LTSS Newsletter— February 2023

LTSS webinar, February 22 – Nourishment from the Land, Plants, and Foods

Invitation for long-distance caregivers

Long-distance caregivers for people with dementia are invited to help evaluate the use of technology to provide caregivers with individualized support, education, and resources.

The project is a collaboration between the LeadingAge LTSS Center at UMass Boston and Family Caregiver Alliance. People may be eligible to participate if they:

• Are age 21 or older
• Care for someone who has dementia and receives home care
• Live at least two hours away from the care recipient

Eligible caregivers will receive a new tablet, which is theirs to keep. For more information, contact the project director, Evan Chunga, or principal investigator, Dr. Verena Cimarolli.

Culturally appropriate advance care planning

A culturally appropriate guide to advance care planning (PDF, 767 KB, 17 pp) is now available online.

Created by the National Indigenous Elder Justice Initiative, the guide encourages Indigenous elders to consider:

What gives their life meaning What worries them about the future How their health might impact where they live   It also includes space for elders to write down their care preferences for specific circumstances.

Services for grandfamilies

A growing number of elders are raising children whose birth parents cannot care for them. In these situations, the households are often referred to as grandfamilies.

A recently published report (PDF, 3.2 MB, 19 pp) identifies the wide range of services that many Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) and Title VI Native American Aging Programs offer to support grandfamilies. Those services include caregiver training, respite care, legal assistance and more.

The report also describes examples of AAAs that have successfully partnered with other organizations to meet the needs of grandfamilies in local communities.

An abbreviated version of the report’s key findings can be found in a fact sheet (PDF, 280 KB, 3 pp) on the USAging website.

Nourishment from the Land, Plants, and Foods

Have questions for our presenter? Let us know before the webinar by emailing ltssinfo@kauffmaninc.com.

Register now.

Presenter

Equine-assisted program for people with dementia and their caregivers

NCOA funding for COVID-19 and flu vaccination

Deadline: March 1 or until funding is exhausted
Learn more about the NCOA funding opportunity

The National Council on Aging (NCOA) is using Administration for Community Living funds to support efforts that will increase COVID and flu vaccination rates among elders and people with disabilities.

• Approximately 200 Community Action Grants of up to $150,000 each will be awarded for vaccination strategies focused on one or more populations in a specific county, city, or other jurisdiction
• Approximately 50–60 Regional Collaborative Grants of up to $500,000 each will be awarded for projects that cover multiple counties, are statewide, or cross state lines

Senior centers and local community organizations that serve elders and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

DRRP Program grants

The Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRP) Program is offering two types of grants to improve the effectiveness of services for people who have experienced a burn injury or traumatic brain injury.

A grant of up to $425,000 is available for work to improve the rehabilitation of people with burn injuries. The grantee will maintain the Burn Model Systems National Database and provide training and technical assistance to the centers that submit data. Applications are due March 13.

A grant of up to $900,000 is available for a multi-site collaborative research project that addresses the acute and long-term needs of people with traumatic brain injury. Applications are due March 21.

Webinar on keeping elders socially engaged

March 14, 1–2 p.m. Eastern

Register for the March 14 webinar

Elders who stay socially engaged tend to be healthier physically and mentally. Join the American Society on Aging for a webinar on strategies to decrease loneliness and social isolation among elders in care settings.

On Aging conference

March 27–30, Atlanta

Register for the On Aging conference

“Advancing Health and Well-Being” is the theme of this year’s On Aging conference. Hosted by the American Society on Aging, the conference will open with a keynote program on the need to end ageism and ableism. Attendees will have opportunities to participate in various workshops and networking sessions.