Link: Caregiver's Guide
Useful and beneficial information discussing: what hospital discharge is, who does it, when it should happen, what will be paid for by insurance, as well as other relevant information for caregivers pertaining to hospital discharge.
The results of a study published in the July 2008 online issue of Pediatrics found that having a pre-school aged child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with a higher use of child care services and a higher probability that child care problems will significantly affect parental employment. The authors recommend the evaluation of community resources available to families of children with special needs. To read the full summary of findings go to http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/122/1/e202.
Link: Website
The National Medical Home Autism Initiative has released the final copy of the Service System Guidelines for Medical Home Primary Care Practices. These guidelines were drafted by an ASD Service Guideline Workgroup (comprised of many COCWD members) that was formed by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau in 2007. They were then presented for review and comment to several professional, administrative and family advocacy organizations. The guidelines present a framework for ASD services within the Medical Home and offer a series of system guidelines to promote discussion, interaction and collaboration among key stakeholders. You may find the document to be a useful reference as you address autism related issues in your state. Copies can be downloaded from the Waisman Center website
Link: Video
New, advanced technology that provides high-definition video transmissions helps nurses and interdisciplinary teams better collaborate and confer about a patient's condition or care. One expert says the technology also will provide improved teaching possibilities and more connections and discussions between the patient, family and clinicians.
Link: Training
A recent Institute of Medicine report said family members are not properly trained to provide increasing levels of medical care for patients who are sent home from the hospital or rehab in worse physical condition than ever before, creating a big gap in the U.S. health care system. Experts say the U.S. needs a system to offer and pay for caregiver training, which some groups are beginning to offer.
Link: Caregivers
A new Intel Web site, ConnectingForCare.com, aims to help 50 million U.S. caregivers network and learn about the latest research. "Family caregivers are providing 80% of all of the long-term care for people with chronic illness and disabilities," said Suzanne Mintz, president and co-founder of the National Family Caregivers Association. "Caregivers are often the primary providers of this care, so it is crucial that we work to establish better lines of communication."
Link: Home Care Initiative
A voter initiative to expand in-home care for the elderly and the disabled in Montana won't be on the ballot this fall. The labor union pursuing Initiative 159 announced Wednesday that it is withdrawing the measure.
Link: A Place of Our Own
KCET’s A Place of Our Own (and Los Niños en Su Casa in Spanish) is a daily television series, a website, and an extensive outreach program devoted to the unique needs of people who care for children.
Link: 2008 Resource Packet and Related Materials
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Children's Bureau, Office on Child Abuse and Neglect, its Child Welfare Information Gateway, and the FRIENDS National Resource Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention created this resource packet to support a wide range of service providers who work with parents, other caregivers, and their children with the common goal of promoting healthy families. This packet is targeted specifically for service providers, so that they can more effectively promote healthy families.
The packet contains resources to promote community awareness of five important protective factors that can help families protect children from the risk of child abuse and neglect, including tip sheets for parents in English and Spanish. These resources were developed with input from numerous national organizations, Federal partners, and parents committed to promoting healthy families.
Link: NPR
Could a dearth of freewheeling imaginative play be contributing to the number of children identified with ADHD? Researchers think this might be the case. Independent, self-regulated play allows children to develop executive function — neurobiological wiring that affects planning, flexibility, organization, and self-monitoring. But as play has changed — with elaborate toys, scheduled activities, less recess, and little or no unsupervised outdoor time — children have fewer opportunities to build self-regulation and self-control abilities.
