* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:01] GOOD MORNING [National Family Caregiver Month Proclamation] EVERYONE. I'M AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL MEMBER MACKENZIE KELLY. I REPRESENT DISTRICT SIX IN FAR NORTHWEST PART OF AUSTIN, AND TODAY I'M HERE TO DELIVER PROCLAMATION IN HONOR OF NATIONAL FAMILY CAREGIVER. MONTH. BEFORE WE GET STARTED, I WANTED TO SHARE SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT MY OWN FAMILY MEMBER WHO I TOOK CARE OF DURING HIS END OF LIFE TRANSITION. I WANNA START BY SAYING THAT MY GRANDFATHER WAS AN AMAZING MAN. HE'D BUY MY FAMILY GROCERIES, SO MY BROTHER, SISTER AND I WOULDN'T GO HUNGRY. THERE WERE MANY YEARS WHERE HE'D BUY ME NEW CLOTHES FOR SCHOOL BECAUSE MINE WERE OLD, AND I DIDN'T WANNA BE EMBARRASSED BY HAVING CLOTHES THAT WERE TORN OR HAD HOLES IN THEM. WHEN I WAS AT SCHOOL, HE PAID OUR RENT TIMES SO WE WOULDN'T BE EVICTED FROM OUR HOME. MY GRANDFATHER ALWAYS HELPED TAKE CARE OF MY FAMILY'S NEEDS, AND WHEN I WAS A CHILD, HE'D COME HOME FROM WORK DURING LUNCH TO PLAY WITH ME, AND HE'D READ ME A NEW BOOK EVERY DAY. HE TRIED TO TEACH ME HOW TO PLAY GOLF WHEN I WAS SEVEN, AND LET ME TELL YOU, I WASN'T THAT GOOD AT IT. BUT HE HAD A LOT OF PATIENCE. AND WHEN I WAS 12, HE TAUGHT ME HOW TO BUILD MY FIRST COMPUTER FROM SCRATCH. HE ALWAYS STUCK UP FOR ME THE FIRST TIME I RAN FOR CITY COUNCIL IN 2014, WHEN I WANTED TO JOIN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, WHEN I WANTED TO WORK IN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. AND WHEN I DECIDED AGAIN THAT I WANTED TO HELP OUT THE COMMUNITY, HE WAS PROUD OF ME. ON MARCH 23RD, 2016, HE TOOK MY MOTHER AND I TO SEE HIS PARENTS, BUT HIS CANCER HAD COME BACK AND IT GOT WORSE. I HAD NO IDEA WE WERE TAKING HIM TO SEE HIS PARENTS ONE LAST TIME. WHEN I GOT TO THE AIRPORT WITH HIM, I FOUND OUT HE'D GOTTEN HIS FIRST CLASS TICKETS, BUT IT WAS BITTERSWEET. HE KNEW AT THE TIME HE HAD TO USE UP ALL HIS AIRLINE MILES BEFORE HE DIED, AND MY GRANDFATHER KNEW HE WAS GOING TO DIE SHORTLY AFTER WHEN THE CANCER SPREAD TO HIS BRAIN. IT TOOK ABOUT TWO WEEKS BEFORE HE PASSED, BUT HE DIDN'T WANNA PASS IN A NURSING HOME OR IN SKILLED NURSING FACILITY. SO LIKE MANY OTHERS IN A SIMILAR SITUATION, I HELPED MY GRANDMOTHER KEEP HIM AT HOME. THE LAST TWO WEEKS I WAS WITH HIM, HE TOLD ME HE LOVED ME MORE THAN HE HAD EVER SAID IN HIS LIFE. I'D SIT IN THE ROOM WITH HIM AT HIS HOUSE, WORKING DILIGENTLY BESIDE THE HOSPICE NURSE TO MAKE SURE HE WAS COMFORTABLE. I GAVE HIM MEDICATION WHENEVER IT WAS TIME. I MADE SURE HE WASN'T IN PAIN. I FED HIM WHEN HE WAS NO LONGER ABLE TO EAT ON HIS OWN AND PLACED ICE PACKS ON HIS FOREHEAD TO BREAK FEVERS. HE DIDN'T TALK TOO MUCH IN THE LAST FEW DAYS, BUT I DID READ HIM A BOOK ABOUT FINDING HIS OWN PERSONAL LEGEND. AND WHILE HE WASN'T ABLE TO RESPOND, I KNEW HE HEARD ME. I KNEW THAT HE DIDN'T WANNA FEEL ALONE, AND HE WASN'T ALONE WITH FAMILY BESIDE HIM. LATER, AFTER READING TO HIM, I LIFTED UP MY SIX YEAR OLD DAUGHTER TO GIVE HIM A KISS ON THE FOREHEAD AND SAY BYE FOR THE NIGHT. SHE TOLD HIM BYE