Caring For The Sick And Elderly

Family caregiving affects millions of Americans every day, in all walks of life. At least 17.7 million individuals in the United States are caregivers of an older adult with a health or functional limitation. The nation's family caregivers provide the lion's share of long-term care for our older adult population. They are also central to older adults' access to and receipt of health care and community-based social services. Yet the need to recognize and support caregivers is among the least appreciated challenges facing the aging U.S. population. Families Caring for an Aging America examines the prevalence and nature of family caregiving of older adults and the available evidence on the effectiveness of programs, supports, and other interventions designed to support family caregivers. This report also assesses and recommends policies to address the needs of family caregivers and to minimize the barriers that they encounter in trying to meet the needs of older adults.

"Nurses play a vital role in improving the safety and quality of patient car -- not only in the hospital or ambulatory treatment facility, but also of community-based care and the care performed by family members. Nurses need know what proven techniques and interventions they can use to enhance patient outcomes. To address this need, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), with additional funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, has prepared this comprehensive, 1,400-page, handbook for nurses on patient safety and quality -- Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses. (AHRQ Publication No. 08-0043)." - online AHRQ blurb, http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/nurseshdbk/

This book highlights the various ways pastoral care ministers and parish volunteers can reach out to the sick and elderly. There are a wealth of ideas here for extending spiritual, sacramental, and charitable support to parishioners who are homebound, in nursing homes, or in hospitals. For many years, Sr. Marie Roccapriore has been involved with a parish program called Project H.E.A.L.--Homebound are Encouraged through Assistance in Love. The details of this program are provided in this book, along with forms and other reproducible information that will be useful in developing this type of program in your own parish. Also included is an extensive listing of resources that are invaluable for ministry with the sick and elderly. The creative ideas offered will motivate more involvement among children as well as adults, and bring positive results among the sick and elderly recipients who eagerly look forward to the compassionate and loving care of others. Personal examples and anecdotes help illustrate the ways that even the simplest gestures of care and concern can make a world of difference in the lives of the infirm.

A guiding principle of the Council on Health Care Technology is a special focus on medical technology assessment measures that coincide with patient well-being, quality of health care, and quality of life. Of particular concern is care of the elderly, which constitutes a special and vulnerable patient population. This comprehensive book discusses the appropriate use of technology to minimize risks posed to the elderly patient in the delivery of health care services. It covers home and community care as well as acute hospital care, and system resources and constraints.

As the first of the nation's 78 million baby boomers begin reaching age 65 in 2011, they will face a health care workforce that is too small and woefully unprepared to meet their specific health needs. Retooling for an Aging America calls for bold initiatives starting immediately to train all health care providers in the basics of geriatric care and to prepare family members and other informal caregivers, who currently receive little or no training in how to tend to their aging loved ones. The book also recommends that Medicare, Medicaid, and other health plans pay higher rates to boost recruitment and retention of geriatric specialists and care aides. Educators and health professional groups can use Retooling for an Aging America to institute or increase formal education and training in geriatrics. Consumer groups can use the book to advocate for improving the care for older adults. Health care professional and occupational groups can use it to improve the quality of health care jobs.

You Don't Have to Do It Alone Whether you're prepared for it or not, chances are you'll take on the role of caregiver when a family member or friend is affected by a serious illness or injury, or when you find your elderly parent needs help. As you'll soon discover, the range of tasks and responsibilities involved are overwhelming. Share The Care offers a sensible and loving solution: a unique group approach that can turn a circle of ordinary people into a powerful caregiving team. Share The Care shows you how to: Create a caregiver "family" from friends, real family members, neighbors, coworkers, and acquaintances. Hold a meeting to organize your group, and introduce members to the Share The Care systems that guarantee every job will be done and no one person will have to do too much. Discover the hidden talents within the group, make the most of their resources, cope with group issues, and stay together in the face of adversity. Included here are valuable guidelines, compassionate suggestions, and a simple-to-use workbook section that together offer support to free the patient from worry and the caregivers from burnout. Share The Care offers friends and family the best answer ever to the frequently asked question "What can I do?"