NFCA August 2009 Newsletter
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MI Family Caregivers
Aug 4, 2009, 9:26:47 AM8/4/09
to MIfamilycaregivers
A message from the National Family Caregivers Association
Encouraging Family Caregivers to Speak Up
August 2009 E-LETTER
TO NFCA ONLINE MEMBERS AND FRIENDS
This month find information on:
Make This the Month You Speak Up for Healthcare Reform Legislation
New Ratings for America’s Hospitals Now Available
Medicare Pays for Some Family Caregiver Education
Help Guide the National MS Society
Online Resource Helps Guide Conversations About Alzheimer’s Disease
Mark Your Calendar: Upcoming Conferences
Don’t Miss the Summer Issue of TAKE CARE!
Make This the Month You Speak Up for Healthcare Reform Legislation
The congressional August recess has begun and your senators and
representatives are at home listening to what their constituents have
to say about healthcare reform.
There is a great deal of misinformation out there — much of it
promulgated by opponents of healthcare reform. Don’t be fooled! While
it may not be perfect, the healthcare reform legislation being
proposed will significantly help families like yours — families that
are coping with chronic illnesses and disabilities. It will ensure
that your loved one doesn’t lose coverage because of a preexisting
condition, and it will provide better coordination and lower costs,
too. In addition, every major piece of reform legislation before the
House and Senate includes some benefits for family caregivers. Don’t
miss this opportunity to have family caregivers recognized as key
players in the care of their loved ones.
Let your senators and representative know that you are in favor of
healthcare reform to improve the care of persons with chronic
conditions and disabilities and to lower healthcare costs.
To get contact information for your senators and representatives, go
to www.house.gov and www.senate.gov. Find out if they are having any
town hall meetings or teleconferences and try to participate.
New Ratings for America’s Hospitals Now Available
Important new information has been added to the Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Hospital Compare Web site to report how
frequently patients return to a hospital after being discharged, a
possible indicator of how well the facility did the first time around.
The site is www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov.
On average, one in five Medicare beneficiaries discharged from a
hospital today will re-enter the hospital within a month. Hospital
Compare now provides better data on the previously posted mortality
rates for individual hospitals, as well as the new data on 30-day
readmissions for heart attack, heart failure, and pneumonia.
The information found on Hospital Compare is intended to empower
patients and their families with information they need to engage their
local hospitals and physicians in active discussions about quality of
care. CMS urges consumers not to view any one outcome measure as a
tool to “shop” for a hospital, but, rather, to gather information from
multiple sources when choosing a hospital. In an emergency situation,
patients should always go to the nearest, most easily accessible
facility.
Medicare Pays for Some Family Caregiver Education
Did you know that Medicare will pay for certain types of family
caregiver education when it’s provided as part of a patient’s
medically-necessary face-to-face visit? It’s true; although your loved
one’s physician may not be aware of it.
A physician may be able to bill for family caregiver education as part
of the counseling and coordination of care services provided during a
patient visit, as long as the caregiver education directly involves
the patient and is medically necessary. This education can take place
in a doctor’s office or other outpatient facility, a patient’s home or
private residence, or an assisted living facility or other domicile.
Medicare’s new publication “Tip Sheet for Providers: Caregiving
Education” can be found at www.cms.hhs.gov/Partnerships/downloads/ProviderBillingforCaregiverEducation.pdf.
Download a copy for yourself and be sure to share the information with
your loved one’s physician.
Help Guide the National MS Society
The National MS Society is in the process of gathering information
that will help the organization understand what needs to happen to
help people affected by MS keep moving their lives forward. This data
will help guide the Society’s direction for the next five years. If
you are a family caregiver for a loved one with MS, you are encouraged
to take a few minutes to complete a confidential online survey. Your
input is invaluable. The results of the survey will be posted on the
National MS Society Web site in a few months. Go to www.nationalmssociety.org/srsurvey.
Online Resource Helps Guide Conversations About Alzheimer’s Disease
The Alzheimer’s Disease Screening Discussion Group (ADSDG), a multi-
disciplinary panel of experts in aging and senior health sponsored by
Eisai Inc. and Pfizer Inc., is calling upon family and friends to
begin a dialogue with loved ones, the potential patient, and a
physician at the first sign of possible Alzheimer’s disease symptoms.
