Method of Action Video

About 34M Unpaid Caregivers Performed $375B Worth Of Aid In 2007, AARP Reports
About 34 million caregivers provided unpaid help to family and friends last year valued at an estimated $375 billion, an increase from $350 billion in 2006, according to a report released on Thursday by AARP, the Wall Street Journal reports. The estimate, derived from five nationally representative surveys, was based on the caregivers providing an average of 21 hours per week of care at $10.

State Budget Shortfalls Force Cuts In Home Care For Low-Income Elderly, People With Disabilities
At least 15 states facing widening budget shortfalls are cutting funding for services for low-income elderly residents and people with disabilities, mostly for programs that allow low-income "shut-ins" to receive personal care in their own homes, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the

AARP: Value Of Family Caregiving Hits $375 Billion, More That Medicaid Spending, USA
The economic value of family caregiving in the U.S. reached $375 billion in 2007, according to a new report by AARP's Public Policy Institute. The report, which updates a groundbreaking study by AARP last year, finds that the value of family caregiving was $375 billion, 7 percent higher than the estimated value of $350 billion in 2006. The estimated value exceeds the $311 billion spent nationally in 2007 for Medicaid.

Helping Nursing Home Staff Become Comfortable With Residents' Sexual Expression
"Do not disturb" signs aren't just for newlyweds anymore. They are also a way to give nursing home residents some privacy for sexual expression, according to Kansas State University aging experts. "By law you can't always lock a room, but you can offer residents some privacy," said Gayle Doll, who directs K-State's Center on Aging.

Finds One In Every Three Hispanic Households Has A Family Member Caring For An Older Loved One, USA
A study released today from UnitedHealth Group's Evercare® organization and the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) finds that more than one third of Hispanic households (36 percent) have at least one family member caring for an older loved one -a larger percentage than all U.S. caregiving households which is 21 percent (one in five), according to the Evercare Study of Hispanic Caregiving in the U.S.

Key To Children's Stress Levels In Child Care Is Their Relationships With Caregivers
How children are affected by out-of-home care depends not only on the qualities of their teacher and the classroom, but also on the nature of the children's relationship with their caregivers. That's the finding of a new study on the level of the stress hormone cortisol in children in full-day child care. Cortisol, the primary stress hormone in humans, tends to be at its highest levels in the early morning and gradually declines over the course of the day.

New York Times Examines Increase In Home Births Despite Warnings From Medical Associations
The New York Times on Thursday examined the growing number of women who choose to give birth at home despite opposition from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Medical Association.

New York Times Examines Increasing Number Of Families Of Disabled Veterans Seeking Compensation For Caregiver Roles
The New York Times on Tuesday examined the increasing number of families of disabled veterans who are seeking compensation for their roles as caregivers.

American Association For Homecare Response To Sen. Baucus Healthcare Plan, USA
The American Association for Homecare applauds U.S. Senator Max Baucus (D-Mont.) for proposing healthcare policies that "shift the focus from institutional care to services provided in the home and community" to improve quality of care and reduce costs. But the Association strongly disagrees with the idea, also put forward today in the Baucus healthcare plan, that competitive bidding is an anti-fraud program and is a sound payment methodology for home medical equipment and services.

Researchers Test Innovative 'IT' Interventions To Improve Patient Safety By Reducing Medication Problems At Home
The Center for Home Care Policy & Research, Visiting Nurse Service of New York (VNSNY) is launching a new study to test state-of-the art, information technology (IT) strategies that will alert home care nurses to patients at high risk for medication management problems so that they can take immediate action to prevent potentially serious harm from happening.

Because Of Homecare, Millions Will Share Thanksgiving At Home With Family - November Is National Homecare Month
Thanks to home medical equipment providers, millions of seniors and people with disabilities will share Thanksgiving and other holidays in the comfort of their homes. During November, which is National Homecare Month, the American Association for Homecare celebrates the thousands of dedicated professionals who provide cost-effective and consumer-preferred homecare.

IU Study Finds 25% Of Family Caregivers Of Alzheimer's Disease Patients Go To ER Or Are Hospitalized
One quarter of all family caregivers of Alzheimer's disease patients succumb to the stress of providing care to a loved one and become hospital patients themselves, according to an Indiana University study published in the November 2008 issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

Sir Michael Parkinson And Phil Hope Launch First Dignity In Care Award, UK
The first ever award which recognises people who treat patients with dignity and respect and who provide outstanding care is launched today by Sir Michael Parkinson and Care Services Minister Phil Hope. The People's Award for Dignity in Care is open to everyone. Anyone can nominate individuals or teams who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to improve patient dignity in care.

Award To HJF Nursing Specialist Recognizes Excellence In Caregiving
Christine M. Rupprecht, MSN, RN, nursing specialist for the Army's Regional Anesthesia & Pain Management Initiative at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, has won the prestigious Celina Field Caregiver Award by the National Pain Foundation (NPF). Ms. Rupprecht is an employee of The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc.

Dementia Load On Carers Lessened By Computerized COACH
An artificial intelligence coaching system has been developed that will help carers of older adults with moderate dementia. The COACH system (Cognitive Orthosis for Assisting aCtivities in the Home), described in the open access journal BMC Geriatrics, uses a camera and computer to deliver interactive advice - lessening the workload on often-overburdened carers.