Join Family Eldercare as we continue to celebrate the tremendous contributions of more than 65 million sons, daughters, spouses and other family members who are caregivers in the U.S. As Rosalyn Carter said, "There are only four kinds of people in the world - those who have been caregivers, those who are currently caregivers, those who will be caregivers and those who will need caregivers."

Who is a caregiver? A caregiver is someone who assists a loved one when they are no longer able to care for themselves, due to illness, disability or age. At Family Eldercare, we work with adult children, partners, neighbors and family friends who have all lent a hand in helping their loved ones age as independently as possible. Some simply identify themselves as a husband, wife, daughter or niece, rather than as a caregiver. While they have many faces, according to the National Family Caregivers Association, the typical family caregiver is a 49-year-old woman caring for her widowed 69-year-old mother who does not live with her. She is married and employed. Approximately 66% of family caregivers are women and more than 37% have children or grandchildren under 18 years old living with them.
 
Day in and day out, family caregivers in this country fulfill a vital role on the care team. No one else is in a better position to ensure continuity of care. <Read more...> Family caregivers are the most familiar with their care recipients' medicine regimen; they are the most knowledgeable about the treatment regimen; and they understand best the dietary and exercise regimen (NFCA).  read more »

The Georgetown Aging Initiative’s Survey for the Future is now available online at www.AgingInGtown.com through the end of November. The survey will collect information on health and social services, transportation, and civic engagement from Georgetown residents age 60 or better. Survey facilitators are available at the public library during November to assist residents in taking the online survey. Please refer to the Survey Calendar at www.AgingInGtown.com for exact dates.

Dan Hilliard: Before I retired recently, I taught sociology at Southwestern University for thirty-four years. During this time my colleagues and I and our students often collaborated with organizations in Georgetown and Williamson County to help them gather data they needed to plan for the future. I have long appreciated the many community leaders who asked us to help them collect data upon which to shape their programs and policies.Read the full article from the Williamson County Sun.

(Georgetown, TX)—The 7^th Annual Swinging Fore Seniors Golf Tournament benefitting Family Eldercare is scheduled for Monday, October 17, 2011 at Berry Creek Country Club in Georgetown, Texas. Proceeds from the tournament will support Family Eldercare’s programs that serve older adults, people with disabilities and caregivers in Central Texas, helping them to age in place.  read more »

June 22, 2011 - Family Eldercare will be celebrating 21 years of Keeping Central Texans Cool on Friday, June 24th at our annual Fan Fare Friday event.  Come out to Threadgill's World Headquarters, 301 W. Riverside, between 7:00AM and 11:00PM to donate fans or funds and enjoy live music from some of Austin’s favorite artists.

As always, Fan Fare Friday will feature FREE live music during the day. New to this year’s event is an evening concert featuring Eliza Gilkyson and The Trishas!  *Tickets for the evening performance are $12 in advance at Front Gate Tickets and $15 at the door with all proceeds benefitting Family Eldercare’s Summer Fan Drive! 

Daytime Music:
10:00a Shelley King and Jess Klein
11:00a Jordann Mitchell
12:00p Amy Cook
2:00p Uncle Lucius
3:00p Rockin Acoustic Circus
4:00p Mingo Fishtrap
5:00p Jackie Briston
Evening Finale Concert:
9:00p Eliza Gilkyson & The Trishas*

Family Eldercare will give away fan drive t-shirts and prizes and guests can enter a raffle to win an HP Pavilion dv6 Notebook based on VISION Premium Technology from AMD, a 13-year supporter of the Fan Drive. 

“The Family Eldercare Fan Drive directly contributes to an improved quality of life for thousands of Central Texas households, and AMD is proud to be a longstanding supporter of this worthwhile effort,” said Kristi Fontenot, Community Affairs Specialist, AMD.  read more »

Thanks to everyone who came out to our Open House on July 14th to tour our new home and to learn about how our increased space will allow us to better serve the ever-increasing older adult population in Central Texas.  Click on the slideshow below to view pictures from the event and CLICK HERE to see a news story about our new home!  Special thanks to Emily's Catering and Twin Liquors. 