AND THAT SHE'D LOVE HIM FOREVER. SHE ALSO SAID SHE'D BE SURE TO TELL EVERYONE HOW MUCH HE LOVED US, AND AS MY DAUGHTER AND I LEFT THE ROOM THAT NIGHT, MY GRANDFATHER PASSED LATER. IT'S BEEN SEVERAL YEARS SINCE HIS PASSING, BUT IF THERE WAS ONE THING THAT I COULD HAVE CHANGED, IT WOULD'VE BEEN TALKING TO HIM MORE. JUST LIKE I KNOW MANY FAMILY CAREGIVERS WISH THAT THEY COULD. FAMILY CAREGIVERS STRUGGLE REGULARLY WITH FINDING THE RIGHT BALANCE. AND THIS MONTH IS TO HONOR EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT IS TAKING THE INCREDIBLE TIME TO HELP THEIR OWN FAMILY MEMBERS DURING A TIME OF LOVE, COMPASSION, AND MANY CHALLENGES. AND BEFORE WE GET TO SPEAKERS TODAY, I'M GONNA READ THE PROCLAMATION OUT LOUD. BE IT KNOWN THAT WHEREAS CELEBRATED EVERY NOVEMBER NATIONAL FAMILY CAREGIVER'S MONTH IS A TIME TO DELIBERATELY RECOGNIZE AND HONOR FAMILY CAREGIVERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. AND WHEREAS IT OFFERS AN OPPORTUNITY TO RAISE AWARENESS OF CAREGIVING CHALLENGES, EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY, AND INCREASE SUPPORT FOR CAREGIVERS. AND WHEREAS FAMILIES ARE THE PRIMARY SOURCE FOR OLDER ADULTS AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN THE UNITED STATES, AND WHEREAS RESEARCH INDICATES CAREGIVING CAN TAKE SIGNIFICANT EMOTIONAL, PHYSICAL, AND FINANCIAL TOLL WITH NEARLY HALF OF ALL CAREGIVERS OVER AGE 50, MANY ARE VULNERABLE TO DECLINE IN THEIR OWN HEALTH. AND WHEREAS STUDIES SHOW THAT COMMUNITY SUPPORT AND SUPPORT SERVICES FOR FAMILY CAREGIVERS CAN REDUCE DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, STRESS, AND ENABLE THEM TO PROVIDE THE BEST CARE POSSIBLE. AND WHEREAS FAMILY CAREGIVERS PROVIDE A VITAL LIFELINE OF CONNECTION AND HOPE TO LOVED ONES DURING CHALLENGING AND UNCERTAIN DAYS, DEVOTING IMMEASURABLE TIME, ENERGY, AND RESOURCES. AND WHEREAS THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY SUPPORTS AND UPLIFTS OUR SENIORS, CAREGIVERS, AND FAMILIES OF THOSE THAT ARE AGING. AND WHEREAS THROUGHOUT THIS MONTH, LET US REMEMBER AND REACH OUT TO THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO SPEND THEIR DAYS CARING FOR OTHERS WHILE BALANCING THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THEIR OWN LIVES, INCLUDING EMPLOYMENT AND RAISING CHILDREN. AND NOW, THEREFORE, I MACKENZIE, KELLY AUSTIN, CITY COUNCIL MEMBER OF DISTRICT SIX ON BEHALF OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL AND MAYOR STEVE ADLER DUE, HEREBY PROCLAIM NOVEMBER, 2022 AS NATIONAL FAMILY CAREGIVERS MONTH. SO NOW WE HAVE A COUPLE OF SPEAKERS. FIRST, I'D LIKE TO INVITE KIM BARNES OF PARENTING AGING PARENTS UP TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE PROCLAMATION. OH YEAH, GO AHEAD, INTRODUCE YOURSELF. SURE. HI, I'M KIM BARNES. AND I'M MIKE BARNES. AND WE WANNA THANK, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY FOR BRINGING THIS PROCLAMATION TO THE ATTENTION OF EVERYBODY [00:05:01] IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN. NATIONAL FAMILY CAREGIVERS MONTH IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO