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We attended Caregiver Summit Nation 2024 To Cap National Family Caregivers Month
2 days of Caregiver Advocacy
ieadvocates
December 03, 2024
Working Caregivers-The Invisible Employees Newsletter
Brought to you by ieadvocates (invisible employee advocates)
Picture credit: LinkedIn post by Jason Resendez http://bit.ly/4eYhbLK
We attended Caregiver Nation Summit 2024 To Cap National Family Caregivers Month.
Thank you for being here!
We could not think of a better way to finish celebrating the millions of caregivers in the United States during “National Family Caregivers Month” in November than to attend National Alliance For Caregiving (NAC) 2nd annual Caregiver Nation Summit 2024. Joining over 200 fellow caregiver advocates, the event, led by Jason Resendez, NAC’s CEO and President, provided a welcoming platform to listen to, engage with, and meet many of the caregiver advocates in the caregiving space. We felt strongly that the goals set out for this conference were met beyond our expectations:
Educate and Advocate: Hear from the nation’s leading voices on care and equip yourself with the knowledge and tools to effectively advocate for change with policymakers.
Raise Visibility: Shine a spotlight on the often-invisible work of family caregivers and the value of their contributions to our healthcare system, economy and communities.
Build Community: Foster collaboration and partnerships to drive action on our National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers.
(From event website: https://www.caregivernationsummit.org/)
One of the many great sessions during the first day: Care at the Crossroads: Shaping the Future of Caregiving in a New Political Landscape facilitated by Judy Woodrfuff of PBS News Hour, and with panel Ai-jen Poo of Caring Across Generations, Maria Town of American Association of People With Disabilities, Lelaine Bigelow of The Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality, and Steve Schwab of Elizabeth Dole Foundation.
In addition, the event staff organized a very effective campaign on the second day for attendees to meet with their state’s legislators to discuss the critical needs of caregivers:
“More than 100 advocates carried this message to Capitol Hill, sharing their powerful stories of sandwich caregiving, rare disease caregiving, and above all, the love that drives their care journey.”
More content about this amazing event and the NAC can be found throughout this issue of our newsletter.
President and CEO Jason Resendez gives his opening remarks emphasizing “At a time like this, we don't slow down. We double down.”
Whether you’re an employer, business manager, HR, or a working caregiver, this newsletter offers valuable insights along with win-win-win simple solutions to help implement meaningful change for organizations, employees who are caregivers, and their care recipients.
Table of Contents
In the news:
Latest research, events, and articles that are making an impact for working caregivers and their employers.
US Senate and House Introduce Bi-partisan Resolutions Recognizing November as National Family Caregivers Month
Two major advocacy moments took place during November’s highly important National Family Caregivers Month.
As part of the Caregiver Nation Summit 2024, 100 caregiving advocates from 22 states met with members of Congress urging them to reauthorize the Older Americans Act (OAA) during 2024’s lame duck session and sprint to the end. Selma Archer and Zack Demopoulos along with peer caregiver advocates, were a part of this effort and fully engaged throughout the day with their respective state’s policy makers to raise their awareness of the critical importance of the OAA and the impact it has on caregivers as well as older Americans.
The other major event was the the introduction of bicameral, bipartisan resolutions recognizing November 2024 as National Family Caregivers Month. These were the Senate’s resolution, S.Res. 917, and the House of Representatives resolution, H.Res. 1591.
Here are some of the comments cosponsors shared about this historical moment:
“Family caregivers are our Nation’s unsung heroes, performing essential work to sustain and enhance the lives of their loved ones. That’s why I’ve fought for legislation to boost funding for home and community-based services and increase financial support for grandparent caregivers. This month, and every month, we must be grateful for our caregivers and continue working to provide them support.”
– Senator Bob Casey, (D-PA), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging
“Family caregivers are essential to the well-being of their loved ones, providing invaluable support often without the resources they deserve. This bipartisan resolution is recognition of the countless sacrifices family caregivers make to ensure their loved ones receive the care and dignity they deserve.”
– Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine)
National Alliance For Caregiving (NAC) launches a Care@Work Campaign on their Linkedin platform
As stated in one of NAC’s posts on Linkedin in the month of November, “National Family Caregivers Month is a time to drive change and inspire action. Throughout the month, our Care @ Work campaign will spotlight senior leaders balancing caregiving and careers. By making these experiences visible, we aim to transform workplace culture to better support America's 32 million employed family caregivers.”
Having senior leaders share their personal caregiver stories with their employees is a very important and effective step towards building a care culture. Ultimately this can lead to more employees identifying as caregivers and feeling more comfortable to share their own caregiver stories. The more open conversations about caregiver challenges employees endure, the more awareness and ability for managers to empathize and perhaps discuss ways to better support them.
Here are a few of those posts:
Carlos Dortrait, Bristol Myers Squibb
Teresa Cronin, Eisai
Renee Minnis, Honor Technology
Payal Sahni, Pfizer
Did you know? (Read our blog):
Our blog brings you knowledge, personal and researched, to raise your awareness and empathy about working caregivers and caregiving.
Caregiver Nation Summit 2024 (Blog 12/3/24)
Selma & Zack at the Caregiver Nation Summit 2024 and on Capital Hill
Did you know that November was National Family Caregivers Month (NFCM)? This bipartisan effort began in 1997 when President Bill Clinton executed the first National Family Caregivers Month Proclamation and has continued with each president since. It allows us to collectively honor and recognize the 53 million (and counting) unpaid family caregivers across the country who care for their aging or disabled loved ones, many while working full time jobs and caring for their young children as well.
People and Companies In the spotlight:
Our podcast puts a spotlight on guests who are making a significant difference in the working caregiver space.
Episode 7: Empathy at Work: Supporting Caregivers and Building Trust in the Workplace with Lee Hafner
Working Caregivers-The Invisible Employees Podcast Episode 7: Empathy at Work: Supporting Caregivers and Building Trust in the Workplace with Lee Hafner
In this episode of Working Caregivers, we have an insightful conversation into the challenges faced by working caregivers and explore how employers can build trust and support systems for this often invisible yet essential workforce. Selma and Zach are joined by Lee Hafner, an accomplished writer and editor at Employee Benefit News, who shares her insights into the growing caregiving crisis and practical ways organizations can address it.
We discuss the importance of empathy in leadership, the role of storytelling in fostering a supportive workplace culture, and simple, cost-effective strategies employers can adopt to create a more inclusive environment. Whether you're a caregiver, an HR professional, or a leader seeking to make a difference, this episode is packed with actionable advice and inspiring stories.
Stories From Real Working Caregivers:
Actual working caregivers share their stories.
Elyse Weber-Sacks, President of Connie Rosenberg & Assoc. Care Management, Inc. is an Aging Life Care® Professional and licensed social worker in NY & NJ. She leads a group of professionals with extensive experience in health care and the aging process, offering comprehensive independent assessments, advocacy, crisis intervention care coordination and planning to assist families in navigating the aging journey. Elyse has been on the National Board of Directors of the Aging Life Care® Association since 2020.
“I will share with you that I have two parents in their nineties -- my mother and my stepfather. They live in Florida, and they've been independent until January of this year when everything kind of crashed. I now have this very different and, I think valuable, perspective of not only running a practice with all the clients that we care for… but also personally living through being the daughter…. I've hired a colleague down there to help me because I totally understand the value.
So that part has been good, but it is giving me a very different perspective on things, I have to say…. I thought it was important to share that because that's kind of been consuming my life. I'm leaving on Wednesday to go to Florida. I've been going every month for a few days, so, it's really challenging. I know it would be challenging even if they were up here but having to get on a plane and I'm running a business, it's just tough. So, talk about wearing a lot of hats and being stretched very thin. That's kind of where my life is right now..”
“…it's (caregiving) really not a do-it-yourself, DIY as the vernacular goes these days. It's not a DIY process. It really isn't. People with the best of intentions often make decisions that, and choices that are not in their best interest. I think it's important to just recognize that and understand that, and seek help the same way you would to do your taxes or to get legal advice…. For some reason, people think, oh, I can handle this. I can do this. And some people are okay with it. I'm not saying it never works, but it often doesn't. And then you get a situation that's not what anybody wanted.”