Austin, Texas – July 13, 2011 - Family Eldercare will hold an Open house on Thursday, July 14 from 4:00pm to 7:00pm to showcase its new agency home at 1700 Rutherford Lane, Austin TX 78754. The community is invited to share in refreshments and a short program at 5:30pm.  read more »

When Older Americans Month was established in 1963, only 17 million living Americans had reached their 65th birthdays. About a third of older Americans lived in poverty and there were few programs to meet their needs. Interest in older Americans and their concerns was growing, however. In April of 1963, President John F. Kennedy's meeting with the National Council of Senior Citizens served as a prelude to designating May as "Senior Citizens Month."

Thanks to President Jimmy Carter's 1980 designation, what was once called Senior Citizens Month, is now called "Older Americans Month," and has become a tradition.

Historically, Older Americans Month has been a time to acknowledge the contributions of past and current older persons to our country, in particular those who defended our country. Every President since JFK has issued a formal proclamation during or before the month of May asking that the entire nation pay tribute in some way to older persons in their communities. Older Americans Month is celebrated across the country through ceremonies, events, fairs and other such activities.

Learn about how Family Eldercare has partnered with The Housing Authority of the City of Austin to celebrate Older Americans Month.

Learn more about Older Americans Month by visiting the Administration on Aging website.

Austin, TX - Family Eldercare’s 21st Annual Summer Fan Drive begins distributing fans to offer relief from the intense summer heat to low-income seniors, adults with disabilities and families with children.  Since its inception in 1990, the Fan Drive program has provided more than 60,000 fans and 700 air conditioners to more than 28,000 households across 11 counties.

Starting a Team Fan Drive is an exciting and easy way to get your work, church, neighborhood or any group involved in the Summer Fan Drive!  Groups are encouraged to spend one day or two weeks helping low-income families and individuals in the community by collecting new fans and/or funds for the Fan Drive. Groups will bring their donations and celebrate the success of their team drives at Fan Fare Friday, an all day musical event held June 24th to raise fans and funds for the Fan Drive.

The Fan Drive will run through the end of July distributing fans to low-income families and individuals across 11 Central Texas counties with the help of 40+nonprofit distribution partners. This week, Johnson Control’s employees will deliver 2,500 fans to nonprofit partners throughout Central Texas to begin the drive. The nonprofit distribution partners will be able to start giving fans to clients by the end of this week.

Donations of new fans and funds will be accepted at Family Eldercare’s office at 1700 Rutherford Lane and at all City of Austin Fire Stations, except the AFD/Bergstrom location, through July 31, 2011. Fans requested are new 20 inch box fans or 12 inch minimum oscillating fans. Donated new window air conditioners will be provided to medically fragile older adults. Financial contributions may also be made at www.familyeldercare.org.  read more »

Austin, Texas –April 29, 2011- Family Eldercare, a local nonprofit, will host their annual Gala on May 7th at the Renaissance Austin Hotel at 6:00 p.m.

The evening will be hosted by attorney and performer Claude Ducloux and will feature a special live performance by Kelly Willis and her band. Kelly is “one of Austin’s finest singer-songwriters… who may possess the most heartfelt voice in country music.”- PopMatters

Individual tickets and sponsorship opportunities are still available. Please call Family Eldercare or go to the agency’s website for more information.  www.familyeldercare.org.

“I would like to thank our lead sponsors, including AMD, Documation and Rudy Belton/Belco Equities, Inc. for their extraordinary contributions and service to our entire community,” said Angela Atwood, Chief Executive Officer. “Their generosity supports services to seniors, adults with disabilities and caregivers.  Please join us on May 7th for a spectacular evening!”

More than 250 guests will be attending and will have the opportunity to participate in a silent auction, which will include nearly 100 pre-packaged items donated by a variety of area businesses.  This year’s silent auction will feature a four-day resort stay in Kauai, Hawaii, round trip airfare and tickets to watch The Daily Show in New York City, and much more!

About Family Eldercare:
Since 1982, Family Eldercare has supported aging in community by helping seniors and people with disabilities in Central Texas live safely and as independently as possible, regardless of their income level or ability to pay.  Family Eldercare advocates for those who can’t advocate for themselves. Family Eldercare currently serves over 6,000 individuals and their caregivers each year.
 

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Austin, TX -  Family Eldercare, a local nonprofit helping residents of Travis and Williamson Counties age safely in their community, will begin its 21st annual Summer Fan Drive on May 1st. AMD is supporting the project for a 13th year as Family Eldercare’s 2011 lead corporate sponsor.