BE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE CAREGIVERS. AND I THINK THAT SO MANY OF THOSE CAREGIVERS ARE THE ADULT CHILDREN. AND AS WE'VE BEEN BUILDING A COMMUNITY OF MORE THAN 4,000 PEOPLE FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY OF ADULT CHILDREN, WE FIND, AND WE STARTED THIS BECAUSE WE REALIZED THAT SO MANY ADULT CHILDREN STRUGGLE IN SILENCE BECAUSE THEY FEEL ALONE. AND WE DON'T TALK ABOUT THIS SUBJECT VERY OFTEN, AND WHEN WE DON'T TALK ABOUT IT, WE CAN'T HELP EACH OTHER BECAUSE CAREGIVING IS HARD. IT'S HARD FOR EVERYONE, UH, ESPECIALLY PEOPLE WHO DO IT 24 7. BUT EVEN FOR PEOPLE WHO CHECK ON THEIR AGING PARENTS DAILY OR WEEKLY OR EVEN MONTHLY, IT'S NOT FUN. I, I HAVE TO TALK TO MY 84 YEAR OLD FATHER, 4, 5, 6, 7 TIMES A DAY ALREADY, JUST IN THE C IT CALLED ABOUT 10 MINUTES AGO TO, TO CHECK IN. UH, AND THE IMPETUS FOR US STARTING THIS GROUP IS ACTUALLY MY MOM WHO HAS ALZHEIMER'S AND LOOKING FOR A MEMORY CARE PLACE FOR HER. AND, AND IT'S, IT'S HARD, IT'S OVERWHELMING, AND IT'S NOT EASY FOR, FOR ANYONE. AND IT'S NOT EASY NOW WHEN I GO TO VISIT HER AND SHE DOESN'T RECOGNIZE ME. SO BEING A CAREGIVER IS NOT FUN, AND IT'S A TOUGH JOB OF ANY SORT. BUT HAVING THE SUPPORT THAT YOU HAVE FROM A COMMUNITY LIKE PARENTING, AGING PARENTS, AND BEING ABLE TO HAVE SUPPORT GROUPS LIKE WE HAVE EXPERT INTERVIEWS WHERE YOU'RE ABLE TO GET INFORMATION AND JUST HAVING THE, AGAIN, THE COMMUNITY SUPPORT WHERE YOU CAN GO TO OTHER PEOPLE TALK, ASK QUESTIONS, OR SOMETIMES JUST VENT AND KNOW THAT THEY'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. AND I THINK THAT WHEN WE CAN SUPPORT EACH OTHER AND WHAT WE HAVE REALIZED IS THAT WHEN WE DO TALK ABOUT IT, WE CAN HELP EACH OTHER. AND THAT'S OUR GOAL WITH PARENTING AGING PARENTS. YEAH. THANK YOU. HI, I'M JENNIFER PRESCOTT, AND I'VE BEEN A NURSE FOR 27 YEARS, AND I'M ALSO IN THE SANDWICH GENERATION. SO I AM A MOTHER OF FOUR, AND I TAKE CARE OF MY MOTHER-IN-LAW WHO HAS ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE. AND WHAT I'VE SEEN AS A NURSE, BUT ALSO AS A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AND AS A CAREGIVER, IS THE HUGE IMPACT IT TAKES ON EACH AND EVERY PERSON IN THE FAMILY. AND SO I WANNA SEE THE FACT THAT WE CAN ENCOURAGE FAMILIES WITH THE SUPPORT BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S VERY EXPENSIVE TO TAKE CARE OF A PERSON IN THE HOME, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EACH PERSON HAS THE SUPPORT THAT THEY HAVE IN ORDER TO FEEL LIKE THEY CAN MOVE TO THE NEXT DAY, TO GET TO THE NEXT DAY, TO BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, NOT BE SO AFRAID. AND SO I'M REALLY, REALLY EXCITED TO BE HERE TODAY. I'M AN OWNER OF BLUEWATER HOME CARE AND HOSPICE, AND I'M ALSO A PROUD VOLUNTEER FOR CAPITAL AREA, PARKINSON'S SOCIETY, AS WELL AS BOARD MEMBER ON THE ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION. AND THESE ARE TWO ADDITIONAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE MADE A PROFOUND IMPACT IN OUR COMMUNITY, HELPING EACH AND EVERY PERSON TO FEEL SUPPORTED WITH THE RESOURCES. