United Hospital Fund

Finally, Some Help For Family Caregivers After Hospital Discharges

You are caring for a parent or spouse who is in the hospital.  At 9:00 AM, your loved is told she’s being discharged by Noon.  You had no idea this was coming. Worse, she’s going to have complex care needs—maybe wound care after surgery, or lots of medications to take on a complicated schedule. You have no idea what to [...]

By |2014-06-04T14:49:35-04:00June 4th, 2014|family caregivers, Hospitals|3 Comments

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

Half of Family Caregivers are Providing Nursing Services

Being a family caregiver is a lot harder than it used to be. Providing personal assistance, such as help eating or bathing, is tough enough. But now, many  family caregivers are acting more like nurses. They have to manage medications, change dressings on wounds, and even monitor and operate  medical equipment, from home dialysis to mechanical ventilators. According to a new survey by the AARP Public Policy Institute [...]

By |2012-10-05T20:09:54-04:00October 5th, 2012|Aging, aging in place, family caregivers|2 Comments