The Family Caregiver as Care Manager – A Crucial Role

Free Caregiving Tips & Resources for National Family Caregivers Month from Parkinson Foundation

By Editor, on October 30th, 2013

As part of National Family Caregivers Month – November, 2013 – the National Parkinson Foundation has announced that it will offer Free Caregiving tips and resources during the entire month of November. On the NPF Facebook page, the Foundation . . . → Read More: Free Caregiving Tips & Resources for National Family Caregivers Month from Parkinson Foundation

Patient Engagement Improves Healthcare Outcomes and Lowers Cost, New Studies Find

By Editor, on February 4th, 2013

The February, 2013 issue of the journal HealthAffairs features several studies addressing how more active engagement of patients in their own health and health care can affect health care outcomes and costs of care. “Studies show that more informed . . . → Read More: Patient Engagement Improves Healthcare Outcomes and Lowers Cost, New Studies Find

Multitasking Does Not Work; If You Think You are Good at It, Your Personality May be Deceiving You, Study Suggests

By Editor, on January 24th, 2013

A new study published January 23 in the medical journal PLOS One has found that whether you engage in multitasking has more to do with your personality than your actual ability to multitask. The study, conducted by researchers at . . . → Read More: Multitasking Does Not Work; If You Think You are Good at It, Your Personality May be Deceiving You, Study Suggests

Caregiving for a Dear Friend with Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS): Part II of a Hope-Inspiring Story

By Contributing Author, on November 20th, 2012

Contributed By Shirley A. Woods EDITOR’S NOTE: In a previous post, our dear friend Jackie Barber told the inspiring story of how she is overcoming the dreaded Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS) that eighteen months ago left her completely paralyzed . . . → Read More: Caregiving for a Dear Friend with Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS): Part II of a Hope-Inspiring Story

National Family Caregivers Month Highlights the Crucial Role of Family Caregivers

By Editor, on November 13th, 2012

President Barack Obama has proclaimed November as National Family Caregivers Month, a time to recognize and appreciate family caregivers and shine a light on the crucial role they play in caring for our nation’s seniors and those with chronic . . . → Read More: National Family Caregivers Month Highlights the Crucial Role of Family Caregivers

Signs That a Headache Could be Dangerous, Featured in Johns Hopkins Health Alert

By Editor, on October 17th, 2012

In a Health Alert published October 17, 2012 by Johns Hopkins, Peter Goadsby, M.D., Ph.D., a neurologist who is director of the Headache Center at the University of California at San Francisco, lists some of the signs and symptoms . . . → Read More: Signs That a Headache Could be Dangerous, Featured in Johns Hopkins Health Alert

Thank a Caregiver Week, Nov. 4-10, Sponsored by National Parkinson Foundation

By Editor, on October 14th, 2012

The National Parkinson Foundation (NPF) has announced that, as part of observing National Family Caregivers Month in November, it will for the first time sponsor Thank a Caregiver Week during the week of November 4 through 10, 2012. “Caring . . . → Read More: Thank a Caregiver Week, Nov. 4-10, Sponsored by National Parkinson Foundation

New Resources on Hospital to Home Transition Featured on National Library of Medicine Site

By Editor, on August 29th, 2012

“Many older adults do not successfully make the transition home well and end up returning to the hospital. In fact, one in five Medicare patients are readmitted to a hospital within 30 days after discharge,” according to a new . . . → Read More: New Resources on Hospital to Home Transition Featured on National Library of Medicine Site

Tropical Storm Isaac Puts Spotlight on Hurricane Preparedness

By Editor, on August 25th, 2012

As Tropical Storm Isaac approaches Florida, with Hurricane warnings in effect for much of Florida’s West coast, government authorities are urging all citizens to prepare, and are focusing attention on government resources available to help you prepare for a . . . → Read More: Tropical Storm Isaac Puts Spotlight on Hurricane Preparedness

Medicare Announces Updated Hospital Compare & Nursing Home Compare Sites

By Editor, on July 21st, 2012

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced Thursday that it has updated and re-designed its Hospital Compare and Nursing Home Compare websites, which provide tools and quality measures to help consumers find hospitals and Medicare-Certified nursing homes . . . → Read More: Medicare Announces Updated Hospital Compare & Nursing Home Compare Sites

The WHO Issues Wake-up Call: Dementia Cases Will Triple by 2050, More Family Caregiver Support Needed

By Editor, on April 12th, 2012

The World Health Organization (WHO) on April 11 issued a substantial new report showing that, with populations aging, cases of dementia are expected to more than triple worldwide by 2050. The report calls upon nations to address this pandemic-size . . . → Read More: The WHO Issues Wake-up Call: Dementia Cases Will Triple by 2050, More Family Caregiver Support Needed

Electronic Health Records Can Relieve Caregiver Stress; A Caregiver Tells Her Story

