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Generations United Report: One in Six Americans Live in Multigenerational Households (page 3) Resources and Reports on CAREGIVING (pages 4-5) Articles from the Caregiving Policy Digest Articles from Global Action on Aging Newsletter Other Topics Related to Intergenerational Living (pages 6-7) Healthy Aging Engaged Aging Support for Relative Caregiver Families Emergencies and Disaster Response Intergenerational Sense of Water Contest (page 8)
actions for a while prior to the arrest, the child may have already had exposure to other traumatic incidents. If the adult being arrested is the only adult in the home, there may be a possibility of a child being overlooked by the arresting officers, and left frightened and alone. Or, if the parent calls the child to their attention, the police may immediately make arrangements to either take the child to be cared for by foster parents, or call on extended family to come and take care of the child. Certainly the best possible option is for family to immediately step up and take care of the child. However, even with the most loving and caring families, children may experience upheaval. Nicole shared with me that when her mother was incarcerated, she and her teenage siblings took care of each other until their grandparent was able to make arrangements to move in with them. Other children may have to leave their home, neighborhood, or school to move in with relatives, and deal with the loss of the familiar friends and community, changed schedule, new sleeping arrangements, and new authorities. The child experiences multiple emotions in all this transition. Perhaps its embarrassing for the family to talk openly about having a parent incarcerated. Perhaps the family devised cover stories of the whereaContinued next page
Working with Children of Incarcerated Parents Many adults who are caring for their relatives children already have experience dealing with the prison system. However, for many others this is a new experience, fraught with unanticipated challenges with regard to ensuring the physical and emotional health of the children in their care. For several years, I have been privileged to conduct workshops for the Pennsylvania Council on Children, Youth and Families Services (PCCYFS) on Working with Children of Incarcerated Parents. In recent workshops, I invited Ann Schwartzman, from the Pennsylvania Prison Society, to share up-to-date statistics and challenges of persons having to deal with the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. Did you know that. As of December 2011, there are over 50,000 men and women incarcerated in Pennsylvania prisons, and at least another 32,000 prisoners in county jails? Between 50-65% of persons who are incarcerated in Pennsylvania have children? While children with incarcerated fathers typically live with their mothers, children with incarcerated mothers most often are living with grandparents or other relative caregivers? Children who have a parent who is incarcerated, whether it is for a relatively short period or for a much longer time, share a number of critical impacts. The first is that children experience trauma associated with the arrest and incarceration, with the resulting immediate concerns of who will take care of the child and where they will live. Having a parent incarcerated also deeply impacts a childs thoughts about themselves, as well as their ongoing relationship with their parent. Arrests are typically made in the middle of the night, being the time most likely to find a person at home, in bed. For a child who wakes up to banging on the door and shouting, who then peeks out to see a parent handcuffed and powerless and taken out the door, causes trauma to the child on many different levels. The stress of the seeing violence, the viewing of the disparate power between parent and police, the immediate loss of the beloved parent can all have life changing implications. We may also recognize that if a parent was involved in drug activity or other criminal
bouts of the parent. Children may experience fear about whether their parent is okay. Children may be angry, and feel abandoned. They may long to hear from their parent that they are still loved. Many families wrestle with the question of whether the child will be helped or hindered by communicating with their parent. According to Lois Wright and Cynthia Beatty Seymour, authors of Working with Children and Families Separated by Incarceration (CWLA Press, 2000), Visitation is perhaps the most important mechanism for maintaining a positive parent-child relationship. When a child visits a parent who is incarcerated, they can see that they are okay, they can ask how they are doing, they can tell them about what makes them sad or happy. The parent can help the caregiving relationship by encouraging the child to follow the caregivers rules. The child has a sense that the parent and caregiver are together ensuring that the child will be well cared for while the parent is away. For further on-line information, check out the Family and Corrections Network at http:// fcnetwork.org.
arrangement improved the financial situation of at least one family member, while 82% agreed that the arrangement has enhanced bonds or relationships among family members. Seventy-eight percent report that the arrangement can be stressful at times, and 75% agree that it helps make it easier to provide for the care needs of a family member (including child care, older adult care, or special medical care). Policy recommendations include changing housing systems to accommodate multigenerational families, increasing funding for the National Family Caregiver Support Program to $250 million, fully funding the Lifespan Respite Care Program, and enacting a federal caregiver tax credit. To access the full report, go to: http://www.gu.org/ LinkClick.aspx? fileticket=QWOTaluHxPk% 3d&tabid=157&mid=606.
