Caregiving advisory councils and activities for people with dementia

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By Kay Kaylor

Special to The PREVIEW

For San Juan Basin Area Agency on Aging (SJBAAA), I am not only a part-time long-term care ombudsman, which is an advocate for residents at Pine Ridge, a 24-hour extended care home, and BeeHive, an assisted living residence. I also am an aging and disability specialist and trained Senior Medicare Patrol and State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) counselor. Information on the many aging and care concerns will be included here.

At the end of August, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) announced the formation and first meetings of two caregiving advisory councils as part of two acts: the RAISE Family Caregivers Act and the Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Act.

“Both laws establish advisory councils with memberships that reflect the diversity of the more than 43 million caregivers in America,” Lance Robertson, ACL administrator and assistant secretary for aging, notes in the ACL blog. RAISE stands for “Recognize, Assist, Include, Support and Engage.”

“The number of family caregivers, including grandparents who are raising grandchildren, is significant and growing. They are the backbone of our country’s caregiving system and supporting them is critical to making it possible for people of all ages and abilities to continue to live in their communities,” Robertson states.

Activity tips

As part of the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute on Aging is the primary federal agency supporting and conducting aging and Alzheimer’s research. Its website, nia.nih.gov, is full of news, information and resources.

A recent tip sheet sent to support people living with Alzheimer’s suggests doing activities that they enjoy at the same time each day. Help them get started, make sure they feel successful and watch to see if they are getting frustrated. Activities can be simple and routine, like folding laundry or cooking, or more active, like dancing or gardening.

SJBAAA offers resources for people age 60 and older or on Medicare. For further information, please call me at 264-0501, ext. 1 or send an email to adrc@sjbaaa.org.