Resources

The Alzheimer Association

We were fortunate to have representatives of the Alzheimer Association (www.alz.org) on the Conference Call. For quick reference, please click here for a fact sheet pertaining to the impact Alzheimer’s and dementia has on business: Alzheimer's Association Fact Sheet on Impact to Business.

The Association works with companies to provide information for HR and Benefits managers that will help them build programs and outreach opportunities in support of their many employee caregivers. These caregivers are often silently struggling to hold down full time jobs and at the same time provide care for loved ones.

Linda Gzehoviak (linda.gzehoviak@alz.org or 312-335-5735) and her colleague Janis Robinson at the Association work with companies to provide employee education seminars, make recommendations on how to design benefits (including the extension of life cycle benefits to include in elder care programs) and to support program outreach. Please click here for the Alzheimer’s Association description of life cycle benefits: Alzheimer's Association Life Cycle Benefits.

They also run the Alzheimer’s Early Detection Alliance, a business collaboration that is meant to help spread awareness about the warning signs of Alzheimer's, the importance of early detection and the resources available to help.

Mary Richards from the Alzheimer’s Association spoke about legislative efforts. On January 4, 2011, The National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA) was signed into law by the President of the United States after having been passed unanimously in both the Senate and House of Representatives. For information about NAPA and other priority legislation please go to the following link: www.alz.org/napa.

MetLife

This link will take you to a series of resources put together by MetLife, a Corporate Leadership Circle member company: http://www.helpstartshere.org/tag/metlife-you-care-guides. It includes information about:

• The Caregiver Initiative. The Johnson & Johnson Consumer Products Company (another CLC member) developed The Caregiver Initiative to call attention to the vital role that family caregivers now play, to help them maintain their own health and well-being while they care for others, and to prepare all Americans to better recognize and accept the responsibilities of care giving that may well affect them personally as our society ages. The Caregiver Initiative features www.strengthforcaring.com, a comprehensive online resource and virtual community designed specifically for caregivers.


• MetLife's Since You Care Guides provide practical suggestions and useful tools on a variety of specific care-related subjects including Alzheimer’s Disease among many others.

MetLife also has materials on caring from a distance: MetLife's Caring from a Distance and if care is needed at home: MetLife's If Care Is Needed Home.

AARP

AARP has many helpful resources including this state-by-state guide to public benefits that can help Americans over 50 years old: http://www.giclocalsupport.org/bop_statefactsheets/statefactsheets.html