To that end, a new resource that is now available to family caregivers
and their loved ones is www.youcanbetheone.com.
The Web site highlights vital conversations that should take place
between physicians, patients and family members when Alzheimer’s
disease is suspected, and also offers various tools to help facilitate
the dialogue, including a symptom screener and tracker.
The Web site is designed to empower family caregivers to take action
with regard to the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease as
soon as symptoms are noticed. To learn more, go to www.youcanbetheone.com.
Mark Your Calendar: Upcoming Conferences
Conference on Patient- and Family-Centered Care
The Institute for Family-Centered Care 4th International Conference on
Patient- and Family-Centered Care will be held August 17-19 in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The conference will showcase innovative
programs that are dedicated to collaboration among health
professionals, patients, and families. The conference will provide
opportunities to address emerging issues in patient- and family-
centered care. To learn more or to register, go to
www.familycenteredcare.org/events/conference.html.
Peer/Consumer Mental Health Conference
The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA), the nation’s
leading patient-directed organization focusing on the most prevalent
mental illnesses, will host its national conference, “Peer
Connections,” September 10-13 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The conference
will offer consumers, family members, friends and providers peer-
centered presentations and educational workshops led by renowned
mental health experts and educators, distinguished authors, and
innovative advocates. To learn more or to register, visit
www.DBSAlliance.org/Conference2009, download the conference brochure
(PDF), or call 800/826-3632.
Don’t Miss the Summer Issue of TAKE CARE!
Do you want to know more about discharge planning? Are you having a
hard time asking for the help you need? Read about these important
topics and more in the summer issue of TAKE CARE!, now available
online at www.thefamilycaregiver.org.
NFCA understands that many of our members don’t have access to the
Internet. If you know someone who will be unable to access our summer
issue online, please consider printing it out and sharing it with
them.
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
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NFCA 1-800-896-3650
To unsubscribe/change profile: click here.
To subscribe: click here.
National Family Caregivers Association
10400 Connecticut Avenue
Suite 500
Kensington, Maryland 20895
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Email list management powered by http://MailerMailer.com
Encouraging Family Caregivers to Speak Up
August 2009 E-LETTER
TO NFCA ONLINE MEMBERS AND FRIENDS
This month find information on:
Make This the Month You Speak Up for Healthcare Reform Legislation
New Ratings for America’s Hospitals Now Available
Medicare Pays for Some Family Caregiver Education
Help Guide the National MS Society
Online Resource Helps Guide Conversations About Alzheimer’s Disease
Mark Your Calendar: Upcoming Conferences
Don’t Miss the Summer Issue of TAKE CARE!
Make This the Month You Speak Up for Healthcare Reform Legislation
The congressional August recess has begun and your senators and
representatives are at home listening to what their constituents have
to say about healthcare reform.
There is a great deal of misinformation out there — much of it
promulgated by opponents of healthcare reform. Don’t be fooled! While
it may not be perfect, the healthcare reform legislation being
proposed will significantly help families like yours — families that
are coping with chronic illnesses and disabilities. It will ensure
that your loved one doesn’t lose coverage because of a preexisting
condition, and it will provide better coordination and lower costs,
too. In addition, every major piece of reform legislation before the
House and Senate includes some benefits for family caregivers. Don’t
miss this opportunity to have family caregivers recognized as key
players in the care of their loved ones.
Let your senators and representative know that you are in favor of
healthcare reform to improve the care of persons with chronic
conditions and disabilities and to lower healthcare costs.
To get contact information for your senators and representatives, go
to www.house.gov and www.senate.gov. Find out if they are having any
town hall meetings or teleconferences and try to participate.
New Ratings for America’s Hospitals Now Available
Important new information has been added to the Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Hospital Compare Web site to report how
frequently patients return to a hospital after being discharged, a
possible indicator of how well the facility did the first time around.
The site is www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov.
On average, one in five Medicare beneficiaries discharged from a
hospital today will re-enter the hospital within a month. Hospital
Compare now provides better data on the previously posted mortality
rates for individual hospitals, as well as the new data on 30-day
readmissions for heart attack, heart failure, and pneumonia.
