Family caregiving affects millions of Americans every day, in all walks of life. At least 17.7 million individuals in the United States are caregivers of an older adult with a health or functional limitation. The nation's family caregivers provide the lion's share of long-term care for our older adult population. They are also central to older adults' access to and receipt of health care and community-based social services. Yet the need to recognize and support caregivers is among the least appreciated challenges facing the aging U.S. population. Families Caring for an Aging America examines the prevalence and nature of family caregiving of older adults and the available evidence on the effectiveness of programs, supports, and other interventions designed to support family caregivers. This report also assesses and recommends policies to address the needs of family caregivers and to minimize the barriers that they encounter in trying to meet the needs of older adults.

"Nurses play a vital role in improving the safety and quality of patient car -- not only in the hospital or ambulatory treatment facility, but also of community-based care and the care performed by family members. Nurses need know what proven techniques and interventions they can use to enhance patient outcomes. To address this need, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), with additional funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, has prepared this comprehensive, 1,400-page, handbook for nurses on patient safety and quality -- Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses. (AHRQ Publication No. 08-0043)." - online AHRQ blurb, http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/nurseshdbk/

As the population of older adults in the U.S. continues to grow, medical house calls are increasingly part of a system of comprehensive home-based care for patients who have difficulty accessing office-.based care. Clinicians who have been trained mostly in office and hospital settings must adapt their usual approaches to accommodate a wide range of environmental, social, and physical circumstances that impact home-limited patients. Ideally, a comprehensive team of clinicians proficient in multiple domains of functional, social, and medical care can work together to address potential gaps in any one clinician’s expertise. Unfortunately, such teams are still rare. This book aims to equip individual clinicians with the interdisciplinary knowledge, skills, and perspective they need to provide the best care possible with limited formal interdisciplinary support. This book offers 20 patient cases drawn from the collective experience of experts in home-based medical care from highly respected academic and clinical programs across the United States. Each case demonstrates a scenario that is frequently encountered and/or very important in home-based medical care practice. Each scenario frequently proves to be challenging for many professionals because it requires an approach or leverages aspects of care delivery that most are not trained in. Additionally, each scenario reflects an approach to care that is enhanced by interdisciplinary input. Finally, each case lends itself to a practical problem-solving approach that could be accomplished by most home-based medical care providers, even in the absence of an interdisciplinary team. Written by interdisciplinary experts in geriatric home-based care, this book serves as both an educational tool for learners in all related disciplines as well as a quick reference for experienced clinicians looking to augment their existing house call “toolbox.”

As the first of the nation's 78 million baby boomers begin reaching age 65 in 2011, they will face a health care workforce that is too small and woefully unprepared to meet their specific health needs. Retooling for an Aging America calls for bold initiatives starting immediately to train all health care providers in the basics of geriatric care and to prepare family members and other informal caregivers, who currently receive little or no training in how to tend to their aging loved ones. The book also recommends that Medicare, Medicaid, and other health plans pay higher rates to boost recruitment and retention of geriatric specialists and care aides. Educators and health professional groups can use Retooling for an Aging America to institute or increase formal education and training in geriatrics. Consumer groups can use the book to advocate for improving the care for older adults. Health care professional and occupational groups can use it to improve the quality of health care jobs.

Finding the right fit to match aging adults with the best caregiver to assist them in their home can be fraught with challenge. In today’s pressurized world, the process involves overstressed family members and a shortage of great caregivers. So many adult children are seeking a helping hand and a friendly, experienced voice to guide them through this emotionally charged rite of passage. Aging with Care: Your Guide to Hiring and Managing Caregivers in the Home, takes a personal, professional, and sometimes humorous approach to the challenges, benefits, pitfalls and problems of hiring in-home caregivers. Here, two geriatric care experts explore the essential credentials and experience a home caregiver should have, pitfalls to avoid, hiring options and managing costs, and the decisions that go into finding the right fit for your loved one to be able to age in place. Sharing stories and insights from interviews with caregivers and elders, as well as industry experts, they walk you through the ins and outs, and provide you with the tools necessary to making the best care choices you can for the ones you love.

Cope with legal, financial, and medical issues Minimize anxiety and stress and make the later years golden Need help caring for an elderly loved one? This sensitive, reassuring guide provides strategies for assessing older persons' needs, arranging for care, ensuring their safety, and enhancing quality of life - all while respecting their dignity. You'll see how to manage physical disabilities and chronic health problems, evaluate nursing homes, and help elders control their destinies. The Dummies Way * Explanations in plain English * "Get in, get out" information * Icons and other navigational aids * Tear-out cheat sheet * Top ten lists * A dash of humor and fun

Biographical note: Sally Chivers is a Full Professor in the Departments of English and Gender & Women's Studies at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario, and a founding executive member of the Trent Centre for Aging and Society. Ulla Kriebernegg is an Associate Professor at the Center for Inter-American Studies of the University of Graz, Austria, and chair of the European Network in Aging Studies.

- UPDATED! New chapter organization breaks material into manageable portions, improving your ability to retain important information.

Your Complete Guide to Starting a Profitable Senior Home Care Business. A senior home care business offers you: Flexible hours. Be your own boss. A recession-proof business. Start on a shoestring. In this book, you'll discover: How to get started with just a few hundred dollars. How to price your services. How to get a steady stream of new customers. State-by-state licensing information. The 12 most in-demand services to offer. The 5 essential forms you'll need to succeed.

Cason, "shows how to care for an aging or infirm person in the comfort of their own home."