Role of Caregivers, Medical Homes, Dear Abby, and the Compassionate Friends

Here's another round-up of a few interesting items:

• From the caregiverunderground blog, a post about how family members often don't label themselves caregivers when providing support for a dying relative.

  To those of us helping our loved one through difficult times, a caregiver is someone you hire to help if don’t have the time or skills to care for your loved one. I remember early on my aunt said, “have you seen or read the caregiver book I got during Bill’s illness?” Why would I need to read such a book, I was her niece helping her because I had the time and I loved her. I was not her caregiver. It really did not hit me until about 6 months in that I realized, but never verbalized, that I was her primary caregiver.



• Friday's Dear Abby column included a letter offering advice to those visiting a terminally ill patient, that offers some good suggestions.


• This Boston Globe article discusses the evolving role of a medical home, and discusses pilot projects being tried.

  When the medical home was first conceived by pediatricians about four decades ago, doctors thought it would most help patients with complex or chronic problems. Tests in several practices nationwide found that these patients treated in medical homes more often got needed care promptly, hospitalization rates dropped and patient satisfaction rose.
  
  Still, the concept didn't gain much traction until the last four years, when organizations representing 333,000 doctors, including many of the nation's primary care physicians, endorsed the medical home for all patients.



• The Compassionate Friends, a national support group which assist families following the death of a child at any age, has an upcoming conference in Nashville on July 18-20.