The Caregiving Legacy Award from the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation is being given to the “Alzheimer’s Dementia Strategy and Dementia Summit”.
I had the honor of serving on this panel with many other leading Dementia experts in San Francisco. My role, based on expertise, was that of “Care Coordination and Professional Care Manager.” Most of the research we found pointed to the value and need of a central person to be the guide and contact for primary caregivers. Families who had Care Management worldwide were better able to cope with the changes and transitions this disease presents.
Our panel was charged to come up with a plan for the city of San Francisco to be pro-active in designing services needed by caregivers and organizations. The plan was to look at the needs of this growing population for the next 11 years – pro-active planning at its best.
The final report will be available soon from The San Francisco Department of Aging and Adult Services and/or The Family Caregiver Alliance.
It was truly an honor to work with experts in public policy, research, medicine, community services and the private sector. In this time of a down economy it was good to focus on what we can do, what we want to do and what is most needed. The Baby Boomers are aging. Everything we can do, for treatment, prevention, public policy, benefits and education of Alzheimer’s, now will prepare us for a future of “positive caring”!
Congratulations San Francisco! Thanks for letting me be a part of a pro-active plan.