USA2 SPOTLIGHT

According to an April 4, 2018 Alzheimer’s News Today article, "The transportation service Lyft is teaming up with the Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation (GAP) to help those who are participating in an Alzheimer’s trial get to and from U.S. and Canadian research sites." Read more behind paywall. GAP is a partner of UsAgainstAlzheimer’s.

UsAgainstAlzheimer's partnered with advocate Daisy Duarte and Merck to inspire researchers and caregivers to sustain momentum in the fight against Alzheimer's. Daisy has been caring for her mom, who has Alzheimer’s disease, since 2011. She left her career to be her mom’s full time caregiver. Watch Daisy's inspiring message here. 

MUST READS

A March 28, 2018 Medium article highlighted the RAISE Family Caregivers Act, which mandates an integrated national strategy to support family caregivers. The article suggests five actions to support family caregivers: i) evaluate policy through family caregiving lens; ii) engage the medicare researchers and advisors who seek to improve care for beneficiaries and improve the payment system; iii) create access to unbiased insurance counseling; iv) develop quality measures for evidence-based best practices in supporting family caregiving; and v) fund research to improve our understanding. 

MUST WATCH

Watch a March 22, 2018 Wilson Center webcast, “Balancing the Burden of Care: Impact of Policies on Productivity” panel discussion. The time, energy and cost of caring for people often disproportionately affects the financial, physical, and mental wellbeing of women. It also has negative consequences on the health and productivity of workers. The panel brings together private sector and policy leaders to discuss creating equitable work environments where everyone can thrive, without sacrificing health.

CAREGIVING CORNER

A March 23, 2018 Forbes article focused on what companies can do, beyond adhering to the Family and Medical Leave Act, to support employees who are balancing their jobs and caring for family member(s) at home. According to Alzheimer’s advocate Maria Shriver, who works with human resource offices to amend their leave policies to include time off for employees to care for family, “Companies need to be sensitive to the fact that family leave is not just when you have a baby, but when you need to take care of a parent or family member with Alzheimer’s.” 

VETERANS SPOTLIGHT

See if you’re eligible to join Duquesne University’s "Living With and Caring for a Post- 9/11 Veteran or Service Member with a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)" military family caregiver study. The goal of the study is to learn about caregivers’ stressors and burdens, the types of support received, and to learn if education or training about problem-solving improves mental health and quality of life. Click here to participate in the study. 

ALZ TECH

An April 3, 2018 KOB4 broadcast segment and article spotlighted a new app called “Honor” from a California start-up to assist in communication between at-home caregivers for people with Alzheimer’s disease and their family. Family can post daily instructions or notes, and caregivers post updates about the loved one. According to Barbara Adcox, who cares for people with Alzheimer’s and dementia, “This way you know their daily routine, and the day before what they went through. It's great. You're not going in there not knowing what they want.”