The Massachusetts Department of Public Health continues to issue updated guidance, information and recommendations on COVID-19 geared towards a variety of specific audiences. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Family Caregiving
CDC Reports Health Data of Informal Unpaid Caregivers
Informal, unpaid caregivers provide important support to family members, friends, and the health care system and might compromise their own health to provide this support. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has labeled caregiving a public health issue of increasing importance and recently released data on the self-reported health status of informal unpaid caregivers. Continue reading
ACL Seeks Input on the RAISE Family Caregiving Advisory Council
The Administration for Community Living (ACL) is seeking input on the challenges faced by family caregivers from individuals and organizations that capture the breadth of the family caregiving experience. Continue reading
New Year Brings Approved State-Based Policies to Support Caregivers
The Boston College Center for Retirement and Research recently shared news on their blog about state-based policies to support caregivers that have gone into effect in 2020. Continue reading
Small Business Caregiving Guide Released by AARP, Public Private Strategies
Coming off the heels of a toolkit developed by the Mass. Executive Office of Elder Affairs, Mass. Business Roundtable and the Mass. eHealth Institute to help Massachusetts employers better support caregivers in the workplace, the AARP Family Caregiving Team and Public Private Strategies (PPS) partnered to created a website providing more resources and guidance on the issue. Continue reading
‘Good Talk Toolkit’ Released to Aid Advanced Care Planning
Based on public messaging research, the Massachusetts Coalition on Serious Illness Care developed the Good Talk Toolkit to be a resource that supplements your organization’s capacity to build awareness and understanding for advance care planning.
The messaging and campaign are intended to shift the frame of advance care planning away from “end of life” and “life-sustaining treatment choices” towards goals of care, quality of life and shared decision making thus also bringing it into closer alignment with palliative care principles. Continue reading
New “Massachusetts Caregiver Coalition” Launched by Leaders in Business, Health Care, Education & Government
Leaders from business, health care, education and state government launched a new “Massachusetts Caregiver Coalition,” a collaboration that includes businesses from diverse industry sectors working with the state to assess and address the needs of unpaid family caregivers in Massachusetts. The group’s launch this week is marked by the release of a Massachusetts State of Care Report and Employer Toolkit, which highlight research and best practices for employers to support working family caregivers. Continue reading
Baker Administration Proclaims November 2019 as Family Caregivers Month
In support of the more than 844,000 Massachusetts residents who provide frequent or daily care to their family members, the Baker-Polito Administration has proclaimed November 2019 as Family Caregivers Month in the Commonwealth.
Online Resources to Support Family Caregivers:
The Commonwealth offers a number of services to help caregivers. This Mass.gov topic page linked below brings together a number of state health and social services in one place to help caregivers find the information they need, based on their unique situation:
Mass.Gov Topic Page on Caregiving
The Family Caregiver Support Program provides advice and support through the services of Caregiver Specialist for residents caring for an older family member, a relative with a disability, or an older relative caring for a child. Caregiver Specialists serve at regional aging services agencies that cover every community in Massachusetts:
The Massachusetts Family Caregiver Support Program (Mass.gov/Caregiver)
The page linked below includes caregiving tips and resources that caregivers may need for providing care both at home and in other settings:
Caregiver Tips and Information
The majority of family caregivers work full or part-time jobs in addition to their caregiver responsibilities, and many employers are finding creative ways to support their employees. This web page below provides employers resources on how to make the workplace more welcoming for caregivers.
Caregiving Information for Workplaces
In addition to online resources, the Executive Office of Elder Affairs also supports MassOptions, an aging and disability information, and referral call center. MassOptions is a free service that helps older residents, people with disabilities, and caregivers connect with support services in their area. The service can be reached Monday – Friday, 9 am to 5 pm, by calling toll-free 1-844-422-6277.
Honoring Choices MA Supports Age- and Dementia Friendly Communities
More than 1,000 Honoring Choices partners and Health Care Planning Ambassadors are working in their local communities to help adults make a personal health care plan and get connected to essential care to improve healthy living.
Honoring Choices is now connecting this important work to Age- And Dementia Friendly Community efforts across Massachusetts via a new web page using Framingham as an example.
Healthy Living Center of Excellence Recognized by NCOA
The National Council on Aging (NCOA), a trusted national leader working to ensure that every person can age well, is honoring more than a dozen women, men, and organizations around the country who are working toward a just and caring society that allows all of us to age with dignity, purpose, and security. Among the honorees is the Healthy Living Center of Excellence, a partner and Executive Committee member of the Healthy Aging Collaborative. Continue reading
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