MI Family Caregivers

[MI Family Caregivers]

Please feel free to share this with all caregivers that you know.
Don't forget to send an email to newl...@thefamilycaregiver.org to
sign up for TAKE CARE! electronic version.

We have submitted 2000 signatures to the US Postal Service and have a
long way to go, please help us to tell everyone that they can sign the
petition online at www.thefamilycaregiver.org. We need one million
signatures in order to have a Family Caregiver postage stamp released.
Thank you.
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A message from the National Family Caregivers Association
Encouraging Family Caregivers to Speak Up

December 2009 E-LETTER
TO NFCA ONLINE MEMBERS AND FRIENDS

This month find information on:
Make This the Month You Educate Yourself About Health Reform
You Can Still Learn How to Prevent Medication Mishaps
It’s Time to Evaluate Your Medicare Plan
What Are the Best Gifts for Family Caregivers?
NFCA Is Bringing TAKE CARE! Into the 21st Century
Support the U.S. Family Caregiver Postage Stamp Campaign: Include the
Petition in Your Holiday Cards
Volunteers Needed for Upcoming Studies
Take Care of Yourself This Holiday Season
Make This the Month You Educate Yourself About Health Reform

Results of a November Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Poll
show little movement in measures of public opinion about health reform
from recent months. Among the new findings from the November poll:
Assuring the availability of affordable plans ranked in the top three
priorities for Democrats, Republicans and independents while creating
a public option ranked near the bottom of this list among all three
groups. However, when asked if they favor or oppose having a public
plan to compete with private insurers, a substantial majority of
Americans (59%) say they support the idea.

The full question wording, results, charts and a brief on the poll can
be viewed online at http://www.kff.org/kaiserpolls/posr113009pkg.cfm.

The Kaiser Family Foundation has also updated its health reform
resources. The Foundation’s interactive side-by-side comparison
includes the leading comprehensive reform proposals across a number of
key characteristics and plan components. The Foundation will make
updates as needed to reflect any amendments or other changes in the
pending legislation before Congress. Go to www.kff.org/healthreform/sidebyside.cfm.

After reviewing the available information and updates, Speak Up to
members of Congress by sharing your story and letting them know that
healthcare reform is good for family caregivers. For contact
information for your senators and representative, go to www.senate.gov
and www.house.gov.

You Can Still Learn How to Prevent Medication Mishaps
If you missed NFCA’s free teleclass/webinar on November 12, it’s not
too late to learn the tools you need to minimize the possibility that
you or your loved one will experience an adverse medication event.
NFCA’s program, “Safe & Sound: How to Prevent Medication Mishaps” is
available online through December 15. A downloadable toolkit is also
available.

There are approximately 100,000 deaths each year due to adverse drug
reactions. This program will help you understand when medication
problems are most likely to occur and what you can do to prevent them.
Don’t delay. You have until December 15 to listen to this important
program. Go to http://thefamilycaregiver.org/national_family_caregiver_month/teleclass.cfm.

It’s Time to Evaluate Your Medicare Plan
November 15 marked the beginning of this year’s Annual Coordinated
Election Period (ACEP), the period when you can change your Medicare
private drug plan (Part D) and/or your Medicare health plan choice
(Original Medicare or a Medicare private health plan — Part C) for the
following year.

Medicare offers a free online Web tool, Medicare Interactive, that
explains when people may enroll in a Medicare private plan and/or the
Medicare prescription drug benefit, as well as when they can change or
drop coverage. Medicare Interactive can be an invaluable tool for
helping patients and their family caregivers understand their rights
to Medicare-covered services and treatment. Go to http://www.medicareinteractive.org/.

What Are the Best Gifts for Family Caregivers?
Have your family members and friends been asking what gift you want
this holiday season? Are you looking for that perfect gift for another
family caregiver? Here are a few ideas that you may want to pass on to
others or use yourself:

Give a few hours of respite time.

Help decorate a family caregiver’s home for the holidays.

Help to address envelopes for holiday cards.

Offer comic relief! Tickets to a local comedy club, a funny movie to
view, or an amusing audio book are always welcome gifts.

Create a monthly calendar with 12 different family photos. This is a
wonderful keepsake that can also be used to keep track of appointments
and events.