Since its inception in 1990, the Fan Drive program has provided more than 60,000 fans and 700 air conditioners to more than 28,000 households across 11 counties. The program benefits low-income seniors, adults with disabilities and families with young children who are at higher risk for extreme heat-related illness. The Fan Drive provides fans at no cost to these individuals as well as window AC units to those with a serious medical condition.

AMD provides funding for the program and their employees serve as the largest volunteer body for the Fan Drive. AMD also conducts their own fundraisers to further support the cause. In 2010, AMD employees contributed more than $13,000 and 100 hours of service to the Fan Drive.  read more »

Thank you to the St. David's Foundation, a long time funder, for awarding a grant of $175,000 to support our continuum of services for older adults.  St. David's Foundation is a leader in the local community in addressing the needs of older adults.  Funding from the Foundation will support our core programs of Guardianship, In-Home Care & Caregiver Services,  Service Coordination and Lifetime Connections Without Walls.  It will also support a new service that provides Geriatric Consultation and mental health counseling to older adults and their families.  Thank you to the St. David's Foundation for its commitment to improving the lives of older adults.

Austin, Texas – January 27, 2011 – Family Eldercare, a nonprofit leader in serving vulnerable seniors, adults with disabilities and caregivers, has named Bill McLellan Chief Development Officer, further strengthening Family Eldercare’s fundraising and business development leadership and expertise.

Mr. McLellan is a highly respected and accomplished Senior Executive with a proven record of developing successful business organizations and has broad and diverse community and public affairs experience. McLellan comes to Family Eldercare from Treaty Oak Bank as Vice Chairman and one of the founders of the holding company of this community bank and financial services company. Prior to this role he was Chief Executive Officer of the Austin Museum of Art and, before that, Executive Director of LifeWorks. Before his work in the nonprofit sector, McLellan enjoyed a decades-long career at 3M, where his last position held was Staff Vice President of Corporate Services.

McLellan’s business and civic affiliations have provided him with an extensive background in the health care industry. He served on the board of St. David’s Hospital, the board of trustees of Seton Hospital and the board of Round Rock Hospital. Additionally, he was Chairman of the boards of Envision Central Texas, Greater Austin Area Chamber of Commerce and Austin Area Urban League and served on the boards of Texas Research League and United Way Capital Area.

In his new role as Chief Development Officer, McLellan will oversee all development strategies and further develop the agency’s social enterprise business model. McLellan’s expertise will further Family Eldercare’s position as a nonprofit leader in providing the most effective services to help seniors and caregivers age in their community with dignity and as much independence as possible.  read more »

ANGELA ATWOOD CHOSEN AS NEW CEO OF FAMILY ELDERCARE;
NEW LEADERSHIP TEAM IN PLACE; PERMANENT HOME FOR ORGANIZATION

Austin, Texas – November 30, 2010 – Family Eldercare, Inc. has named Angela Atwood Chief Executive Officer of the 28-year-old Central Texas non-profit which serves vulnerable seniors, adults with disabilities and caregivers.

Ms. Atwood has served as the Interim CEO for the past 11 months. She joined Family Eldercare in September 2007 as the agency’s Chief Operating Officer with a focus on strategic leadership, oversight of all Family Eldercare programs, and building the organization’s capacity.  She attended the University of Michigan's School of Public Health and holds a Master of Public Affairs from The University of Texas LBJ School of Public Affairs as well as a Bachelor of Arts from The University of Texas. Atwood has more than 18 years of experience in nonprofit management and has served on many boards, community planning bodies and statewide advocacy groups.  Prior to joining Family Eldercare Atwood worked for nine years with SafePlace where she ultimately served as Deputy Director of Community Affairs. She was directly involved with Family Eldercare 1995-1996 as the Director of Respite Services – and during this timeframe developed and managed the new in-home care program for Family Eldercare.

“Angela Atwood is uniquely qualified to lead Family Eldercare into the future and we could not be more pleased,” says John Crane, Zunker, Crane & Gibson L.L.P., and 2010 President of the Board of Directors for Family Eldercare. “She understands our complex programs from the inside out and has a proven ability to deliver high-quality services to our clients.  She has significantly expanded our social entrepreneurial efforts and has worked extensively with our clients, key stakeholders, donors, volunteers and staff.”
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Pictured below is Interim Executive Director with Paul Carapetyan from Expert Service.

