Carol Levine

Long-Term Care: A Forgotten Issue in the Presidential Campaign

With the presidential election in less than two weeks, consumers, advocates, and providers should pay attention to what Barack Obama and Mitt Romney would do about long-term supports and services for the frail elderly and younger people with disabilities. It is hard to know for sure, because neither man has said much. Yet, between the lines, there are important messages. [...]

We Need Better Ways to Train and Support Family Caregivers

Last week, I wrote about an important new survey of family caregivers that shows nearly half are performing work that is often done by nurses, such as managing medications, caring for wounds, and operating medical equipment. The report, by AARP and United Hospital Fund, sheds important light on the often unrecognized role of these family caregivers. And it raises a critical question: [...]

By |2012-10-12T15:57:59-04:00October 12th, 2012|family caregivers, long term care reform|5 Comments

Authors To Discuss the Challenges of Family Caregiving

On Thursday, I'll be participating in an ambitous program sponsored by AARP where  10 authors will discuss their experiences and views about the challenges of family caregiving. Most of us have had the personal experience of caring for family members and know about the subject first-hand. Some of our books, such as my own Caring for Our Parents, use the personal stories of caregivers to describe the nation's [...]

By |2011-11-28T19:17:29-05:00November 28th, 2011|family caregivers|2 Comments

Family Caregivers: The Real Medical Homes

Those of us who are caring for our parents or other loved ones know how tough it is. The emotional, physical, and financial burdens are sometimes overwhelming. Bathing your father or changing his adult diaper puts both of you in a new, uncomfortable, and difficult world. But at a Syracuse University long-term care conference I attended last Thursday and Friday, Carol Levine reminded me about the medical expertise caregivers [...]