A card of appreciation, a bouquet of flowers, or a bowl of fruit would
always brighten a family caregiver’s day.

For ideas about how to ask others for help year-round, go to
http://thefamilycaregiver.org/improving_caregiving/reach_out_for_help.cfm.

NFCA Is Bringing TAKE CARE! Into the 21st Century
NFCA is launching a new, easy-to-access version of our quarterly
publication, TAKE CARE! Starting with the spring 2010 issue, we will
launch an electronic version of TAKE CARE! that will appear in your e-
mail as a vibrant, interactive e-newsletter that provides you with
easy access to additional information and links to the resources that
can make your life a bit easier. This new electronic version of Take
Care! will automatically appear in your e-mail and you will be able to
print it out for free.

To ensure that you receive the electronic version of the newsletter,
you must send NFCA your e-mail address, even if you’ve submitted this
information to us previously. Don’t delay. Send an e-mail today to
newsl...@thefamilycaregiver.org.

Support the U.S. Family Caregiver Postage Stamp Campaign: Include the
Petition in Your Holiday Cards

Here’s a unique way to let your family, friends and associates support
your role as a family caregiver: Include a copy of the postage stamp
letter in all of your holiday cards this year. It’s simple, just go to
www.thefamilycaregiver.org/caregiverpetition/caregiverpetition.cfm,
print out the letter to the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee, and
include a copy of the letter in each of your holiday cards. We are in
need of 2,000 more signatures and you can help!

Upcoming Studies
The following information is provided as a public service. NFCA has no
connection to the studies or research programs publicized below and no
endorsement is implied.

Are you or a loved one taking a blood thinner for a heart condition?
People on blood thinners with certain heart conditions like atrial
fibrillation (afib), are at serious risk for heart attack or stroke.
Blood thinners help prevent strokes and heart attacks but they are
difficult to manage. Researchers are working to develop alternative
blood-thinning medications.

A clinical research study is being conducted to see if an
investigational drug can be approved so that people in the future may
have more treatment options when it comes to blood thinners. Should
you take part in this study, you may receive: Study-related health
assessments and exams under the supervision of a local study doctor;
investigational study medication at no cost; and potential
compensation for your time and travel. To learn more, visit
http://www.livingwithafib.com/.

Are You Caring for a Loved One with Heart Failure?
Are you over 60 and caring for a loved one with heart failure? Talk
about your experience and earn $50!

Oregon Center for Applied Science is developing a DVD to help seniors
who care for a senior who has heart failure. This is part of a
research study funded by the National Institute of Aging. Researchers
are interviewing caregivers about how to make their lives easier. The
interview takes about an hour. Your input may help other caregivers
take better care of their loved ones and themselves!

If you qualify and you would like to share your experiences and ideas,
please call Ellen at 541/284-5183 or 866/730-3211. Or send an e-mail
to esi...@orcasinc.com

Take Care of Yourself This Holiday Season
NFCA wants to remind you that during this season of giving, make sure
you give yourself a gift.
Believe in Yourself: Recognize your strengths and limitations. Doing
so will help you set goals and boundaries for yourself and your loved
one.
Protect Your Health: Maintain your physical and emotional health and
well-being. Your good health is the greatest gift you can give your
loved one and your entire family.
Reach Out For Help: Reach out and ask for help during this holiday
season. This is never a sign of weakness; rather, it demonstrates
strength and a keen awareness of your own abilities and sense of self.
Speak Up for Your Rights: As a family caregiver, you do have rights —
to help, information, respite, resources, and much more. Don’t be
afraid to Speak Up.

To learn more about believing in and taking care of yourself, go to
http://thefamilycaregiver.org/improving_caregiving.

From all of us at NFCA, best wishes for a safe and joyful holiday
season.

PLEASE FORWARD THIS E-LETTER ALONG TO YOUR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS and
ENCOURAGE ALL THE FAMILY CAREGIVERS YOU KNOW TO JOIN THE NFCA
COMMUNITY OF CAREGIVERS. THERE IS NO COST! Just click here: http//
www.thefamilycaregiver.org
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NFCA 1-800-896-3650

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National Family Caregivers Association
10400 Connecticut Avenue
Suite 500
Kensington, Maryland 20895

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