Recently, Carrier made a very generous donation of window air conditioning units to Family Eldercare’s Summer Fan Drive.  Each summer, in addition to distributing thousands of fans, Family Eldercare also distributes and installs window ac units at no cost to individuals with serious medical conditions or who are at risk for heat related illness. Many of these individuals are frail older adults, or persons with chronic disabling health problems who are primarily homebound.  For those with severe health problems, air conditioning can mean the difference between life and death.  We are extremely grateful to Carrier for this donation as well as to Expert Service who has offered warehouse space to store the units.  This partnership will allow us to fill all referrals received this year as well as prepare for a great start to next year’s AC distribution.

We would like to thank all who supported and participated in Fan Fare Friday during this 20th Anniversary of the Fan Drive! Your generosity made the day a great success. We were thrilled to see many long-time friends of the fan drive and quite a few new faces joining in the effort to Keep Central Texans Cool.  We would like to thank 93.3 KGSR, KXAN and Threadgill's for helping us make the event happen! We would also like to thank our 2010 Fan Drive Sponsors, Team Drives, businesses, individuals, musical guests, volunteers and staff who supported the event. 

We're excited to announce that we raised $63,550 in fans and funds which would not have been possible without your help!  We thank you for your generosity, big hearts and helping hands.

Austin, TX - Family Eldercare’s 20th Annual Summer Fan Drive begins distributing fans to offer relief from the intense summer heat to low-income elders, adults with disabilities and families with children.  Since its inception in 1990 the program has provided more than 55,000 fans and 700 air conditioners to more than 25,000 households.

Summer Fan Drive partner AMD has been a part of the project for the last twelve years. “AMD is proud to support Family Eldercare's 20th Annual Summer Fan Drive.  This drive helps meet an incredible need-- protecting the most vulnerable members of our community from the heat.” -Karin Dicks, Global Program Specialist, AMD. AMD employees also volunteer their time and raise fans and funds for the effort each summer through Team Fan Drives. They are key volunteers during Fan Fare Friday, an all day musical event held June 25th to raise fans and funds for the Fan Drive.

The Fan Drive will run through the end of August distributing fans to low-income families and individuals across 11 Central Texas counties with the help of 40+nonprofit distribution partners. This week, Johnson Controls employees will deliver 3,000 fans to nonprofit partners throughout Central Texas to begin the drive. The nonprofit distribution partners will be able to start giving fans to clients by the end of this week.  read more »

Austin, Texas – June 23, 2010 - Family Eldercare, a local nonprofit, will be celebrating 20 years of Keeping Central Texans Cool on Friday at Threadgill’s downtown location. Fan Fare Friday is a day dedicated to live music and collecting fans that will keep those in need safe during the hot summer months. The all day event begins at 8:00 a.m. and will conclude at 6:00 p.m. with a special performance by a surprise guest. The lineup is as follows:

8 am Quiet Company
9 am Rocco DeLuca
10 am Bettysoo
11 am Shinyribs
12 pm The Gourds
1 pm Kelly Willis
2 pm Mingo Fishtrap
3 pm Malford Milligan
4 pm Ray Wylie Hubbard
5 pm Jon-Dee Graham
6 pm Special Guest

This year at Fan Fare Friday, Family Eldercare will be giving away fan drive t-shirts, prizes and guests can also enter a raffle to win an HP Pavilion dv6z Entertainment PC based on VISION Premium Technology from AMD, a 12-year supporter of the fan drive.

“The Family Eldercare fan drive directly contributes to an improved quality of life for thousands of Central Texas households, and AMD is proud to be a longstanding supporter of this worthwhile effort,” said Karin Dicks, Community Affairs Specialist, AMD.

Fan Fare Friday will be hosted by 93.3 KGSR and KXAN will be broadcasting live throughout the day. The event is free and open to the public. Guests are encouraged to donate new fans (20’’ box fans or 12’’ or larger oscillating fans or tower fans) or funds to take part in the celebration.  Funds raised during the Summer Fan Drive will go to the purchase of fans and air conditioning units for individuals and families who need help to beat the summer heat and provide other critical services.  read more »

AMD will fund the fan drive at the $25,000 level. AMD has been a wonderful partner in this endeavor to prevent heat related illness among vulnerable and low income families, older adults, persons with disabilities and persons with serious medical conditions. Last year, Family Eldercare's Fan Drive distributed over 6,200 fans and 55 air conditioners to nearly 4,000 households in 11 counties.  This accomplishment was made possible by the support of corporations like AMD, as well as the volunteerism of their employees and others in our community. We are grateful for AMD’s partnership and support.

