Let’s Learn: Caregiving Across Cultures
Former First Lady Rosalynn 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.” Essentially, we’re all on a journey of care at some point so it’s time to ride the waves of the “silver tsunami”. What are the greatest challenges and opportunities of caregiving? How can we nourish ourselves? How can we support each other along the way? What innovations are happening in community and culturally-based systems of care?
Speakers
Rev. Cynthia Carter Perrilliat, MPA, is Co-founder and Executive Director of the AC Care Alliance (ACCA). The ACCA’s Advanced Illness Care Program™is a community based, person-centered, care navigation intervention serving individuals with chronic, serious, and advanced illness and their caregivers, in partnership with health, faith, academic and community-based organizations. Founded in the African American faith community, its aim is to respect the needs and wishes of the participant, whatever their gender, culture or faith practices. The ACCA currently provides its services in 6 counties in both Northern and Southern California with interest in expansion to other regions of the United States.
Rev. Carter Perrilliat is currently a Principal Investigator for the Public Health Institute and has over 25 years of experience as a hospice and palliative care educator, trainer and marketing professional. She has served as faculty for the Duke University Institute on Care at the End of Life APPEAL program, which stands for A Progressive Palliative Care Educational Curriculum for Care of African Americans at Life’s End. Rev. Cynthia is a much sought-after motivational speaker and advocate for health equity and inclusion for communities of color. She is a past Board member of VitalTalk an organization that focuses on curriculum and language development for physicians that care for those with serious illness, and an ordained minister, serving at the historic Allen Temple Baptist Church, Oakland CA, as well as a gospel recording artist under her Splendor Record label.
Under Rev. Cynthia’s leadership the ACCA received the 2023 Center for the Advancement of Palliative Care recognition in innovation and excellence as well as the Innovation award from the American Public Health Association and the Archstone Foundation.
https://www.cynthiacarterlive.com/
https://www.care-alliance.org/
Shaista S Kazmi is the president and founder of Apna Ghar LLC, the first senior care agency to serve the needs of ethnic minorities in Michigan, in particular, those from India and Pakistan. With the intent to scale and expand, Apna Ghar currently serves elderly immigrant communities from Pakistan, Bangladesi, the Middle East, and Asia. Mrs. Kazmi trains and employs women from lower socio-economic backgrounds (including those who are recent refugees and/or victims of domestic violence) as nursing and home health aides. She believes that by helping the most vulnerable members in the community we can build a stronger foundation for a better society.
Vivian Nava-Schellinger (she/her/ella) is Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Community Impact for The SCAN Foundation. A proud Tejana, originally from the border region of El Paso, Texas, Vivian has utilized her legal training to efficiently and successfully merge business strategy, organizational management, and health policy to ensure that all communities have access to the information they need to make informed decisions. At The SCAN Foundation, Vivian directs TSF’s DEI strategy and operational implementation internally among staff, leaders, and the Board. Additionally, she works across program teams to incorporate TSF’s community impact work within its Advancing Health Equity in Aging Initiative. Vivian received her Juris Doctorate from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University. She is also a graduate of the University of Texas at El Paso, where she earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in Political Science and Legal Reasoning and a Master of Science in National Security Studies. Vivian enjoys running, gardening, and listening to Chicano oldies as well as spending time with her husband, Jake, and their four dogs.
https://www.thescanfoundation.org/
Paurvi Bhatt (moderator) is a healthcare executive, trusted strategist, and global thought leader with a reputation for marshaling funds, achieving focused outcomes, and leading innovative partnership strategies that bring health, care and bereavement solutions closer to home for aging populations, their families, and caregivers. As President and Chief Impact Officer of The Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers, Paurvi leverages her executive experiences at Abbott, Levi Strauss, Medtronic, CARE and USAID, USGAO, in influencing, advising, and collaborating with founders, C-suite leaders and Boards to modernize legacies, reframe referral and value pathways and build organizational cultures that meet the social issues of our time. Working across public, nonprofit, and commercial sectors of healthcare, Paurvi has a consistent record of impact working across industries and functions by aligning and distributing capital with partners that increase workforce support and expand access to home and community-based health and social services and workforce support for the elderly and immigrants worldwide. Highly skilled in strategic philanthropic and capital investments, corporate responsibility/ESG, public affairs, and human resources benefits and employee engagement for purpose driven Fortune 500 companies, private start-ups, nonprofits, foundations, and government. Board Executive leadership as Board Chair, Vice Chair, and Treasurer of global healthcare, caregiving, women's leadership, and immigrant focused private companies and nonprofit organizations. Exceptional performance against global, multi-million-dollar strategies that deliver above target and durable social outcomes and business efficiency results by connecting business acumen, stakeholder engagement and advocacy with innovative strategies that optimize investments in health systems. Respected for scaling outcomes by elevating inclusion, belonging, and organization culture as central components of team engagement and strategic partnerships that deliver social change. Authentic, second-generation Indian American, Asian woman leader, recognized for thought leadership across HIV/AIDS, women's health, and social impact. Dedicated mentor focusing on developing leadership and talent to deliver outcome focused strategies across various functions and sectors.
About the Series
Cultivating Caregiving: Seeds of Sorrow, Gardens of Growth
More than 53 million unpaid Americans provide care to a spouse, elderly parent or relative, or to a child with special needs. The caregiving experience most often includes struggle, stress, fatigue, guilt, and grief. But can it also be a life-transforming experience to find purpose? A discovery of what matters most for you and the person in your care?
Caregiving is commonly described as an experience in which caregivers cultivate resilience and endurance. But are there opportunities for caregivers to not only bounce back, but also bounce forward? Is there a new appreciation for life? A chance to rebuild a relationship? A possibility to increase personal strength and collective solidarity with other family caregivers?
Programming produced by Reimagine staff and its collaborative community of event hosts will focus on a number of themes related to caregiving:
- For caregivers of all ages, what kind of support, resources, and opportunities are available?
- What are the ways in which caregivers navigate and process anticipatory grief as their loved ones decline?
- What challenges and opportunities are there for long-distance caregivers?
- What solutions are there to our crisis of care and the absence of guaranteed paid leave?
- How are health systems and workplaces adapting to the needs of caregivers, particularly those from immigrant families, those of diverse cultural, spiritual, and faith traditions, and those with limited English proficiency?
- What do you say to a burnt-out family caregiver to provide them with comfort? Better yet, what do you DO for them?
About RCI
The Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers was established in 1987 by former First Lady Rosalynn Carter to promote the health, strength, and resilience of America’s 53 million family caregivers. RCI fulfills its promise to champion the family caregiver by building cross-sector partnerships, leading research projects and strategic initiatives, developing and implementing evidence-based programs, and advocating for public policy.
About Reimagine
Reimagine is a nonprofit organization catalyzing a uniquely powerful community–people of different backgrounds, ages, races, and faiths (and no faith) coming together in the hopes of healing ourselves and the world. We specifically support each other in facing adversity, loss, and mortality and–at our own pace– actively channeling life's biggest challenges into meaningful action and growth.
