A message from the National Family Caregivers Association
Encouraging Family Caregivers to Speak Up
July 2009 E-LETTER
TO NFCA ONLINE MEMBERS AND FRIENDS
This month find information on:
Make This the Month You Speak Up for Comprehensive Healthcare Reform
Enabling Personalized Care and Patient Engagement
Participate in an Online Conversation About Caregiving
Mark Your Calendar: Funding Solutions for Senior Living and Care
Volunteers Needed for Research Programs
Important News About the Summer Issue of TAKE CARE!
Make This the Month You Speak Up for Comprehensive Healthcare Reform
NOW is the time for all family caregivers to Speak Up for healthcare reform that truly meets the needs of individuals with chronic illnesses and conditions and those who care for them. A two-day national call-in period has been established to allow family caregivers and others to tell our elected officials that America’s patients must be protected from high medical costs.
Family caregivers often provide care and comfort recognized by health plans or Medicare. Clear instructions on a care program, including coordination among healthcare providers, can help ensure that bad medical conditions don’t get worse. Adherence to a care program can save money and lives. It’s time to tell Congress to: Include family caregivers as part of the healthcare team; include clear instructions and adherence programs as part of ongoing care and prevention; and include protection for patients against high out-of-pocket costs by capping health expenses and having caps include pharmaceuticals.
The national call-in period is July 7 and July 8. The number to call is 866/210-3678. Don’t miss this opportunity to have your voice heard.
Enabling Personalized Care and Patient Engagement
NFCA is excited that Intel’s Digital Health Group has become a Founding Partner in our Corporate Leadership Council because Intel understands how important it is for caregiving families to have access to well-coordinated chronic illness care and seamless transitions between personnel and settings. As a technology innovator, Intel is committed to finding innovative ways to support caregiving families and developing new technologies that will help improve patient care and safety, reduce healthcare costs, and enhance quality of life across the continuum of care.
With people living longer, we are witnessing a dramatic rise in the number of people with chronic conditions. The nation’s 50 million family caregivers know all too well that the process of caring for a loved one takes both an emotional and physical toll. More tools and better support systems that help improve lines of communication between all members of the care team and patients are critical to helping deliver the best care possible.
An example of Intel’s commitment to designing solutions to help support a shift in current healthcare delivery models for individuals with chronic conditions is the Intel® Health Guide. The Intel Health Guide is a comprehensive personal health system that combines an in-home patient device with an online interface that allows nurses and physicians to monitor and remotely manage care. Patients are empowered to engage in a more active role in their own care, and the Intel Health Guide enables more informed and personalized care, which may lead to better patient satisfaction. Remote patient monitoring systems have been available for many years as part of the VA’s chronic care coordination program. Now those of us outside the VA system will be able to reap the benefits of this approach that has been shown to help improve care and reduce costs. More information can be found at http://www.intel.com/healthcare.
Participate in an Online Conversation About Caregiving
NFCA members are invited to participate in a unique online conversation on caregiving with Feminism2.0 (http://www.fem2pt0.com), an online group for all women interested in better policy for women, families and society.
On July 13, Fem2.0 is focusing on caregiving — not just family caregiving, but on all of the caregiving women do in their lives. The primary question to be discussed is, “How can caregiving be made easier to make our lives easier?”
Fem2.0 is looking to NFCA members to share your insights, comments, and personal stories about family caregiving in two ways: First, any time before July 13, either write a short piece, or, if you have a blog about family caregiving, send the link to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) and put “caregiving” in the subject line. They will include the link or your article in their Blog Carnival. Then on Monday, July 13, at 10 p.m. Eastern time, everyone is invited to participate in the “Women and Caregiving” Twittercast. To join a Twittercast, simply use your Twitter account (sign up for one at http://www.twitter.com) and log onto Tweetchat at http://www.tweetchat.com; then follow “@fem2.” Much like a chat room, you will see all the messages from Twitter that are on “@fem2” and you can join the conversation by typing in the box on the top. While you are on Twitter, be sure to “follow” NFCA at http://twitter.com/NFCAcaregivers.