PLUK News feed

New Web site provides information for family caregivers

Link: Family Caregivers
Family caregivers of loved ones on Medicare have a new resource — a Web site — for help finding health care information and services. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS, today launched “Ask Medicare,” a new initiative to help family caregivers, CMS said in a press release. More than 44 million Americans, more than one in five adults, provide care to a loved one, friend or neighbor, valued in economic terms at $350 billion annually, according to a recent report by the American Association of Retired Persons.

A Family Caregiver's Guide to Hospital Discharge Planning

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.

Research Findings - The Impact of Early Childhood Autism on Parental Employment and Child Care

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.

Service System Guidelines for Medical Home Primary Care Practices

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

Video technology unites caregivers from a distance

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.

More Training Needed for Family Caregivers

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.

New Website Aims to Support Caregivers

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."

Under Political Pressure, Union Pulls Home Care Initiative

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.

TV for people who care for kids

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.

NPR: Creative Play Makes for Kids in Control

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.