RIC Event: Supporting Family Caregivers of Older Adults through Times of Stress and Isolation

Event Start Date: April 30, 2020 - 4:00 PM EDT
Event End Date: April 30, 2020 - 5:30 PM EDT

https://youtu.be/OLhyI13il6o?si=YAC67KnMynbneIrh

Podcast:

This webinar is also available as a podcast on SoundCloud and iTunes.

Over 34 million individuals in the United States provide unpaid care for an older adult,1 including many individuals who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. Due to the emergency brought on by COVID-19, caregivers of older adults may be experiencing new challenges and uncertainty in their roles and others may newly be taking on caregiving responsibilities. The emotional, physical, and financial impact of caregiving can lead to caregivers experiencing stress, depression, anxiety, and other health problems.2 Providers and health plan staff can play key roles in supporting caregivers, particularly during this time when caregivers may be experiencing increased stress and isolation.

This webinar offers strategies for supporting caregivers and their loved ones, up-to-date information on facilitating access to health and social supports from which caregivers might benefit, and practical tips for addressing the specific needs of caregivers experiencing social isolation and stress-related conditions. Speakers also share strategies that are relevant in virtual settings. By the end of this webinar, participants should be able to:

  1. Describe the challenges facing caregivers of older adults, particularly those challenges that may be present during the COVID-19 public health emergency
  2. Identify strategies for assessing and addressing caregivers’ emotional health and the supports they may need to manage stress, isolation, and new responsibilities
  3. Describe practical tips for effectively linking family caregivers to support services provided by health care and community-based organizations (e.g., telehealth, online classes, and webinars)

Featured Speakers:

  • Erin E. Emery-Tiburcio, Ph.D., ABPP, Co-Director of Rush Center for Excellence in Aging at Rush University Medical Center
  • Kathy Kelly, Executive Director, Family Caregiver Alliance/National Center on Caregiving
  • Bryan Godfrey, MA, MSW, LCSW, Clinical Social Worker, UNC Geriatrics Clinic

Intended Audience:

This webinar is intended for a wide range of stakeholders, including frontline workers; staff at health plans, including Medicare-Medicaid Plans, Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans, and managed Long-Term Services and Supports plans; and other health care and community-based organizations who are interested in strategies and programs for supporting caregivers of older adults.

1 National Alliance for Caregiving and the AARP Public Policy Institute. (2015). Caregiving in the U.S. Retrieved from https://www.caregiving.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/2015_CaregivingintheUS_Final-Report-June-4_WEB.pdf.

2 Family Caregiver Alliance. (2016). Depression and Caregiving. Retrieved from https://www.caregiver.org/depression-and-caregiving.

Attachments:

Webinar Slides

Webinar Transcript

Q&A Document

Resource Guide