In the News

The "Last Grand Adventure"—Grass-Roots Efforts to Grow Old at Home

There is a new movement being organized by residents—rather than government agencies or social service providers—that is focused on making neighborhoods comfortable for people to "age in place." Older residents are banding together with neighbors in more than 100 communities nationwide to set up services so they can stay at home for as long as possible. Members of these self-help communities pay annual dues ranging from $360 for an individual to $780 for a couple. For most, the money is a small token in exchange for the security of knowing they have access to prescreened service providers who offer home repair, help with meals, companionship, security, transportation, or home health care.

According to AARP, nearly 9 in 10 Americans prefer the idea of living out their lives in familiar surroundings, in their own homes. The grass-roots efforts of these communities depends on a few neighborhood-based, relatively inexpensive strategies to make "aging in place" both safe and affordable for a majority of elderly people. What's more, the dues are far less expensive than the costs associated with assisted-living centers, and in return, residents are able to age in their own homes and communities. As one resident put it, "An organization like this gives me a sense that we're all in this together, our last grand adventure." Read More

NY Times Magazine Examines Family Leave Issues Affecting Family Caregivers

A recent article in the New York Times Magazine examined the difficulties many workers face today in balancing work and family caregiving responsibilities. According to the article, many families are being forced to rely on lawsuits to tackle their workplace discrimination problems. While the 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act guarantees workers some unpaid time off, the law's scope is limited. And no federal antidiscrimination statute exists that explicitly protects family caregivers in the workplace. However, what constitutes discrimination in the eyes of the law is changing.

Until recently, lawsuits claiming workplace discrimination because of family caregiving obligations were rare. Since the mid-1990s, however, the number of workers who have sued their employers for alleged mistreatment on account of family responsibilities has increased by more than 300 percent. More than 1,150 such lawsuits have been filed in federal and state courts, and some plaintiffs have walked away with significant damage awards. In one case, for example, a jury granted $11.65 million to a hospital maintenance worker who was penalized for having to care for his elderly parents. Eyal Press's article, "Do Workers Have a Fundamental Right to Care for their Families? The Latest Front in the Job-Discrimination Battle," tells the stories of workers who struggled to get leave from work in order to care for family members, the lawsuits that resulted in some cases when workers were denied leave, and the efforts by advocates to push for more flexible workplace policies. Read More

Increased Availability of Generic Drugs May Lower Medication Costs

Several of the biggest selling brand-name drugs are set to lose patent protection over the next few years. This trend is expected to drive down medication costs as more generic treatments enter the market. The U.S. currently spends $275 billion per year on prescription medicines. But over the next five years experts are predicting "copycat" generic drugs to hit the market that may be 30 to 80 percent cheaper than their brand-name counterparts. One pharmaceutical analyst says the news is "good for everybody but the branded pharmaceutical companies." Pharmaceutical companies are believed to have few major drugs in development to replace those losing patent protection.

U.S. patents provide 20-year protection from generic competition. Many of the patents expiring are for drugs introduced during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Generics already account for 60 percent of prescription medicines purchased in this country, and that share is expected to rise as new generic substitutes become available to treat many chronic conditions. Experts expect the flood of generic medicines to keep drug price inflation in the single digits for the next several years. This is welcome news for many Americans dependent on prescription drugs. Read More

Announcements

Satellite Broadcast: Supporting Caregivers Across the Life Span

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

1:00 - 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time

This broadcast is designed to bring awareness to the range of programs and services the Department of Health and Human Services offers that support caregivers across the lifespan. A panel of experts will provide information about these programs to increase knowledge of partners and providers, and improve service delivery for caregiving Americans. To register and to find more information on the broadcast and where it can be viewed, please click here.

AARP Foundation Women's Scholarship Program

The AARP Foundation has announced a new scholarship program for low-income women 40+ to participate in education and training opportunities. Two of the eligible categories are: Women returning to the workforce after an extended absence (such as caregiving) and grandmothers or other relatives caring for relative children who depend upon them financially. Approximately 100 scholarships ranging from $500 to $5,000 are expected to be awarded. The process opens August 31; deadline is October 31, 2007. Applications are only available online, right here.

TV Documentary: Communicating with Those Who Have Alzheimer's Disease

A new documentary that highlights individuals and path-breaking programs reaching out to elders affected by Alzheimer's will premiere on public television stations nationwide beginning September 1, 2007 (check local listings). The program, entitled "There Is a Bridge," challenges conventional notions of people with Alzheimer's as "unreachable" and this disease as "the first of two deaths." The program features interviews with pre-eminent thinkers and shows footage of family members, care partners, and school children building emotionally rich relationships with people with dementia, tapping into memories and the individuals' identities not erased by Alzheimer's disease. For the press release, click here (requires Adobe .pdf reader).

To subscribe or unsubscribe to California Caregiver, please visit www.californiacrc.org/californiacrc/jsp/newsletter/registration.jsp