News from Washington: Budget Proposals and their Impact on Older Adults and Caregivers
By Bob Blancato, Meredith Ponder Whitmire, Orion BellJuly 1, 2021
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Articles
The Impact of Alcohol Consumption on Older Adults and How Caregivers Can Help
In many cultures, alcohol consumption is so engrained in social rituals that not drinking seems much stranger to people than frequently drinking. However, alcohol is never without its risks, and this is especially true for older people. Older adults are much more vulnerable to the adverse effects of alcohol than younger people due to age-related changes to their bodies, medication interactions and other health conditions. And though reckless drinking is an issue most people associate with younger people, older adults, especially those in the 55-64 range, are more at risk of alcohol-induced deaths than any other age category, according to data from the CDC.
Articles
Medications and Driving: Safety Tips for Older Adults and their Families
With laws around THC use changing around the country, the subject of “drugged driving” has been appearing more and more in the national discourse. Most people are aware of the risks involved in driving under the influence of marijuana, but aren’t aware that prescription drugs can also fall under the umbrella of drugged driving—and that many older adults are unintentionally driving impaired, and contributing to the high statistics of drugged driving accidents.
Videos
Washington Update
A discussion on developments in Washington DC, including the new Administration, 117th Congress and new majority in the Senate.
Articles
Understanding Seasonal Affective Disorder and Its Impact on Older Adults
As the days grow shorter and sunlight becomes scarce, many people experience a change in their mood and energy levels in winter. For some, these changes are more severe and have a greater impact on their everyday life, a condition known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). This form of depression, linked to seasonal changes—particularly the change from summer to fall/winter—affects millions of people annually, including a significant number of older adults.
Videos
The Impact of Cybercrimes on Mental Health in Older Adults
Cybercrimes have increased 20 percent since the onset of COVID-19 in 2020. Romance scams stole more than $139 million from older adults in 2020. According to a report by the Federal Trade Commission, that’s a 65 percent increase from 2019, when reported losses were nearly $84 million. While the monetary loss is staggering, it is often the devastating emotional toll that impacts the mental health of older adults, their families and those that care for them the most. This webinar will explore the topic of cybercrimes, why older adults are targets, the impact this trauma can have on an individual's mental health and ways to find help in the community.
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Caregiver and...
Ann is a successful attorney practicing elder law. Her interest in this specialty grew in part from her personal experience in dealing with her mother’s rapid decline due to early onset dementia. There were other siblings. But Ann was the youngest, and so her mother moved in with her. Several years later, an aunt began...
Videos
Effective Strategies for Recruiting and Engaging People Living with Dementia and Their Caregivers
Join us for an in-depth conversation on effective strategies for recruiting and engaging family and friend caregivers and people living with dementia in evidence-based dementia care programs. This session highlights marketing tools and outreach strategies provided by BRI Care Consultation, with a particular focus on the specific recruitment needs of GUIDE Model Participating Sites.
Articles
Why Caregivers and their Loved Ones Deserve Respite
It is likely that at some point in our lives, most of us will be involved in providing care for an older loved one. A commonly requested type of caregiver assistance among family caregivers is respite, accounting for 15% of all assistance requests according to a study by the Family Caregiver Alliance. A variety of situations may give rise to requests for this type of assistance. For example, if we have a career of our own, the addition of caregiving responsibilities may leave us with very little time to manage our personal needs and day-to-day tasks. Or we may be a caregiver in the “sandwich generation” and care for both children and adult loved ones, which may increase our need for respite, due to the amount of our caregiving responsibilities.