FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 21, 2002 Contact: Janice Parks (714) 834-6896
ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND OFFICE ON AGING WILL HOST ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON AGING: “A FAMILY AFFAIR”
SANTA ANA, Calif., October 29, 2002 - The Orange County Board of Supervisors and Office on Aging will host the Annual Conference on Aging: “A Family Affair” and caregiving will be the focus of this year’s event which will take place on Thursday, November 14 from 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. at Saddleback Church, 1 Saddleback Parkway in Lake Forest. “Our goal is to communicate the County’s support and commitment to serving older adults and to create awareness of the wealth of information and resources available for older adults, their families and caregivers,” said Pamela Mokler, executive director, Office on Aging. The conference is expected to attract nearly 1,000 seniors and 300 caregivers that are being invited in cooperation with the network of senior centers throughout Orange County. The public is invited but pre-registration is required since seating is limited. In keeping with its theme, “A Family Affair,” the event will provide useful resources and present experts on caregiving in a special session entitled “Roadmap to Healthy Caregiving”, a hands-on approach to answering critical questions. The Caregiving Session will also address the affects elder caregiving has on the workforce, which should be of particular interest to human resource representatives and employees who can benefit from the workplace support information. National statistics show that family caregivers who work report changes in work habits including, rearranging their work schedules, reduction in hours, declining advancement opportunities, and retiring early to name a few. In addition to the forums featuring noted speakers, the day’s event will include a hosted breakfast and lunch, information fair and a number of exhibits. Seniors will be admitted free through the generous support of local sponsors, including Kaiser Permanente and Talbert Medical Group. Featured Speakers: Laura Mosqueda, MD, Director of Geriatrics and an Associate Professor of Clinical Family Medicine at the University of California, Irvine.  Gary Small, MD, Professor of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at UCLA  Pamela Mokler, Executive Director, County of Orange Office on Aging  Pauline Abbott, Ed.D., Directory of the Institute of Gerontology & Ruby Gerontology Center, California State University Fullerton Caregiving Facts:  22.4 million U.S. households are involved with family caregiving for older relatives  Caregiving costs businesses between $11 and $29 billion in lost productivity  The typical family caregiver is a 46-year old woman who is employed and also spends approximately 18 hours per week caring for her mother who lives nearby  The average monthly out-of-pocket expense for a family caregiver is $171  Caregivers represent about 25 percent of the workforce To register for the event or for more information please call (714) 567-7500. ###