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Medical copays reduce health care access in MS prisons; Israel planted explosives in pagers sold to Hezbollah according to official sources; Serving looks with books: Libraries fight 'fast fashion' by lending clothes; Menhaden decline threatens Virginia's ecosystem, fisheries.

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JD Vance calls for toning down political rhetoric, while calls for his resignation grow because of his own comments. The Secret Service again faces intense criticism, and a right to IVF is again voted down in the US Senate.

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A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

National Caregivers Month: What Helps VA Family Caregivers?

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Monday, November 16, 2015   

RICHMOND, Va. - November is National Family Caregiver Month, and advocates for seniors in the state say they plan to ask the General Assembly to increase funding for respite services to give caregivers a break.

Respite care means a lot to folks such as Shirley Marvin, whose husband, Frank, suffers from dementia. She loves her spouse, but said the nonstop care and vigilance that is required can be exhausting. She said she gets a lot from support groups and anything that helps share the load.

"I do, I attend them regularly, and I do find that very helpful," she said, "but it's a long, slow, very all-consuming journey."

According to AARP Virginia, the overwhelming portion of caregivers are unpaid family members - which, as the population ages, will become a larger issue. Respite services can be a way to keep people with dementia and other chronic conditions at home and closer to loved ones longer by giving those loved ones an occasional much-needed break.

Frank Marvin is an Air Force veteran, and the couple lived in Arlington most of their lives. Shirley Marvin said he started showing signs of dementia years ago. It worsened very gradually until he was moved into a residential facility near Reston.

"Probably the hardest thing I ever had to do was to decide to place him," she said. "I don't want to say the 'burden,' but the totality of the care really is on the spouse."

She said he connects with the other vets who live there, and she likes to see that. For Veterans Day, the facility arranged a visit by the Rolling Thunder veterans' motorcycle club. Shirley Marvin said that went well, but it's still emotionally tough to see her husband slipping away.

"Sometimes, he introduces me as his wife and he'll use my name," she said. "Other times he'll say, 'We really have to go see Shirley.' You never kind of know what's going on, and that's very hard."

When he connects, she said, those are the good days. She said it helps when other folks can help him make those connections, and it makes it a little easier on her.

More information is online at aarp.org.


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