New LGBTQ Caregiver Support Group

Health, Uncategorized / LGBTQ Caregiver

We are excited to share that we have teamed up with Duet Partners in Health and Aging to sponsor a new Virtual LGBTQ Family Caregiver Support Group! The support group will take place the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of the month from 10am to 11:30am.

Introduction

Caring for a loved one can be a challenging experience, but it can be even more difficult when your loved one is part of the LGBTQ community. LGBTQ caregivers face unique challenges and experiences that can be difficult to navigate alone. That’s why a new virtual LGBTQ caregiver support group has been created to provide a safe and inclusive space for caregivers to connect with others who understand their experiences and offer support and guidance.

What is a Virtual LGBTQ Caregiver Support Group?

A virtual LGBTQ caregiver support group is a space where LGBTQ caregivers can come together to share their experiences, ask for advice, and find support from others who understand what they’re going through. The support group is conducted entirely online, through a video conferencing platform, which makes it accessible to caregivers regardless of their location or schedule.

The support group provides a safe and welcoming space for LGBTQ caregivers to discuss their experiences and connect with others who are going through similar challenges. Participants are encouraged to share their stories, ask questions, and offer support to others in the group. The support group is facilitated by a trained professional who ensures that the discussions remain respectful and supportive.

Why is a LGBTQ Caregiver Support Group Needed?

Caring for an LGBTQ loved one can be a complex and challenging experience. LGBTQ caregivers often face unique challenges that can be difficult to navigate alone. These challenges can include dealing with societal stigma and discrimination, accessing appropriate healthcare services, and supporting their loved one’s gender and sexual identity.

In addition, LGBTQ caregivers may face challenges related to their own identity and experiences. For example, they may feel isolated or unsupported because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. They may also struggle to balance their caregiving responsibilities with their own personal and professional lives.

A virtual LGBTQ caregiver support group is needed to provide a safe and supportive space where caregivers can connect with others who understand their experiences and offer support and guidance. The support group can help caregivers feel less alone, build a sense of community and belonging, and provide valuable resources and information on how to navigate the challenges of caring for an LGBTQ loved one.

Benefits of a Virtual LGBTQ Caregiver Support Group

There are many benefits to participating in a virtual LGBTQ caregiver support group. These benefits include:

A Safe and Supportive Space: The support group provides a safe and inclusive space where caregivers can share their experiences and find support from others who understand what they’re going through.
Connection and Community: The support group helps caregivers connect with others who are going through similar experiences and build a sense of community and belonging.
Information and Resources: The support group provides caregivers with valuable information and resources on how to navigate the challenges of caring for an LGBTQ loved one.
Emotional Support: The support group provides emotional support to caregivers, who may be struggling with feelings of isolation, stress, or burnout.
Professional Facilitation: The support group is facilitated by a trained professional who ensures that the discussions remain respectful and supportive.
Accessibility: The support group is conducted entirely online, which makes it accessible to caregivers regardless of their location or schedule.

How to Join the Virtual LGBTQ Caregiver Support Group

If you’re interested in joining this virtual LGBTQ Caregiver Support group, email us at lgbtqcaregivers@gmail.com and we will provide you with the Zoom information!

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Caregiver Burnout: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

10 Comments / Health, Uncategorized / LGBTQ Caregiver

Featured Image link - Source pexels.com

Caregivers assist a person in need with activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, toileting, and recreation. In addition to that, they also prepare food for the care recipient and do their shopping for them. Here’s a point to note, the level of care a person needs increases with time. The caregiver contributes more of their time and energy with each passing day. There comes a point when they begin to sense fatigue, and feel emotionally numb.

What is caregiver burnout?

This feeling of perpetual tiredness and hopelessness is known as caregiver burnout. A caregiver can go from loving the person they care for to hating them in a matter of days. This is also the phase where a caregiver may act irrationally. Hence, a doctor’s intervention is crucial.