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH TO MACKENZIE FOR THIS PROCLAMATION, AND THANK YOU FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND OUR ENTIRE CENTRAL AUSTIN TOWN TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY HAS THE SUPPORT THAT THEY NEED EACH AND EVERY DAY. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING. I'M SIENNA LINDERMAN, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AREA AGENCY ON AGING AT THE CAPITAL AREA COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENT. I'D LIKE TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY FOR THE INVITATION TO HIGHLIGHT NATIONAL FAMILY CAREGIVERS MONTH HONORING ALL FAMILY CAREGIVERS THAT PROVIDE CARE TO BOTH OLDER ADULTS AND INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES THROUGH THE CITY OUT THE CITY OF AUSTIN. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM WHO HAS OR MAY BECOME A FAMILY CAREGIVER. THAT'S PRETTY MUCH ALL OF US. THE 2022 THEME, HASHTAG CAREGIVING HAPPENS, PROMOTED BY THE CAREGIVER ACTION NETWORK, RAISES AWARENESS OF THIS IMPORTANT ROLE OF THE FAMILY CAREGIVER AND THE IMPACT ON THE CAREGIVER'S DAY TO DAY LIFE CAREGIVING HAPPENS WHEN YOU ARE BUSY WITH SOMETHING ELSE, OR YOU HAVE PLANS, IT MAY MAKE YOU MISS MEETINGS OR OTHER APPOINTMENTS. IT REALLY IS A SECOND JOB THAT MAY IMPACT YOUR WORKPLACE RESPONSIBILITIES OR RELATIONSHIPS WHEN THIS CAREGIVING HAPPENS. AGENCIES LIKE THE CAPITAL AREA COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS THROUGH ITS AREA AGENCY ON AGING, A FEDERAL NATIONAL PROGRAM CAREGIVER SUPPORT PROGRAM PROVIDES A WIDE ARRAY OF CAREGIVER SERVICES. SO THERE IS HELP AVAILABLE TO SUPPORT CAREGIVERS, AS MY COLLEAGUES HAVE MENTIONED, UH, INCLUDING EDUCATION, TRAINING, RESPITE CARE, AND MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORTS TO ENCOURAGE CAREGIVERS TO BETTER CARE FOR THEMSELVES AS THEY CARE FOR OTHERS. THIS CARE THROUGH AN AREA AGENCY ON AGING IS ALWAYS FREE. THE AREA AGENCY ON AGING CONTINUES TO BROADEN ITS NETWORK OF SERVICE PROVIDERS AND REFERRAL PARTNERS LIKE THOSE BEHIND ME TO ENSURE THAT ALL FAMILY CAREGIVERS ACROSS ITS SERVICE REGION ARE SUPPORTED WITH FAMILY CENTERED SOLUTIONS AND MAKE THOSE IMPORTANT CONNECTIONS [00:10:01] THAT PROVIDE FOR SELF CARE TO PREVENT BURNOUT AND DEPRESSION, AND LET CAREGIVERS CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE INDIVIDUALS THAT THEY CARE FOR. IN CLOSING, WE WANNA THANK MAYOR ADLER, MAYOR PROTE ALTER, AND ONCE AGAIN, COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY AND THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR HONORING THE MANY CONTRIBUTIONS OF OLDER ADULTS AND FAMILY CAREGIVERS WITH YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT TO PROMOTE SUCCESSFUL AGING IN PLACE FOR THE COMMUNITY WITH THE ADOPTION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AGE FRIENDLY ACTION PLAN FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN. THE RECENT JOB FAIRS FOCUSED ON OLDER WORKERS CONNECTIONS TO OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR REDUCING SOCIAL ISOLATION AND DECREASING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE, AS