcast, part of the WellSky & Guidehouse webinar series “Supporting the New Age of HCBS,” highlights federal and state leaders' visions for the future of workforce management, with a focus on person-centered care. A panel of experts answered questions around Section 9817 funding toward long-term workforce development and developments in Washington, DC.

This new communications resource, developed by CHCS and the Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers’ National Center for Complex Health and Social Needs, identifies clear and consistent language that can help strengthen the complex care community. The language represented in the guide reflects perspectives of stakeholders and people with lived experiences, and is intended to support providers, program leaders, consumer advocates and communications professionals in developing complex care approaches.

To celebrate Black History Month and National Caregivers Day, NCLER interviewed Dr. Donna Benton of the University of Southern California’s Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. During the interview, Dr. Benton discussed her work supporting Black caregivers, the importance of caregiving in the Black community, and strategies for advocates to support their Black older adult clients. She also spoke about the need for legal assistance in advance planning and addressing housing scams in the Black community.

The National Paralysis Resource Center has announced a virtual three-part series to train healthcare professionals who serve wheelchair users on mindfulness and yoga techniques to encourage wellness throughout the body and mind. The program is free to qualified healthcare professionals that directly serve people with paralysis as part of their job responsibilities. The series will be led by Jay Gupta, RPh, MS, MTM Specialist, in March and in April. Each interactive session in March will be held live through Zoom on Saturday from 10:00 a.m to 5:30 p.m. ET. and sessions in April will be held on Saturday from 12:00 p.m to 7:30 p.m ET. Applications to join are due on Monday, February 28, 2022.