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.

The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care has shared a podcast episode and fact sheet identifying abuse and neglect toward older adults in nursing home settings. Dr. Laura Mosqueda, a professor of Family Medicine and Geriatrics at the University of Southern California, defines neglect as the failure to provide necessary goods and services to a resident to avoid physical harm, pain, mental anguish, or emotional distress. This can include a lack of staff, supplies, services, or training that fail to meet residents' needs.

The National Paralysis Resource Center has launched a virtual support group program for people living with paralysis and their family members or caregivers. The support groups provide an opportunity for members to connect with eachother to gain support, insight, and guidance. The meetings are led by mental health professionals and welcome disucssion about any issues or concerns members are experiencing and topics they want to learn about. Two meetings are offered every month for people living with paraplegia, quadriplegia, and family members or caregivers.

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) has launched the Community Connected Health Initiative, with the intention of integrating innovation, technology, and human connection to support communities in achieving better health. OSTP released a Request for Information (RFI) on Strengthening Community Health Through Technology. This RFI is open to all stakeholders and will likely remain open until March 31, 2022.

The National Alliance for Caregiving has published a 2021 national report, "Caregiving in a Diverse America: Beginning to Understand the Systemic Challenges Facing Family Caregivers," which was based on results of the Caregiving in the U.S. 2020 study. The report analyzes the experience of over 800 caregiver respondents of different socioeconomic background, sexual orientation, and gender. The report also includes additional literature on diverse caregiving and research recommendations.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has added a new section to its COVID-19-related technical assistance to clarify when COVID-19 may be considered a disability and how this can impact employers, employees, and job applicants. The new section provides examples of when COVID-19 or disabilities arising from conditions that were caused or worsened by COVID-19, may meet the definition of disability under Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act. It also addresses nondiscrimination protections provided to employees and job applicants under the ADA and the Rehabilitation Act.