Such a situation often arises when a person is a caregiver for a family member with a neurodegenerative disorder such as Dementia. The care recipient continues to lose their memory and cognitive abilities, and the burden of care falls on their family member, who is acting as a caregiver.

Main causes of caregiver burnout

Newbie caregivers are often overly motivated to help their loved ones, and as a result, fail to take care of themselves in the process. If this sounds like you, take a deep breath, and pause to think about what you can do to make a positive change in your life.

Below, I share some factors that may cause burnout in caregivers:

1. Unrealistic expectations

Caregivers can have unrealistic expectations of themselves and the person they are caring for. For instance, they may decide to juggle between their day job and caregiving without taking into account the challenges involved in it.

Also, the person they are caring for may not get better with time. Caregivers often blame themselves when their loved one’s health continues to decline despite their efforts to nurse them back to health.

2. Financial burden

The economic impact of providing unpaid care to an older adult in the family can be immense. State health insurance assistance programs such as Medicare and Mediclaim can indeed lower the financial burden on caregivers, but they still have to endure out-of-pocket expenses. As a consequence, they often feel uneasy and unsettled.

3. Loneliness and isolation

Caregivers of chronically ill and physically isolated older adults are more likely to be at risk of social isolation, says a study by Weill Cornell Medicine. As the care recipient is homebound, their caregiver— who is busy taking care of them— also spends most of their time indoors.

4. Role confusion

Role confusion can occur when an adult child of an older person is offering them unpaid care. Earlier, the parent used to care for the child, now the same parent looks to the adult child to fulfill their emotional and physiological needs. This kind of role reversal can pose a significant challenge for the caregiver.

5. Spending no time alone

Spending all the time caring for a loved one can be satisfying in the short term, but its long-term effects can be damaging to a caregiver’s mental health. A caregiver needs to explore their interests while they offer unpaid care. Caregivers who spend all the time with the care recipient lack creativity and thoughtfulness.

Signs and symptoms

Caregiver burnout is a severe mental health illness and should not be taken lightly. Most caregivers are too busy taking care of their loved one, and as a result, do not catch the early signs of caregiver burnout. For a quick recovery, it is important to diagnose this condition early.

The following are signs and symptoms of caregiver burnout:

Feeling tired all the time
Lacking creativity
Sudden weight loss or gain
Change in sleep patterns
Feeling uncertain about the future
Getting sick frequently
Avoiding social interactions with neighbors
Getting irritated over small things
Losing interest in everything

Treatment options

1. Join a support group in your area

Every caregiver support group has a leader whose responsibility is to initiate a conversation with new joiners. The leader makes you feel welcome right away. You just have to take a couple of hours a month from your busy schedule. A good support group has a relaxed and laid-back setting where members feel comfortable sharing what they feel.

2. Get some exercise

Regular exercise can boost the brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters called endorphins. You will begin to feel better about yourself. You can also consider exercising with the care recipient (with the doctor’s consent). Exercising will help you recover from caregiver burnout by decreasing your overall stress levels.

3. Practice Kirtan Kriya meditation

Practicing Kirtan Kriya, 12 minutes per day, can lower levels of depressive symptoms, says a study by UCLA geriatric psychiatrist Helen Lavretsky, Ph.D. Kirtan Kriya is a form of meditation involving singing sounds (such as Saa Taa Naa Maa) with finger movements called Mudras. This YouTube video explains it very well.

4. Start eating healthy

Busy caregivers need to eat on time and stay hydrated throughout the day. You can prepare your meals ahead of time if you are too tired to cook when you get back home from work.

The morning time can be hectic for caregivers. Care recipients rely on their caregivers for bathroom and toileting assistance in the morning. Due to time constraints, caregivers tend to skip breakfast, which should be a key part of their morning routine.

Have a healthy breakfast every day to stay energetic and focused throughout the day. Also, have healthy snacks available to you so you don’t go hungry in between meals.