GALLUP: 72% OF EMPLOYED CAREGIVERS ARE CARING FOR A PARENT Gallup recently released data from surveys of employed caregivers, with three in-depth articles. The first article focuses on demographics of caregivers and a trend that the less income and education an American has, the more likely they are to be a caregiver. Twenty-one percent of Americans who make $36,000 or less report that they are caregivers, while only 15% of high income ($90,000+) employees report serving as caregivers. The authors speculate that higherincome Americans may be able to pay for professional care, or potentially that higher income/ educated Americans tend to be younger. The second article highlights data on caregiving and employment and finds that while 71% of caregivers report that their employer is aware of their caregiving role, only about a quarter of employees have access to employer programs that would support them, for example support groups, ask-a-nurse services, financial/legal advisors, and assisted living counselors. The third article provides data on the amount of time and types of caregiving activities that people perform. In a survey of 2,805 employed caregivers, 72% are caring for a parent and 55% reported providing care for three years or more. Caregivers assisted with general day-to-day tasks on an average of 13 days a month, while providing personal
assistance with activities like toileting, dressing, eating and bathing on an average of six days a month. The majority of caregivers (64%) report that the care recipient does not live with them, however, of those who dont live with the care recipient, 66% live within ten miles of the care recipient. Caregivers report that on average, they spend five hours a day providing companionship or supervising their loved ones and thirteen hours a month on navigating health care, coordinating doctor visits, and managing financial manners for their loved one. For more information, visit:
activities focused on cognitive stimulation. During the first month, behavior problems reduced to 75 minutes, and during the second month, 52 minutes. The authors note that sleeping problems and behavior problems at home were reduced on days when the person attended the day care center. In contrast to past studies, their results indicate that the adult day care center didn't just shift stressors from one part of the day to another, but actually reduced stress and is an effective way to provide respite. For more information, visit:
Gallup Part One: More Than One in Six American Workers Also Act as Caregivers Gallup Part Two: Caregiving Costs U.S. Economy $25.2 Billion in Lost Productivity Gallup Part Three: Most Caregivers Look After Elderly Parent; Invest a Lot of Time
Penn State Press Release: "Adult day care services provide much-needed break to family caregivers" The Journals of Gerontology: Series B Advance Access: "Effects of Adult Day Care on Daily Stress of Caregivers: A Within-Person Approach" (Abstract is free)
STUDY: ADULT DAY CARE SERVICES REDUCE STRESS FOR FAMILY CAREGIVERS OF ADULTS WITH DEMENTIA A recent study conducted by Steve Zarit, Professor and Head of the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at Penn State University, and several colleagues illustrates how adult day care services help to reduce the stress experienced by family caregivers of adults with dementia. The research team provided 150 caregivers in New Jersey who care for people with dementia with 24-hour daily diaries and assessed their stress levels prior to their use of adult day care services. The care recipients attended the centers for an average of six hours a day for three days a week, with average activities including 30 minutes of physical activity, 1-2 hours of social activity, and one hour of
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PA: HOUSE APPROVES BILL TO UPDATE PA FAMILY CAREGIVER SUPPORT ACT On October 5th, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives unanimously voted in favor of House Bill 210 to update the Pennsylvania Family Caregiver Support Act. Advocates suggest that the Act, originally introduced in 1990, needed updating because current eligibility rules meant that more than $1 million of funding for the program was unspent in FY 2009-2010. The eligibility rules would expand beyond solely caregivers who are related and living in the same home as the care recipient to also include non-relative caregivers and caregivers who do not live in the same home as the care recipient. The bill would also increase the maximum monthly
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amount a caregiver (for a care recipient whose household income levels are 200% or less of FPL) could receive to purchase services like respite and consumable supplies like incontinence pads. If passed, eligible caregivers could receive a maximum of $500 a month to purchase services while the maximum total amount for a home modification would remain at $2,000. For care recipients with household income between 200 and 380% of the FPL, a sliding scale will be created. For more information, visit:
FCA Fact Sheet: "Caregiving With Your Siblings" FCA Archived Webinar: "Family Caregiving: Work With Your Siblings To Keep Your Life, Family, and Sanity Intact!"
REPORT: THE CHALLENGES OF FAMILY CAREGIVING This report was written by Susan C. Reinhard, Lynn Feinberg, and Rita Choula of the AARP Public Policy Institute. It provides an overview of ten common themes from authors who want to reach family caregivers. They think that policy makers and health care professionals need to understand their needs and challenges. Since the authors illustrate the worrying state of the current costly and fragmented health care system, the report calls on policymakers to prioritize caregiving on the public agenda.
January 30, 2012 Newsletter
WORLD: GOING TO PHYSICIAN VISITS WITH OLDER LOVED ONES COULD IMPROVE CARE According to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, family companions who regularly go with older adults on their physician office visits experience improved quality of health care. More communication and education among the provider, the patient and companion contribute to positive progress in the treatment process.