WELL AS THE NEW COMMISSION ON AGING NAME CHANGE, THE CITY OF AUSTIN DEMONSTRATES ITS ONGOING COMMITMENT TO COMBATING AGEISM, IMPROVING THE HEALTH, SAFETY, AND ACCESS TO SERVICES, AS WELL AS QUALITY FOR CARE FOR OLDER CITIZENS OF AUSTIN. THANK YOU, . HI, UM, I'M CYNTHIA MARTINEZ. WE'RE WITH ROBINSON CREEK HOME HEALTH AND HOSPICE, AND WE JUST ADDED CAREGIVING THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR. KIM HASTINGS IS OUR DIRECTOR OF HOSPICE. SHE OVERSEES ALL OF THE THREE AREAS. I, MYSELF, AM IN CHARGE OF THE CAREGIVING SIDE OF THIS COMPANY AND HAVE KNOWN, AND ACTUALLY BY PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE, LIKE WE ALL HAVE SAID, UM, WE'VE ALWAYS HAD SOMEBODY, GRANDPARENTS, MOTHERS, EVERYBODY THAT WILL ALWAYS NEEDS A CAREGIVER. AND I THINK IT'S, IT WAS AROUND ABOUT TIME FOR US TO RECOGNIZE THOSE CAREGIVERS BECAUSE THESE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE TAKING CARE OF YOUR LOVED ONE, AND THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE LIKE BARELY ACKNOWLEDGED. SO I THINK, I THINK COUNCIL ME, UH, MEMBER KELLY, UH, FOR THIS PROCLAMATION, UH, LONG TIME THAT THEY DID DESERVE THIS FROM A WHILE BACK, UM, THEY, THESE CAREGIVERS BECOME A PART OF YOUR FAMILY GUYS. THEY'RE THERE. UM, WHEN YOUR FAMILY, WHEN YOUR LOVED ONE PA PASSES, THEY'RE THERE WITH YOU THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS, UM, THROUGH TAKING CARE OF THEM FOR ANY TYPE OF NEED THAT THEY MAY HAVE. THEY, THEY DO THE JOB THAT NOT EVERYBODY WANTS TO DO. SO I THANK ALL THE CAREGIVERS OF, UM, YOU KNOW, FROM OUR COMPANY, YOUR COMPANIES AS WELL, BECAUSE IT'S NOT AN EASY JOB. AND, UM, WE'VE SEEN THAT IN THIS INDUSTRY. UM, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY, MS. KIM? THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE INVITATION GUYS. I JUST, I WANNA THANK EVERYONE AGAIN FOR BEING HERE TODAY. AND I WANNA CLOSE BY LETTING EVERYONE KNOW, BEFORE I WAS ON COUNCIL, I HAD THE HONOR OF BEING CLIENT CARE MANAGER FOR THREE DIFFERENT HOME CARE AGENCIES. AND WE HAD CAREGIVERS THAT WOULD PROVIDE SERVICES TO FAMILIES. AND THERE WERE TWO THINGS THAT I WOULD GO OUT AND TELL FAMILY MEMBERS. UM, ONE IS YOU CAN TEACH SKILLS, BUT YOU CAN'T TEACH COMPASSION. THIS JOB AS A CAREGIVER, EVEN AS A FAMILY CAREGIVER, TAKES A TON OF COMPASSION AND, UM, PATIENCE FOR ONE. THE OTHER THING IS THAT AS A FAMILY MEMBER WHO'S TAKING CARE OF ANOTHER FAMILY MEMBER, YOU CANNOT TAKE CARE OF THEM TO THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITY UNLESS YOU TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. AND SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO LEAN ON OTHER ORGANIZATIONS IN THE COMMUNITY AND OTHER PEOPLE GOING THROUGH THE SAME THING YOU ARE IN ORDER TO GET THROUGH IT. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE. I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU. UM, WE'LL TAKE A PICTURE AND THEN I'LL GIVE YOU THE PROCLAMATIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. IN THE CENTER. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.