Caregiver Policy Push and 90,000 Flower Vases

National Alliance for Caregiving CEO Jason Resendez testified before the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging this month, presenting three policy proposals intended to reduce the daily strain on family caregivers. Resendez told lawmakers that funding for the Older Americans Act, national paid family and medical leave, and expanded Medicare roles would 'represent a stronger foundation to help family caregivers provide care sustainably, with dignity and with equity over time.' The alliance advocates for these measures to address what Resendez calls pain points that family caregivers face every day.

The Aging Untold program also addressed consumer guidance on food labeling. Board-certified physician Dr. Rhea Rogers said the fat-free label can be misleading. 'So if they're removing the fat, they had to replace it with something else. So you have to look at the ingredients and look at the packaging,' Rogers said. She noted that she used to find fat categories confusing and developed a sorting method.

In Kentucky, volunteers known as the Flower Buds recover discarded flowers from weddings, funerals, and community events. The group delivers the arrangements to nursing homes, the VA hospital, assisted living facilities, and shelters. Since 2006, the Flower Buds have delivered more than 90,000 vases of flowers.

The program also covered the gemstone trade. Jamie Inglett, who operates a crystal shop in Sedona, said fake crystals are available in stores and at gem shows. She said buyers could receive lab-grown crystals marketed as natural stones.