FCA Legislation Center: Summary of HB 210 PA Senior Support Coalition Press Release Advocates for Older Pennsylvanians Ask State Lawmakers to Pass Long-Overdue Help for Family Caregivers This Fall
NEW FACT SHEET: CAREGIVING WITH YOUR SIBLINGS The Family Caregiver Alliance recently hosted Francine Russo on a webinar entitled Family Caregiving: Work With Your Siblings To Keep Your Life, Family, and Sanity Intact! and a followup fact sheet is now available on FCAs Web site. The fact sheet provides strategies on how to avoid reverting to old sibling roles (the nurturing one or the over-achiever) and how to have realistic expectations about caregiving. For example, while it's possible to keep a parent safe and secure, it may not be realistic to feel responsible for ensuring that a parent is happy 100% of the time. Eight detailed suggestions for working with siblings are included in the fact sheet. For more information, visit:
US: STRESSED ELDER CAREGIVERS IN NEED OF SOLUTIONS; BECLOSE SEEKS TO RELIEVE STRESS IN AMERICA, HITTING CAREGIVERS HARDER THAN EVER Caregivers are increasingly struggling with the burden of caring for their aging or chronically ill relatives. However, some practical innovations can ease this responsibility. BeClose is wireless technology that provides caregivers with remote at-home monitoring of aging adults. It uses discreet wireless sensors placed in the home to track seniors' daily routine. The caregivers can check on them by using a private, secure web page and are also alerted in real time by
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In the coming years, an increasing number of Americans will reach an age when they will consider retirement. This will include many people who represent the baby boomer generation. Given the different experiences and values of this demographic group, as well as the changing nature of the American life, the nature of retirement itself may change. This poll was conducted in order to capture first-hand the perspective of those who will shape the nature of retirement moving forward: people over age 50, including not only people who have retired, but also people who plan to retire (pre-retirees) and those who do not plan to do so. The poll covers the following areas: 1) The retirement experience of retirees and the expectations of pre-retirees; 2) Perspectives on the timing of retirement; 3) Steps taken to stay healthy in retirement; 4) Views on the role of Medicare and Medicaid in retirement; 5) Perceptions of what makes a community a healthy place for retired people; and 6) Concerns about being admitted to a nursing home during retirement. To learn more about the poll findings and to download a copy of this report, go to http:// www.rwjf.org/newsroom/ product.jsp?id=72836.
come physically active for the first time, return to exercise after a break in their routines or build more exercise and physical activity into weekly routines are the essential elements of Go4Life. The campaign offers exercises, motivational tips, and free resources to help you get ready, start exercising and keep going. The Go4Life campaign includes an evidencebased exercise guide in both English and Spanish, an exercise video, an interactive website, and a national outreach campaign. To learn more and to order the free exercise & physical activity guide and video, please go to http:// go4life.niapublications.org/.
ing, caregiving, or taking classes may not provide much benefit as compared to seniors who are more deeply engaged in these activities. Using data from the National Institute on Aging's Longitudinal Health and Retirement Study, and AARP, the authors explain that 21% of seniors are working, 21% are volunteering, 20% are caregiving, and 25% report being enrolled in a class in the previous five years. Thirty percent of the respondents were caregiving (childcare and care for a disabled friend or family member), with an average of 71 hours of caregiving per week. The authors conclude: The results of this part of the survey suggest that being involved in one of the four activities but not feeling particularly excited about it, dedicated to it, or challenged by it - aspects of engagement - is about as good for one's well-being as not being involved in the activity at all. However, the well-being of those who are highly engaged in any of the four activities appears to be considerably enhanced.
Reference for the article: James J. B., Besen E., Matz-Costa C., & Pitt-Catsouphes M. (2011). Just do it? maybe not! Insights on activity in later life from the Life & Times in an Aging Society Study. Chestnut Hill, MA: Sloan Center on Aging & Work, Boston College. Available online: http://www.bc.edu/ content/dam/files/research_sites/ agingandwork/pdf/publications/ EAWA_JustDoIt.pdf.
