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Family Caregiver Alliance

Introducing new online classes and events for family caregivers, their care recipients and providers: 

CLASSES & EVENTS

• Let's Get Away, Together! — Every Tuesday through August 29. Join us in this popular virtual travel series as we explore the first flight across the English Channel, national anthems, aerial photography, volcanoes, the meaning of joy, and world records! Full info and registration here; read all about the series in this blog post!

• Home Emergency Preparedness and Resilience — July 26. In this webinar, experts from the San Mateo County Department of Emergency Management will provide info and tips on emergency preparedness, risk assessment, emergency kits and plans, community resources and more. Full info and registration here.  

• There Must Be a Better Way Than This! (NEW) — July 27. This 2-hour class helps caregivers understand dementia and the challenging behaviors that can accompany it. Participants will come away with strategies to cope with these behaviors and better communicate with their care recipient. Full info and registration here.  

• Conozca las 10 Senales de Advertencia (Know the 10 Warning Signs) — August 9. This Spanish-language class covers the signs and symptoms of Alzheimer's disease — and how they're different from normal aging. Full info and registration here.  

• !Ay que dolor! Uso de la relajacion y las imagenes guiadas para manejar el dolor (Oh What a Pain!: Using Relaxation and Guided Imagery to Manage Pain)— August 17. This Spanish-language webinar discusses discusses pain and the impact it has on a person’s physical and mental health, provides pain management techniques, and then leads participants in a guided imagery exercise. Full info and registration here.

• Coping with Emotions of Caregiving — August 23. Caregivers often experience a higher rate of stress, anxiety and depression than those who aren't caregivers. In this class, participants will learn about ways to cope and manage difficult emotions. Full info and registration here.  

• Oh What a Pain!: Using Relaxation and Guided Imagery to Manage Pain — August 24. This webinar discusses pain and the impact it has on a person’s physical and mental health, provides pain management techniques, and then leads participants in a guided imagery exercise. Full info and registration here.  

• NEW! LGBTQ Caregiver Support Group — 3rd Wednesday of every month. In partnership with Openhouse, FCA is proud to offer this new support group for LGBTQ caregivers of those with a variety of illnesses, disorders and challenges. It offers a welcoming space for caregivers to discuss the unique stresses, difficulties and variety of experiences that come with providing care in this community. Only open to participants who live in the San Francisco Bay Area (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo or Santa Clara counties). For more information or to register, contact Adriana Sanchez.

• Young Adult Caregivers Support Group — Twice monthly via Zoom. This group is designed for family caregivers under the age of 40 who are caring for someone who is: 1) 60 or older with any diagnosis, or 2) between the ages of 18-59 with an adult-onset cognitive or neurological impairment. Only open to participants who live in the San Francisco Bay Area (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo or Santa Clara counties). To register, contact us at (415) 434-3388 x331 or bayareaintake@caregiver.org.

All classes are free. Bookmark our calendar to stay up to date on upcoming classes, webinars and events.

We want to hear from you! Is this newsletter helpful to you as a provider? Are there things we can do to improve it? We've created a quick 6-question survey and would love your feedback! Thank you!

Recently, a family caregiver contacted us for help in finding care and resources for her mother-in-law, who was struggling with dementia. Her situation was complicated by the fact that she lived in a remote area in Alaska and was in the process of moving to Arizona, where her family was, and was trying to juggle caregiving tasks with an interstate move. We created a care plan for her and supported her in locating the information and resources she needed. In the process, she relied heavily on our information-rich Services by State online tool, saying:

“I'm so thankful to have found this resource. Locating a suitable assisted living facility, figuring out what’s covered by Medicare and Aetna, and applying for veteran’s benefits are very overwhelming. The information, resources, and break down into reasonable steps are greatly appreciated.”

Our recent update to our Services by State tool means that it's now not only more robust, with more resources and high-quality information than ever before, but has new design elements that let caregivers easily filter and sort their search criteria for highly tailored, actionable results. This innovative tool allows caregivers anywhere in the U.S. to find state-level resources and information in any state. For example, caregivers can find detailed information, links and contact info for:

• Counseling and advocacy
• Government benefits
• In-home support services
• Paid family leave
• Legal assistance
• Residential care, including assisted living, nursing homes and hospice
• Senior services, including adult day care
• ... and much more

In addition to state-level resources, Services by State also links to National Resources for Family Caregivers and provides relevant "Related Resources" from within FCA's comprehensive resources library. Services by State is mobile friendly and will soon be integrated on FCA's CareNav™ dashboard for added convenience. It is updated regularly by our caregiver resources specialists, so family caregivers always have the most current information and links at their fingertips.

Finally, we're proud to share two exciting new navigation/search function features of Services by State: "Filter By" and "Jump To" — see screen shots and learn more below. And be sure to bookmark our Services by State page and share with caregiver clients and patients!

In this recurring spotlight section, we’re pleased to highlight a round-up of local organizations serving family caregivers and their care recipients, low-income families and others in need. While we lack the space to highlight all the wonderful organizations doing incredible work in their communities, we hope you'll check out the below and add them to your client resources list or as potential organizational partners. These organizations are based in Marin County—in future issues, we will share organizations serving other Bay Area counties:

• Aging Action Initiative — The Aging Action Initiative is a collaborative network that promotes a healthy, safe, and engaging quality of life for all older adults to thrive in Marin County. AAI comprises over 250 partner organizations from the nonprofit, government, and healthcare sectors, and focuses on aging equity issues through policy advocacy, education, and service innovation.

• Alzheimer's Association — Provides information and referral, care, consultation, support groups and education for those living with Alzheimer's disease or related dementia and their family members. Also provides a 24/7 Helpline with information and support.

• Jewish Family and Children's Services — This human service agency offers more than 40 programs to serve people of all faiths and backgrounds. JFCS supports clients and groups of all ages, including seniors, people with disabilities and their caregivers.

• Seniors at Home — Seniors At Home empowers family caregivers through education, respite, planning and one-on-one practical and emotional support. Agency offers home care services, care management, palliative care, Alzheimer's and dementia care, fiduciary services, skilled nursing, and more.

Family caregivers and their advocates have a new option to mobilize for California State policies that support unpaid family caregivers — they can join the California Coalition on Family Caregiving (CaCFC).

CaCFC was launched in June 2022 with funding from Archstone Foundation and Community Catalyst to advocate for California policies and services that support diverse unpaid family caregivers and their care recipients. In less than a year, the coalition has grown to 35 members, including caregivers and organizations from our communities. Members voted to support 14 pieces of 2023 California State legislation, including two priority bills, AB 518 (Paid Family Leave for Designated Persons) and SB 616 (Paid Sick and Safe Days). Learn more here.

To join the coalition as an individual or organization, you can fill out a membership form at https://cacfc.org/get-involved/#apply or email cacfc@usc.edu with any questions.

We respect your inbox, so we send our Provider e-News Update out every 1-2 months. But between issues, we are still hosting and sharing plenty of activities, classes, webinars and new resources for caregivers.

Stay in the know by following us on any or all of our social media channels — and be sure to share them with others who can benefit!

... and while you're here — sign up for our Connections e-newsletter (designed for family and friend caregivers), ¿Que Pasa? boletin (our e-newsletter for Spanish-speaking caregivers), and our Caregiving Policy Digest newsletter (caregiving policy at the local, national and international levels).