educational programs
The Labyrinth of Caregiving:
Current and Future Issues and Options
February 11, 2009, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM
This program will provide professional caregivers with an interdisciplinary approach to interacting with family members and clients. Integrating diverse perspectives, presenters will discuss various caregiving issues and options including: policy and research implications for practice, cross-cultural issues, "compassion fatigue" and burnout, spiritual resources for caregiving, integrating the caregiver into your senior services, non-traditional caregivers, helping families make tough eldercare decisons, and sharing alternative housing models/options.
Morning Plenary Session — 8:30 AM to Noon
The Labyrinth of Caregiving
This presentation will focus on the diversity of family caregiving situations, the unique challenges and issues faced by family caregivers and the implications for professionals in working with and supporting these caregivers. Also to be addressed will be the importance of giving consideration to the impact of family history, dynamics, and quality of relationships on caregiving decisions.
— Vicki Schmall, PhD, Gerontology & Training Specialist, Aging Concerns
Family Caregivers and Public Policy: Current Trends and Future Directions
What are the policy issues that affect family caregivers? How can families and their advocates get involved in the policy debate? This presentation will focus attention on current trends and future directions in caregiving policy and discuss the implications of public policy for everyday practice with families.
— Lynn Friss Feinberg, MSW, Director, National Center on Caregiving, Family Caregiver Alliance; former John Heinz Fellow in Aging in Senator Barbara Boxer’s Office
Reactors providing different perspectives to speaker presentations:
— Non-traditional family and LGBT caregiver perspective
Brian deVries, PhD, Professor of Gerontology, San Francisco State University
— Diversity and family caregiver perspective
Reactor to be confirmed
Workshops — 1:00 to 2:30 PM
1A. Cultural Diversity in Caregiving Issues
This session will examine caregiving perceptions and effective interventions in various cultural groups. A summary of findings from studies on Latino, Chinese and African American communities will be presented along with tangible examples of programs that have effectively reached caregivers in diverse communities. Participants will also hear from a caregiver on the realities of caregiving and what she has found to be most helpful.
— Edie Yau, MA, Director of Diversity, Alzheimer’s Association, Northern California and Northern Nevada
— Dolores Gallagher Thompson, PhD, ABPP, Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and Director, Stanford Geriatric Education Center, Stanford University School of Medicine
2A. Many Paths of Care
Surveys show that 90% of older adults wish to remain in their own homes and communities as they age, necessitating a variety of community and caregiving supports. This session describes three models of personal support networks and intentional communities for older adults, as well as the complexities, growth and grief involved in caregiving among bereaved AIDS caregivers. Participants will receive information about practical tools and resources for themselves and the family caregivers with whom they work.
— Brian deVries, PhD, Professor of Gerontology, San Francisco State University
— Marie Jobling, Executive Director, San Francisco Community Living Campaign
— Susan Poor, MPH, Health Care Policy, Planning and Organizational Consultant
3A. Helping Families Make Tough Eldercare Decisions:
Tools and Strategies
This session will address late-life decisions families face – driving concerns, bringing outside help into the home when a person resists help, helping with finances and changes in living arrangements, and making end-of-life decisions. The presenter will provide tools and strategies for helping families make the best decisions possible, conducting family meetings, and approaching older adults in positive ways about eldercare concerns.
— Vicki Schmall, PhD, Gerontology & Training Specialist, Aging Concerns
4A. Using Forgiveness to Heal Hurt and Betrayal
Unspoken resentments and grievances can complicate caregiving relationships. Even when the hurt and betrayal did not occur in the present, deep resentments about others can be projected onto the current caregiver. This session will focus on forgiveness as an intervention that can ease the pain associated with hurt and betrayal.
— Patrick Arbore, EdD, Director, Center for Elderly Suicide Prevention & Grief-Related Services, Institute on Aging
Workshops — 2:45 to 4:15 PM
1B. Too Tired to Care: Recognizing and Responding to
‘Compassion Fatigue’ and Burnout
Do you worry about clients when you are on vacation? Do you carry concerns about clients home with you? Do you find yourself emotionally overwhelmed by clients’ problems and sometimes then shut down emotionally? This session will address the emotional challenges we face daily in our work, identify the signs of "compassion fatigue" and burnout and coping techniques.
— Patrick Arbore, EdD, Director, Center for Elderly Suicide Prevention & Grief-Related Services, Institute on Aging
— Vicki Schmall, PhD, Gerontology & Training Specialist, Aging Concerns
2B. Watering the Inner Garden: Spiritual Resources for Caregiving
Spiritual self care will be the focus of our time together. Beginning with identifying impediments to inner peace and acceptance, we will acknowledge spiritual needs, issues, conflicts and concerns that emerge in caregiving. Emphasis will be on spiritual approaches and practices that nourish our soul and psyche, particularly as caregivers. There will be ample opportunity for sharing issues, insights and spiritual practices.
— Marita Grudzen, MHS, Deputy Director, Stanford Geriatric Education Center
3B. Seniors Are Part of Families: Integrating the Caregiver
Into Your Senior Services
Senior services are designed to help the elderly and tend to have a bias toward the isolated senior. However, most seniors are part of families, even if they aren't living with them. In this workshop, we will explore ways to include the extended family and informal caregivers into the services that are provided. Issues of confidentiality, who gets to make the decision and how you deal with split loyalty will be discussed.
— Donna Schempp, LCSW, Program Director, Family Caregiver Alliance
4B. Home Sweet Home: Changes and Choices
As we age, supportive services can help to maximize independence and enhance quality of life. There are a variety of settings which offer this support. These include staying at home with organized community assistance: emergence of the new San Francisco Village and other “Village” models of support; staying at home with outside services: What choices exist, how do they compare with each other and how much do they cost? Home health agencies, private duty agencies, referral agencies and other home care models; and moving out of the home. When is moving the best choice? How is the best “fit” determined? How long does it take to adjust to the change? The needs of family and caregivers as well as those of the older adult must be considered when making decisions about where to live.
— Susan Poor, MPH, Health Care Policy, Planning and Organizational Consultant
— Stephne Lencioni, MSW, CMC, Geriatric Care Manager, Older Adults Care Management, Institute on Aging
— Donna Robbins, President and Founder, Ultimate Moves – Serving Seniors in Transition