Engaged Aging REPORT: LARGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INVOLVEMENT AND ENGAGEMENT FOR SENIORS
Summary from the Caregiving Policy Digest. January 25, 2012. Vol. 12, #2
Support for Relative Caregiver Families GRANDFACT SHEETS HAVE BEEN UPDATED
In a unique national partnership, AARP, Brookdale Foundation Group, Casey Family Programs, Child Welfare League of America, Children's Defense Fund and Generations United have created the GrandFacts: State Fact Sheets for Grandparents and Other Relatives
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GO4LIFE
Go4Life, an exercise and physical activity campaign from the National Institute on Aging at NIH (National Institute of Health), is designed to help you fit exercise and physical activity into your daily life. Motivating older adults to be-
A report from the Sloan Center on Aging and Work suggests that the idea of just doing it in reference to seniors and working, volunteer6
Raising Children. The recently updated GrandFact Sheets series is a very useful tool for finding the latest Census figures on children and grandparents living in relative caregiver families in each state and drawing attention to the issues affecting relative caregivers. To access the GrandFact Sheet for your state, visit: http:// www.aarp.org/relationships/friends -family/grandfacts-sheets. To access the 2010 American Community Survey information on relative caregiving, visit American Fact Finder at: http:// factfinder2.census.gov/faces/nav/ jsf/pages/index.xhtml#none. Once on the website, type in the topic, for example, Grandparents and your geographic area.
Emergencies and Disaster Response RESOURCES FROM THE ADMINISTRATION ON AGING (AOA)
Visit: http://www.aoa.gov/ AoARoot/Preparedness/ Resources_Individuals/ index.aspx#preparing#preparing. The AoA website posts information on various resources and website links to help individuals, families, caregivers, and aging services professionals prepare for emergencies or disasters. This information is intended to provide tools and resources that will assist in developing personal and organizational preparedness and response plans. One resource, the Just in Case: Emergency Readiness for Older Adults and Caregivers fact sheet, provides step-bystep information on how older adults should prepare for a disaster/emergency. It includes helpful checklists, contact lists, and a medication list that can be filled in. Also available in Spanish.
double the acceptable level for human beings. Yet, the volunteers wanted to take on the job. They believed that because they do not have so long to live anyway, they should accept the dangers of the radiation instead of people from younger generations. We stand in great respect of their bravery and generosity of spirit.
From: Japanese Elders Vow to Brave Nuclear Danger. Gerontological News, July 2011, pg. 11. Article review published in the Positive Aging Newsletter. Edited by Kenneth and Mary Gergen, July/August, 2011, Issue #69.
SELFLESS GIVING IN JAPAN: ELDERS RISK THEIR LIVES FOR THE YOUNG
Sometimes it is said that older people are selfishly concerned with their own wellbeing; the generations to come can take care of themselves. Gerontologists generally reject this view. On the side of the gerontologists comes a dramatic piece of news from Japan. A group of 200 Japanese pensioners, trained as engineers and other related professions, have formed a group called the Skilled Veterans Corps. Their mission is to tackle the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima power station caused by the devastating tsunami of March, 2011. Three of the reactors suffered meltdowns, and the plan was to bring the plant to a cold shutdown by January 2012. Japanese authorities announced that the radiation level at the plant was
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Penn State Intergenerational Initiatives Advisory Group Matthew Kaplan, Ph.D., Editor Professor Intergenerational Programs & Aging The Pennsylvania State University John Becker, J.D. Professor of Ag Economics and Law The Pennsylvania State University Andrea Bressler, CFCS, M.S. Penn State Extension Clearfield County Nancy Crago, Ph.D. Penn State Extension Allegheny County Mary Ann Curren Director of Therapeutic Recreation Foxdale Village Nancy Grotevant, Director Penn State Extension Pike County Jawaid Haider, Ph.D. Professor of Architecture The Pennsylvania State University Janice Hassen, Director Penn State Extension Lawrence County Linda Hendricks Penn State Extension Columbia County Mary Jo Kraft Penn State Extension York County Jon Mussbaum, Ph.D. Professor of Comm. Arts & Sciences The Pennsylvania State University Mark Sciegaj, Ph.D., M.P.H. Associate Dir., Smart Spaces Center The Pennsylvania State University Chris N. Sciamanna, MD, MPH Professor of Medicine and Public Health Sciences Pennsylvania State College of Medicine at Hershey
The 2012 Rachel Carson contest will focus on water, in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Clean Water Act. The scientist and author, Rachel Carson, is the inspiration of the EPAs Rachel Carson Intergenerational Contest. She wrote that for a child to keep alive an inborn sense of wonder, the companionship of at least one adult is needed to share and rediscover the joy, excitement and mystery of the world. Find a partner or two, discover a place, somewhere you want to explore, or recall some place youve been. Share a story, a photo, a dance or poem, and enter the Sense of Water contest. Its good for the heart and soul. But dont take my word for itjump in and make a splash. The deadline for entries is June 1, 2012, and winners will be announced in September 2012. A panel of judges will select finalists in each category [photography, essay, poetry and dance], and the winners will be determined by a public online vote that will begin in August 2012. For more information about the contest and to see the works of previous winners check out: http:// www.epa.gov/aging/resources/ thesenseofwonder/index.htm.
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