5. Get restful sleep

A good night’s sleep keeps you rested, focused, and alert the next day. Create a good sleep environment in your room. Make the sleeping area as dark as possible. Also, keep the temperature cool— the ideal temperature for sleeping is between 60 to 67 degrees Fahrenheit. If you tend to worry too much at night, set aside time in the evening to think.

Summary

Caring for a loved one is rewarding but a demanding role. Relentless caregiving can take a toll on your body and mind. It can leave you tired, frustrated, and full of guilt. Hence, you must give yourself a break every once in a while.

You can ask other families to fill in for you whenever you feel like taking a break. You can also delegate the caregiving duties to a professional caregiver.

Lastly, use the US government’s eldercare locator to find local support resources in your area. This is a free-of-cost service for family caregivers who need home-cooked meals, transportation services, training, and resources related to eldercare.

Author bio:

I am Ryan Wilson (He/Him/His), a family caregiver and the author of alzheimerslab.com. I can help you overcome the challenges involved in informal caregiving.

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Parkinson’s Research with Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity

21 Comments / Health, Research / LGBTQ Caregiver

Research Title: Parkinson’s Research with Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity

Organization: University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV)

Study Purpose: This study is focused on understanding the health and health care needs of the LGBTQIA+ population living with Parkinson’s and their caregivers. The study consists of a 45min phone survey with people with Parkinson’s and a 45min survey for their caregivers. All surveys/interviews will be conducted over the phone.

Website to participate in the study: N/A

Target Population: This is a national study available to the following individuals, 18 years or older living in the United States:

LGBTQIA+ participants living with Parkinson’s
Caregivers of LGBTQIA+ participants living with Parkinson’s

Research incentives/Benefits: All participants who complete the survey will receive a $25 Visa gift card.

If selected, twenty-five caregivers of people living with Parkinson’s disease who complete a one-on-one interview will receive an additional $25 Visa gift card.

Estimated Time Commitment: Minimum of ~45-60min for the phone survey; an additional 1 hour for caregivers selected for an interview

Primary Contact: Jason Flatt

To participate, email: jason.flatt@unlv.edu

Recruitment begins: 08/01/2022

Recruitment Ends: 01/01/2024

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First Executive Order to mandate federal policy action for LGBTQ seniors

21 Comments / LGBTQ Seniors, Social Justice / LGBTQ Caregiver

In honor of Pride Month, on June 15th 2022, President Biden signed an Executive Order that will advances protections and support for the LGBTQ+ community. This Presidential Executive Order is the first of its kind that directs the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to publish a long-term care “Bill of Rights for LGBTQI+ Older Adults” and provide new guidance on the nondiscrimination protections for older adults in long-term care settings. The Executive Order is reflective of language from the Ruthie and Connie LGBTQ+ Elder Americans Act, named after lesbian activists Ruthie Berman and her late wife Connie Kurtz introduced by Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici of Oregan that proposes increased federal funding support on the behalf of millions of LGBTQ seniors through the Older Americans Act (OAA).

According to the White House Fact Sheet, President Biden’s Executive Order builds on the historic progress he has made for LGBTQI+ people by:

Addressing discriminatory legislative attacks against LGBTQI+ children and families, directing key agencies to protect families and children;
Preventing so-called “conversion therapy” with a historic initiative to protect children from the harmful practice;
Safeguarding health care, and programs designed to prevent youth suicide;
Supporting LGBTQI+ children and families by launching a new initiative to protect foster youth, prevent homelessness, and improve access to federal programs; and
Taking new, additional steps to advance LGBTQI+ equality.

Read the full White House Fact Sheet here

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Department of Veterans Affairs Approves Gender Affirming Surgeries

67 Comments / Health / LGBTQ Caregiver

From Department of Veterans Affairs

VA currently provides all medically necessary gender-affirming care to transgender Veterans with the exception of gender-affirming surgical interventions, due to an exclusion in the VA medical benefits package. The LGBTQ+ Health Program is pleased to share that in the summer 2021, VA will be initiating the rulemaking process to modify the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) to expand VA’s care to transgender Veterans to include gender-affirming surgery.