After more than 19 years with Family Eldercare, Kendra Peters is announcing her retirement.   Kendra has served in many capacities and in many programs with Family Eldercare, including Public Information and Referral, Case Management & Consultation, Elder Shelter, and Bill Payer Services.  Throughout these many years she has been a pillar of Family Eldercare.  Her contributions serving older adults and adults with disabilities have been numerous and she is known in the community as a true expert in her field.  In 2008 she was awarded the AGE Professional Spirit Award.  
 
Thank you, Kendra, for all you have given Family Eldercare – your extraordinary commitment to our mission and the people we serve is an inspiration to everyone who has had the opportunity to work with you.

Travis County Medical Alliance awards $5,000 to Family Eldercare’s In Home Care Program to support transportation for medical appointments for clients.

Older adults typically have multiple health problems that require regular monitoring, yet do not have reliable transportation to medical appointments.  Family Eldercare Care Attendants drive the individual to the appointment, escort them to the office and wait while they visit the doctor.  With permission from the older adult, the Care Attendant may sit in on the appointment or help the client understand the doctor’s instructions.  This is particularly valuable for older adults who often have difficulties hearing, comprehending or remembering the doctor’s guidance. The Care Attendant also provides support to the older adult before and after the visit, and often takes the client to the pharmacy to pick up their medication(s) after the appointment.

In addition to medical visits, care attendants provide transportation to help older adults with grocery shopping, banking and other errands.  These trips help older adults perform basic tasks necessary to remain living at home.  They also help reduce loneliness and social isolation among older adults; many of our clients have no other means of transportation and, thereby, have no other means of getting out into the community.  read more »

Family Eldercare was a participating collaborator on this grant awarded to Foundation Communities.  Family Eldercare will receive reimbursement for In-Home Care and Caregiver Services provided to older adults and adults with disabilities who are living in affordable housing properties owned by Foundation Communities.  In-Home Care services will help residents with basic tasks such as light housekeeping, meal preparation and escorted transportation so that they can maintain a safe living environment, address their basic needs and remain living as independently as possible in the housing community.

Family Eldercare was awarded a generous grant of $175,000 from St. David’s Foundation to support core services that support older adults in living as independently as possible with dignity and a good quality of life.  St. David’s has been an active supporter of Family Eldercare for many years and is a leader in addressing the needs of older adults in Central Texas.  The Foundation grants money to non-profit organizations in Travis, Williamson, Hays, Bastrop, and Caldwell counties that work to improve community health. “We recognize that so many of our older residents face a daunting array of challenges from maintaining proper nutrition, getting to and from doctor’s appointments and even obtaining needed dental care,” said Earl Maxwell, CEO of St. David’s Foundation. 

Funding from St. David’s Foundation will support Family Eldercare’s In-Home Care and Caregiver Services, Guardianship, Bill Payer services, Consultation and Service Coordination and Lifetime Connections Without Walls.  These programs address the basic personal care, household and money management needs of older adults in order to help them maintain maximum independence.  They also provide protection against fraud, abuse and neglect and help family and informal caregivers identify and link to services they need to support older adults.  Older adults also receive transportation to social activities and companionship from volunteers and caregivers in order to reduce loneliness and isolation.    read more »

Family Eldercare awarded $1.3 Million in Federal Funds
Travis & Williamson Counties target for Community Innovations in Aging in Place Initiative

(Austin, TX)  Family Eldercare announced its selection by the Federal Administration on Aging to receive a national grant in the amount of $1,376,064.  This grant will fund a new community collaboration called “A Better Way to Live at Home: Education, Resources and Supports for Older Adults”. Family Eldercare is one of 13 awardees nationwide and will serve as the lead agency, partnering with several other area public and non-profit agencies including; The Housing Authority of the City of Austin, Area Agency on Aging of the Capital Area, Austin Groups for the Elderly (AGE), Helping the Aging, Needy and Disabled (HAND), Meals on Wheels and More, New Connections, and the University of Texas-Austin.  read more »