November is National Family Caregivers Month – THANK YOU!

Welcome to November, KIRC family!

This will be a quick update with a few events and reminders to share with all of you.

National Family Caregivers Month

While the work we perform as family caregivers is not confined to just one month of the year, November is designated as our month.

Courtesy: Canva

It is a time to recognize the efforts, dedication and commitment of the millions of family caregivers who give of themselves – each and every day – to care for others.

To recognize National Family Caregivers Month, throughout November, each Saturday Keeping It REAL Caregiving will feature a short video story or informational segment. It is a small way of giving KUDOS to each and every caregiver and sharing information and inspiration.

Be sure to tag @REAL_caregiving in any social media posts (I’ll work to keep an eye out for those and re-share) as we move through this month of giving praise and recognition.

  • Plus – Want to share YOUR story? It’s easy and we welcome hearing from you! Use the link here to submit your information!

  • And – Find additional resources, offerings and services to recognize National Family Caregivers Month. Check out what is offered thanks to The John A. Hartford Foundation.

  • Even more – The U.S. Census has compiled a wealth of information and statistics outlining nationwide realities and impacts surrounding our care economy. Follow the numbers and the dollars, to see and track trends.

Medicare Open Enrollment

Remember, ’Tis the season for Open Enrollment for Medicare. The period for the initial sign-up or to make changes to an existing plan officially began October 15th and runs through December 7th.

As the advocacy organization Justice in Aging points out:

This is a particularly important period for Medicare enrollees who receive the Low-Income Subsidy (LIS) or “Extra Help” to review their plan options. More than 800,000 LIS enrollees are currently paying more than they need to for prescription drug coverage because they are not in enrolled in a premium free plan. Open Enrollment is the best opportunity for them to review their coverage and change plans.

This Practice Tip from the National Center on Law & Elder Rights has more information to help advocates assist clients in making good coverage choices.

We’ve talked about it in the past but KIRC will remind you again: If you need help you can reach out to the State Heath Insurance Program. It is a free service not associated with any company, so they aren’t looking to sell you anything.

Each state has an office. Visit the home page to find your local office.

*Missed the KIRC overview of an informational Medicare webinar? Check it out here

Save the Date

Thursday, November 3, 2022

2:00 PM Eastern Time

Justice in Aging Webinar

Access to SSI – Ensuring Access to Assistance from State and Local Governments and Nonprofits

Event description: Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiaries may receive help in cash or in-kind from state and local governments and private entities. Examples include a food pantry providing food and groceries to members of the community facing hunger or a local government offering rental assistance to low-income residents.

Register here:

Sunday, November 13, 2022

Moving beyond the loss of your furry loved one: Sunday Coffee Chat & Support

Join Keeping It REAL Caregiving for a very special Coffee Chat. (Barring any schedule changes), we’ll be joined by an internationally renowned veterinarian and unapologetic animal lover.

What happens when you have to say goodbye to a cherished family member? Just because it may not be a human, doesn’t make the pain any less. In fact, it can be just as difficult.

Our guest will walk us through the very real emotional challenges that come with losing our four legged family members.

Where: online – platform TBD (I’m thinking ZOOM for this one??)

Time: 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM Pacific

*Registration link coming soon…

Resource & Tool for caregivers

Courtesy: The John A. Hartford Foundation

There is a wonderful new tool available for health care providers, also delivered from The John A. Hartford Foundation. The Best Practice Caregiving, is described as…

“…a free online database that helps health care and social service organizations identify, compare and adopt best-fit programs to support family caregivers of people living with dementia, like the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Program.”

Check it out here:

From the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Are you a military veteran? Then you might want to set aside a few minutes to check out one of the latest videos from the V.A.

As the description explains…

“How Veterans and their families can save money on medical supplies and equipment with VA health care. From medical beds to wheel chair ramps, VA can help with everything….”

#ICYMI…In Case You Missed It

Is caregiving making you physically ill? Is it getting under your skin – literally?

I had the honor of moderating a recent panel as part of the Age Boom Academy. It is a program presented by Columbia Journalism School, providing nationally known journalists with information and tools to help them capture and tell more in-depth health and caregiving related stories.

The title of the panel I moderated goes straight to the issue: ‘Questions of Caregiving Equity and How Stress Gets under the Skin.’

It was an eye-opening and educational session, especially because we heard from a leading physician who studies how stress can have real and lasting physical impacts. What are the health implications for caregivers who in some cases are under mental, emotional and physical stress for years? This one is worth checking out!

Keeping It REAL Caregiving – on the move

Stay tuned for the latest updates on our new home. Meta Bulletin, our current platform is going away. But, rest assured, KIRC is not!

Our newsletter and KIRC family is growing (WOOT WOOT – we are now 5.3K members strong) and will stay the course. Our collective voices can and will have an impact!

I hope to have final details for all of you on our new home later this week! And remember, to stay plugged in, follow me on Facebook @Julia Yarbough Media Group!

Until next time~

Julia