Recommended media content:
We explore and share with you diverse media illuminating the dynamics and narratives within the care economy - from insightful podcasts to thought-provoking books and engaging videos.
INSTAGRAM / YOUTUBE
Ty Lewis, CDP, CADDCT, was one of the amazing caregiver advocates we had the pleasure and honor to meet at the Caregiver Nation Summit 2024. She is an advocate, sought-after educator, trainer, and Certified Dementia Practitioner. Her unique teaching style, personality, passion, relatable content, and expertise in this field allows her to teach families how to implement research-based strategies to conquer the diagnosis of Dementia. She is also a dynamite social media influencer. Ty has teamed up with her mom, Gertrude, on their Instagram Page to create content that helps shed light on the reality of Dementia, dispel myths, and raise awareness about the impact on families diagnosed with Dementia. They have partnered with brands such as Janssen Global, ParentGiving, Carewell, Pivotal Ventures, Joe and Bella, Silverts, Help At Home, Otsuka, OnStar, and NavigAid to spread awareness and introduce useful products to families and caregivers that have been impacted by Dementia. Ty’s goal is to convince every family that there is joy in the journey after a diagnosis.
Ty was also on the CBS Mornings segment highlighting caregivers. About 53 million people in the U.S. are unpaid caregivers, and many of them are simultaneously raising young kids and taking care of a parent, earning them the title "Sandwich Generation." CBS News contributor Lisa Ling, who is a member of this generation, recently shared her personal experience by taking us into her family home. She also introduced us to another family who faced the tough choice of placing their loved one in a nursing home. Today, she shares the story of a caregiver who is determined to keep her mom at home.
VIDEOS
NAC President and CEO Jason Resendez spoke with NBC News about the challenges facing family caregivers and what we all can do to support them.
NAC President and CEO Jason Resendez spoke with NBC News about the challenges facing family caregivers and what we all can do to support them. From financial strain to emotional exhaustion, family caregivers often face immense burdens with little support. Jason shared important insights on what we can all do to better support caregivers and elevate their role in our healthcare system. Watch the full interview to learn more about how we can make a difference for the millions of family caregivers who provide essential care each day.
BOOKS
In this newsletter, as we continue to highlight the efforts of the National Alliance For Caregiving, we would like to share a few books per the article The Best Books About Caregiving: Support, Advice, and Inspiration for Caregivers.
Stand By Me: A Guide to Navigating Modern, Meaningful Caregivng by Allison J. Applebaum, PhD. As the founder of the only devoted Caregivers Clinic in the country, clinical psychologist Dr. Allison Applebaum is no stranger to the intensity of being an unpaid, untrained family caregiver. Stand By Me: A Guide to Navigating Modern, Meaningful Caregiving puts the practical tools and transformative support of the Caregivers Clinic in your hands, empowering you to provide your loved one with the best quality of life and care possible, while promoting your own wellbeing.
For the rest of the list, please go to the article.
We want to thank Kon Apostolopoulos who took the time to read our book and provide a thoughtful review!
This is a must-read for anyone in a leadership role! Whether you know it or not, there are people on your team struggling to balance the responsibilities of performing their job well and caring for a loved one. Being a caregiver can be a lonely and exhausting responsibility - physically and emotionally. But it doesn't have to be. With the support of their professional and personal circle it can become easier. If you are an employer trying to understand how to retain and support those caregivers on your team during this challenging time for them, this book has the answers you need.
There are people that help others for a living, and then there are people that live to help others. Zack and Selma live to help, and they have put together a very personal, yet practical, guide to help employers and leaders support their people as they juggle the complex responsibilities of employee and caregiver. The authors are uniquely qualified to speak to this because they have the experience of being leaders AND being caregivers.
Order your copy of Working Caregivers-The Invisible Employees book here. If you want to order a quantity of books for your leadership team and employees, contact us directly about discount pricing.
Order Working Caregivers-The Invisible Employees Book here
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