VA currently provides all medically necessary gender-affirming care to transgender Veterans with the exception of gender-affirming surgical interventions, due to an exclusion in the VA medical benefits package.
Gender-affirming procedures have been proven effective at mitigating serious health conditions, including , substance abuse, and dysphoria.
Removing this exclusion would allow VA to provide transgender and gender diverse Veterans with coordinated, medically necessary, transition-related surgical procedures. In addition, revising the medical benefits package would enable a safe, coordinated continuum of care that is Veteran-centric and consistent with VA’s values of equity and respect for all Veterans.
The entire rulemaking process can take approximately two years and includes a period of public comment. This will allow VA to develop the framework to provide the full continuum of care in a way that is consistent with VA’s rigorous standards for quality health care.
During the rulemaking process, VA will continue to provide or pay for the services it currently offers, including corrective procedures after gender affirming surgeries a Veteran obtains outside VA, hormone therapy, and other gender affirming care.

For more information visit www.patientcare.va.gov/lgbt/

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LGBTQ elders face ‘caregiving crisis’: Meet 2 women hoping to bring change

63 Comments / LGBTQ Seniors / LGBTQ Caregiver

By Meghan Holohan

In mid-January 2021, Sue Van Zante-Peiser received a call from her friend Ed’s partner. Ed had been hospitalized and the hospital was trying to organize care, but it was tough. Ed’s partner is a decade older and faced his own health issues and Ed’s sister lived out of state. Van Zante-Peiser offered to help.

“The hospital did not reach out to Ed’s partner and they literally said to me, ‘Well, they’re not a married couple,’ and I don’t even know how they could be saying that in 2021,” Van Zante-Peiser, 55, of Seattle, told TODAY. “The hospital let me call every day and find out if Ed had been eating or if he was able to walk and how he was feeling.”

Sue Van Zante-Peiser met her friend Ed 25 years ago at work. He soon became like one of her family, which includes, wife, Mary, and son, Joshua. When Ed became sick Van Zante-Peiser helped him as a caregiver. Courtesy Sue Van Zante-Peiser

Ed had dementia and when he felt confused and scared, the nurses called Van Zante-Peiser or his sister.

“One of us would say something loving to him for a minute, which usually would calm him down,” she said.

But figuring out where Ed should go was difficult. Ed couldn’t return home but there weren’t any beds for him in a skilled nursing facility. What’s more, Van Zante-Peiser worried about finding a place that respected Ed.

“I would do a lot of advocacy behind the scenes,” she said. “I talked to him every day … Usually our conversations were five minutes or less. He was very confused. He didn’t know where he was. He sometimes thought that he was in prison or he would joyfully think he was at a writer’s conference.”

As time went on the hospital relied on Van Zante-Peiser more.

“They were very happy to have me involved while I was helping to support them,” she said.

Van Zante-Peiser is one of the many people in the LGBTQ community that find themselves as caregivers to friends. Nearly 21% of LGBTQ people provide care to elderly friends compared to only 6% of non-LGBTQ adults because, in part, LGBTQ elders are four times less likely to have children, according to Sage, a nonprofit dedicated to advocacy and services for older LGBTQ people. This leads to tremendous problems.

“Older LGBTQ folks are among some of the most vulnerable elders in our country,” Michael Adams, CEO of Sage told TODAY. “We live in a country where 85% of caregiving comes from adult children and partners. So when you remove adult children from the mix all together and there is a reduced presence of partners, by definition you’re creating a caregiving crisis.”

Caring for LGBTQ Elders

Van Zante-Peiser met Ed more than 25 years ago at work and they became close friends. When Van Zante-Peiser became pregnant with her son, Joshua, who is now 22, Ed transformed into “a grandpa figure.” He was kind and generous. When Joshua graduated from high school, Ed gladly sat in the football stadium stands, watching 500 students traipse across the stage. It was easy for her to say “yes” to helping him.

“Ed is someone who had given so much to me personally and to my family,” she said. “It was an honor.”

LGBTQ Caregiver