CAREGIVERS
are friends and family of loved ones who take on the responsibility of meeting the needs that a loved one has. As the elderly population in America continues to rise, caregivers are the first line of support in overseeing the health and personal concerns of the elderly. Without the support of family and friends, the cost of health care would skyrocket for providing for the elderly.
Caregivers are people who demonstrate a wealth of care and concern, but not a lot of time. Listed below are links to state and federal information sources in six categories: general information, guides and tips in caregiving, caring for the family member (includes links to health topics and searchable databases), caring for the caregiver, caregivers and employers, and links to state and federal agencies.
GENERAL INFORMATION
EVERYDAY HEROES: FAMILY CAREGIVERS FACE INCREASING CHALLENGES IN AN AGING NATION
This is a transcript of testimony given before the Senate defining family caregivers and the challenges they face in caring for a loved one. Three part witness testimony is broken into "The Personal Challenges of Family Caregiving," "Defining Family Caregivers and Their Contributions," and "New Systems to Assist Caregivers."
The Administration on Aging reports that 65% of caregiving is handled by friends and family and nearly 60% of those needing care are 65 or older.
FAMILY CAREGIVING IN AN AGING SOCIETY
Dr. Sharon Tennstedt presents her report on caregiving. Topics include who needs care, who provides care, impacts of care, and contributors to caregiver well-being.
GUIDES AND TIPS IN CAREGIVING
AGING PARENTS AND ADULT CHILDREN TOGETHER (A/PACT)
The Federal Trade Commission in conjunction with AARP has published a series of articles designed to assist in caregiving. Some topics included are consumer fraud; long term care insurance; Medicaid, Medicare, Medi-gap; caring for the caregiver; and community based service.
Family Dynamics, sponsored by the North Carolina Division of Aging, consists of short articles designed to offer tips in family caregiving.
FINANCIAL CAREGIVING: A SURVIVAL GUIDE
The FDIC lists tips for reviewing and evaluating financial needs and concerns before and after a crisis.
CAREGIVERS' HANDBOOK: A GUIDE FOR FAMILY . . . FOR AN ADULT OR SENIOR WITH DISABILITIES
The Aging and Adult Services Administration of the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services handbook has nineteen subtopics for the care of a family member. Although the handbook is for people with disabilities, many of the topics could be helpful in providing care for any illness. The following topics are included in the handbook:
Providing Day - to - Day Care - Caregiving Tips for Success
HANDBOOK FOR FAMILY CAREGIVERS
The Gerontology faculty at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and the North Carolina Division of Aging published this handbook for caregivers. Some of the topics included are successful caregiving, informal support systems, community service professionals, housing options, financial and legal issues, and personal care tips.
CARING FOR THE FAMILY MEMBER
ACTIVE AGEING: A LIFETIME OF GOOD HEALTH
The Food and Drug Administration's theme reflects the United Nations proclamation that 1999 is the International Year of Older Persons. The FDA's site has links to publications about information on seniors, health topics and food safety that can be found on the web or ordered.
AGE PAGES - BROCHURES AND FACT SHEETS FOR THE PUBLIC
The National Institute on Aging has links to specific diseases, disease prevention, immunization, and safety.
ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE AND RELATED DISORDERS: A GUIDE FOR CAREGIVERS
The Washington State Department of Social & Health Services' website topics include facts about alzheimers, dementia, symptoms and progression of the disease, medical evaluation and treatment, caregiving problems and possible solutions, guidelines for caregiving, and legal and financial consideration.
The National Cancer Institute sponsors CancerNet. CancerNet can be used to search the cancer database and cancer bibliographic database. This site also has links to credible information on the Internet. CancerNet is for patients, the public, health professionals, and researchers.
Healthfinder is a searchable database for government health information. The database is sponsored by the US Department of Health & Human Services. Some topics include prevention and self-care, food safety, Medicare, diabetes, and choosing quality care.
The Center for Disease Control has a site with links to many topics. The CDC is continually adding to the list.
OLDER ADULTS: DEPRESSION AND SUICIDE FACTS
The National Institute of Mental Health offers a quick guide to determining if older adults are depressed, facts, research and treatment of depression.
VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
The Veteran's Administration sponsors and maintains the Veterans Health Administration site. This site includes links to VA facilities by state, diabetes information, physical medicine and rehabilitation, and nursing services.
CARING FOR THE CAREGIVER
CAREGIVERS, CAREGIVING, AND HOME CARE WORKERS
The Administration on Aging offers tips on sharing the responsibility of home care and what to look for in hiring additional help in order to relieve the pressure on the primary caregiver.
INFORMAL CAREGIVER "BURNOUT": PREDICTORS AND PREVENTION
A study of the effects of long-term care on caregivers. The study's aim was to find alternatives to help lengthen informal caregiving (unpaid) and postpone nursing home placement.
CAREGIVERS & EMPLOYERS
FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE ACT (FMLA)
US Department of Labor's site has links to text of the act, fact sheets, compliance guides, forms, and commonly asked questions. Also included is a poster summary of an employee's rights:
YOUR RIGHTS UNDER THE FMLA OF 1993 Poster
WORK & ELDER CARE: FACTS FOR CAREGIVERS AND THEIR EMPLOYERS
The US Department of Labor has published a fact sheet containing information on the characteristics of family members who need care, caregivers, types of care needed, and ways employers could help the caregiver.
LINKS TO STATE & FEDERAL AGENCIES
This agency's homepage provides quick index links to information on topics of interest to senior citizens for the senior citizens and their families, practitioners and professionals, researchers, and students.
The Eldercare Locator is sponsored by the US Department of Health and Human Services. This service will locate local support for aging Americans.
HEALTH CARE FINANCING ADMINISTRATION (HCFA)
This agency administers Medicare and Medicaid. Links from the agency's searchable homepage include Medicare, Medicaid, managed care plans, nursing facilities, fraud, and Medicare policy issues.
SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
The Social Security Administration site is a searchable site. The homepage also has quick topic links such as disability information, benefit verification statement, how to links, and forms.
STATE AND AREA AGENCIES ON AGING
This site gives quick links to agencies within a particular state. The site is sponsored by the Administration on Aging.
Laura G. Holden
Created: Oct. 2, 1999
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