By Editor, on February 17th, 2012

Cynthia Whisker, a social service coordinator who counsels families and seniors about how to handle the stress of caregiving for their loved ones, has herself become a caregiver for her husband. Her husband underwent both a liver transplant and . . . → Read More: Electronic Health Records Can Relieve Caregiver Stress; A Caregiver Tells Her Story

Some Caregiving Questions Answered

By Senior Editor, on December 7th, 2011

Caregiving expert, Elinor Ginzler, former AARP Senior Vice President for Livable Communities addresses some questions: Who are caregivers in America today? What are the challenges of being a family caregiver? How can families prepare for the inevitable? How . . . → Read More: Some Caregiving Questions Answered

Find and Compare Doctors

By Editor, on October 1st, 2011

Visit Medicare.gov’s Physician Compare tool to find and compare doctors and other health care professionals: by geographic location (zip code or city and state); and by specialty You can also search for a health care professional by last name, . . . → Read More: Find and Compare Doctors

New AHRQ Initiative: Questions are the Answer For Better Doctor-Patient Communication

By Editor, on September 21st, 2011

On Tuesday, September 20, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS), along with the Ad Council, a non-profit organization, launched a new Questions are the Answer initiative . . . → Read More: New AHRQ Initiative: Questions are the Answer For Better Doctor-Patient Communication

Study Finds Medical History Key to Correct Diagnosis

By Editor, on August 12th, 2011

A new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, a journal of the American Medical Association, found that patients’ medical history “emerged as the key element in formulating correct diagnosis” of medical conditions. This obviously has important implications . . . → Read More: Study Finds Medical History Key to Correct Diagnosis

Americans Increasingly Find Health Information via Internet, CDC Reports

By Editor, on August 3rd, 2011

Sixty-one percent of all U.S. adults have used the Internet to look for health or medical information, and adult women, non-hispanic whites, and employed adults with higher incomes are among the most frequent users, according to a Data . . . → Read More: Americans Increasingly Find Health Information via Internet, CDC Reports

Updated Information on Prescription Drugs Provided by US Govt Websites

By Editor, on July 21st, 2011

The U.S. Government’s official web portal, USA.gov, indicates that as of July 20, 2011, updated information has been added to several government websites providing information and resources on prescription medications, drug interactions, and coverage of prescription drug costs. Many . . . → Read More: Updated Information on Prescription Drugs Provided by US Govt Websites

Hurricane Preparedness For Seniors and Caregivers

By Senior Editor, on July 12th, 2011

If you or your senior loved one live in a coastal area, have you taken the advisable steps to prepare in advance for a Hurricane? If an evacuation order were given, have you planned how and where your elderly . . . → Read More: Hurricane Preparedness For Seniors and Caregivers

Can a Patient Know Too Much? Are You Annoying Your Doctors?

By Editor, on July 7th, 2011

Recently controversy has swirled around a website, QuantiaMD, which provides a physician-to-physician educational presentation entitled, “Managing the Difficult Patient.” This controversy has raised questions about how patients can make the most constructive and helpful use of the vast quantity . . . → Read More: Can a Patient Know Too Much? Are You Annoying Your Doctors?

Caring for Parents Costs Americans $3 Trillion in Lost Wages, Pension & Social Security Benefits, as Percent of Family Caregivers Triples

By Editor, on June 22nd, 2011

A significant new study has found that the percent of adult children caring for their aging parents has tripled in the last 15 years, and that providing this care costs the caregivers $3 Trillion in lost wages, pension, and . . . → Read More: Caring for Parents Costs Americans $3 Trillion in Lost Wages, Pension & Social Security Benefits, as Percent of Family Caregivers Triples

Prevent Falls by Older Adults

By Editor, on May 15th, 2011

The HHS Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality reports that fall-related injuries are responsible for about two million visits to hospital emergency departments per year, according to a May 12, 2011 HealthBeat report issued by the U.S. Department of . . . → Read More: Prevent Falls by Older Adults

FDA Issues Tips for Caregivers on Medication Management

By Editor, on May 5th, 2011

On May 4, 2011 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued Ten Tips for Caregivers on How to Prevent Accidental Overdose from Over-The-Counter (OTC) liquid medications, at the same time as the Agency released guidelines to OTC drug . . . → Read More: FDA Issues Tips for Caregivers on Medication Management

Study Finds Common Alzheimer's Drug Not Effective To Treat Early to Moderate Alzheimer's

By Editor, on April 12th, 2011

Attention caregivers for patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s Disease: A new study published in the Archives of Neurology found that memantine, a drug commonly prescribed (under the brand name Namenda) for Alzheimer’s patients, was not effective to treat . . . → Read More: Study Finds Common Alzheimer’s Drug Not Effective To Treat Early to Moderate Alzheimer’s