Tuesday, January 06, 2009
NEWS
September 2008
In This Issue
NATIONAL NEWS
It’s not too late to register for RCI’s 2008 National Conference, Raising the Bar: Implementing Evidence-Based Programs for Caregivers, October 23 & 24, 2008, Georgia Southwestern State University, Americus, Georgia.
At the conference, you'll get the tools you need to implement effective caregiver programs in your community. You'll meet with agency representatives from across the country and learn about the programs they've established, their successes and challenges. Register Now on our Conference web site: www.rciconference08.org
RCI Receives Record Number of Stepanek Scholarship Applications
On September 15, the RCI closed out its search for 2008 Mattie J.T. Stapanek Caregiving Scholarship recipients. This year, we have received three times as many applications as in years past, and picking four winners will be a difficult task for the selection committee. 2008 Winners will be introduced on the RCI web site and in the next edition of our RCI E-Bulletin.
Beginning with this edition, each edition of the RCI E-Bulletin will highlight one of the members of the National Quality Care Network (NQCN). The RCI launched the NQCN in 2007 with support from Johnson and Johnson, with the goal of creating a national network committed to promoting quality in the long-term, home and community-based care systems.
In this newsletter, we spotlight on the REACH VA project. REACH VA is part of the Evidence-Based Program practice community of the National Quality Care Network (NQCN).
The Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving will host an in-depth program on evidence-based programs for caregivers in conjunction with the 2009 ASA-NCOA Aging in America Conference in March 2009. The program will be entitled Evidence-Based Programs for Caregivers: Yes You Can! and is sponsored by Johnson & Johnson.
QCC Member Highlight – Fox Rehabilitation, Cherry Hill, NJ
Beginning with this one, each edition of the RCI E-Bulletin will highlight one of the members of Quality Care Connections (QCC). QCC is Rosalynn Carter Institute's partnership with Johnson and Johnson. It is dedicated to the successful implementation of effective caregiver support programs. To launch this initiative, Johnson and Johnson is funding five community sites involved in implementing proven programs for Alzheimer's caregivers.
In this edition of the RCI E-Bulletin we shine the spotlight on one of the QCC’s five grantee sites, Fox Rehabilitation in Cherry Hill, NJ.
Dr. Karen Blase Presents Pre-Conference Session
Dr. Karen Blase, of the National Implementation Research Network, presented a Pre-Conference Session on September 19 as part of RCI’s Telephone Learning Series (TLS). Dr. Blase is scheduled to present “The Science of Implementation” in a two-part program at our National Conference, scheduled for October 23 & 24 at Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus. The Telephone Learning Series session offered conference-goers a sneak preview into her presentation.
On September 28, the work of Quality Care Connections will be highlighted at the Spirit of Independence 24th National Home and Community Based Services Conference in Boston. The conference is sponsored by the National Association of State Units of Aging (NASUA). Laura Bauer Granberry, RCI’s Director of National Initiatives, will be joined in presenting a workshop by Dr. Lou Burgio of the University of Michigan and Commissioner Irene Collins of the Alabama Department of Senior Services. They will discuss the Alabama REACH project. This project earned Burgio and the ADSS the Rosalynn Carter Leadership in Caregiving Award in 2007.
GEORGIA NEWS
Savvy Caregiver Web Training Planned for November
The Rosalynn Carter Institute, as part of its commitment to providing Evidence-Based Caregiver Training in the state of Georgia, will be working with Dr. Ken Hepburn of Emory University, to offer training on his Savvy Caregiver Program. Savvy Caregiver is an Evidence-Based Intervention for Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care.
Regional Caregivers of the Year Selected by CARE-NETS
Winners to be Considered for State Award
In early June, the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving asked each of the 12 CARE-NETs in Georgia to put out a call for nominations for 2008 Caregivers of the Year, and accept nominations in three categories: Family Caregiver of the Year; Para-Professional Caregiver of the Year; and Volunteer Caregiver of the Year
Outstanding caregivers were nominated by clients, co-workers or friends because of their superior caregiving abilities and devotion to others for whom they provide care. From the nominees they received, the CARE-NETs selected their regional winners. These regional winners will be considered for the state awards.
The US and the state of Georgia fall short of benchmarks in health system performance, according to a recent report. The Commonwealth Fund Commission released the 2008 edition of its Health System Scorecard recently, and the measures look bleak for the nation and the state of Georgia.
According to the report, Why Not The Best? Results from the National Scorecard on U.S. Health System Performance, 2008, the U.S. scored an average of 65 out of a possible 100 across 37 indicators of health outcomes, quality, access, efficiency, and equity.
CARE-NETs Help Promote AADD “Lunch & Learn” Series
Georgia’s CARE-NETs are providing assistance to the Atlanta Alliance on Developmental Disabilities (AADD) by helping them promote their Lunch & Learn Training Series throughout the state.
The AADD began offering the training, Conversations that Matter: Introduction to Disability, in August. The training will continue through October at various locations in Georgia. The sessions are sponsored by the Division on Aging Services in partnership with the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Addictive Diseases; Dekalb Developmental Disabilities Council; and the AADD.
Preliminary Survey Results Show Need for EBP Training
In the spring, the Rosalynn Carter Institute began conducting an online survey of over 300 providers in Georgia who serve the aging, disabled, and/or chronically ill. The survey was designed to measure these providers’ understanding of Evidence-Based Programs/Practices (EBP) and the use of EBP within their agencies.
LOCAL / CAMPUS NEWS
Georgia Southwestern and RCI Receive HRSA Grant for Nursing Program
Georgia Southwestern State University (GSW) and the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving (RCI) have been awarded $763,914 to establish a Prescription for Academic Success (PAS) program within the School of Nursing for students from economically and educationally disadvantaged backgrounds, including minority students. The funding comes from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The 2008-09 Pope Fellows Begin Academic Year
The 2008-09 Pope Fellows began their school year August 14 and were honored at a Welcome Reception on September 10 at the Rosalynn Carter Institute (RCI). In addition to the Pope Fellows, RCI staff members took part in the reception, as well as benefactor Mrs. Betty Pope, Georgia Southwestern State University (GSW) President Drs Kendall and Connie Blanchard, and Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Brian Adler.
Americus Caregiver is National Finalist for Grandparent of the Year
RCI is proud to announce that Mrs. Dorothy Wilcher of Americus was selected as a national finalist for 2008 Grandparent of the Year by GRAND Magazine. Mrs. Wilcher, who participates in the Relative Caregiver Program run by RCI and the GSW School of Nursing, has provided extraordinary care for her severely-disabled grandchild for the past seven years.