The information found on Hospital Compare is intended to empower
patients and their families with information they need to engage their
local hospitals and physicians in active discussions about quality of
care. CMS urges consumers not to view any one outcome measure as a
tool to “shop” for a hospital, but, rather, to gather information from
multiple sources when choosing a hospital. In an emergency situation,
patients should always go to the nearest, most easily accessible
facility.
Medicare Pays for Some Family Caregiver Education
Did you know that Medicare will pay for certain types of family
caregiver education when it’s provided as part of a patient’s
medically-necessary face-to-face visit? It’s true; although your loved
one’s physician may not be aware of it.
A physician may be able to bill for family caregiver education as part
of the counseling and coordination of care services provided during a
patient visit, as long as the caregiver education directly involves
the patient and is medically necessary. This education can take place
in a doctor’s office or other outpatient facility, a patient’s home or
private residence, or an assisted living facility or other domicile.
Medicare’s new publication “Tip Sheet for Providers: Caregiving
Education” can be found at www.cms.hhs.gov/Partnerships/downloads/ProviderBillingforCaregiverEducation.pdf.
Download a copy for yourself and be sure to share the information with
your loved one’s physician.
Help Guide the National MS Society
The National MS Society is in the process of gathering information
that will help the organization understand what needs to happen to
help people affected by MS keep moving their lives forward. This data
will help guide the Society’s direction for the next five years. If
you are a family caregiver for a loved one with MS, you are encouraged
to take a few minutes to complete a confidential online survey. Your
input is invaluable. The results of the survey will be posted on the
National MS Society Web site in a few months. Go to www.nationalmssociety.org/srsurvey.
Online Resource Helps Guide Conversations About Alzheimer’s Disease
The Alzheimer’s Disease Screening Discussion Group (ADSDG), a multi-
disciplinary panel of experts in aging and senior health sponsored by
Eisai Inc. and Pfizer Inc., is calling upon family and friends to
begin a dialogue with loved ones, the potential patient, and a
physician at the first sign of possible Alzheimer’s disease symptoms.
To that end, a new resource that is now available to family caregivers
and their loved ones is www.youcanbetheone.com.
The Web site highlights vital conversations that should take place
between physicians, patients and family members when Alzheimer’s
disease is suspected, and also offers various tools to help facilitate
the dialogue, including a symptom screener and tracker.
The Web site is designed to empower family caregivers to take action
with regard to the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease as
soon as symptoms are noticed. To learn more, go to www.youcanbetheone.com.
Mark Your Calendar: Upcoming Conferences
Conference on Patient- and Family-Centered Care
The Institute for Family-Centered Care 4th International Conference on
Patient- and Family-Centered Care will be held August 17-19 in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The conference will showcase innovative
programs that are dedicated to collaboration among health
professionals, patients, and families. The conference will provide
opportunities to address emerging issues in patient- and family-
centered care. To learn more or to register, go to
www.familycenteredcare.org/events/conference.html.
Peer/Consumer Mental Health Conference
The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA), the nation’s
leading patient-directed organization focusing on the most prevalent
mental illnesses, will host its national conference, “Peer
Connections,” September 10-13 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The conference
will offer consumers, family members, friends and providers peer-
centered presentations and educational workshops led by renowned
mental health experts and educators, distinguished authors, and
innovative advocates. To learn more or to register, visit
www.DBSAlliance.org/Conference2009, download the conference brochure
(PDF), or call 800/826-3632.
Don’t Miss the Summer Issue of TAKE CARE!
Do you want to know more about discharge planning? Are you having a
hard time asking for the help you need? Read about these important
topics and more in the summer issue of TAKE CARE!, now available
online at www.thefamilycaregiver.org.
NFCA understands that many of our members don’t have access to the
Internet. If you know someone who will be unable to access our summer
issue online, please consider printing it out and sharing it with
them.
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
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NFCA 1-800-896-3650
To unsubscribe/change profile: click here.
To subscribe: click here.
National Family Caregivers Association
10400 Connecticut Avenue
Suite 500
Kensington, Maryland 20895
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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