When you are taking care of a loved one, you need to be able to communicate with the medical team. We know that balancing your loved one's daily needs and taking care of the rest of your family can be a challenge. Below are some links to resources that can be helpful to you.
For additional support we have researched and accumulated useful web links and listed them below:
CarePages.com
CarePages.com allows patients and families to create their own web pages to facilitate communication with loved ones during an illness. A new partnership between CarePages and the Schwartz Center complements the Schwartz Center's mission to advance compassionate health care. The Schwartz Center has created its own CarePage called "Compassionate Connections." This online community provides a forum for patients, families and caregivers to tell their stories about compassionate caregiving. The page also includes an interactive blog called "Bedside Manner," hosted by Executive Director Julie Rosen.
You can visit the Schwartz Center page at: http://www.carepages.com/compassionateconnections.
We hope you will share your story and join the conversation. http//www.carepages.com/
National Family Caregivers Association
The National Family Caregivers Association (NFCA) supports, empowers, educates, and speaks up for the more than 50 million Americans who care for a chronically ill, aged, or disabled loved one. NFCA reaches across the boundaries of different diagnoses, different relationships and different life stages to address the common needs and concerns of all family caregivers.
Share the Care
Share the Care is an organization that provides a model for group caregiving so that the burden does not fall on the shoulders of one or two individuals. It was inspired by the experience of the founder who was called on to gather a group of friends to find a way to help another friend cope with cancer.
Family Caregiver Alliance
Family Caregiver Alliance is a nonprofit organization that offers a wealth of information for families and friends caring for adults with chronic, disabling illnesses. Newsletters, fact sheets (many in Spanish and Chinese), online support groups, audio workshops, resource lists, policy updates, caregiver advice and more are available free of charge on the website.