ABCD Exchange : May 1999 : QuickScan - News in Brief

Upfront - Assessment Tools
President's Letter - Profits and Patients
On the Hill - Conquering Pain
Resources - Death with Dignity Opens in D.C.
Gatherings - Storytelling : Grieving and Growing
Resources - Pediatric Pain Relief and Palliative Care

News and Notes on End-of-Life Care

Washington, DC - A new study from the Alzheimer’s Association reports that informal family caregivers contribute $196 billion to the health care system. The study describes the "invisible" health care sector of family and friends, whose contribution far exceeds the cost of formal home health care ($36 billion) and nursing home care ($83 billion). The group presented the data to congressional staff to underscore the need to act on legislation that would support families. The study, "Economic Value of Informal Caregiving in the United States, by States," and data can be read at the Alzheimer’s Association site.

New York - The Project On Death in America (PDIA) has a new request for proposals for projects to enhance community support for grief and bereavement. The program hopes to "enhance the capacity of individuals and of communities to grieve and to support one another in the experience of grief." Preference will be given to groups that use trained volunteers and to those that demonstrate cultural competence and awareness. Proposals for the second cycle are due by September 15. For more information, visit PDIA on the web or fax a request to the PDIA Community Initiative at 212.548.4613.

Washington, DC - Journalists are often accused of invading individuals’ privacy in the wake of public tragedy; writers in The Washington Post and syndicated columnists claimed that in Littleton, grief counselors did the same. While pundits blasted grief counselors, the Hospice Foundation of America responded to the tragedy by donating books and brochures to every school counselor in the state, to state hospices and community mental health organizations, and to the Jefferson County School District. HFA worked with the American School Counselor Association and the Colorado Hospice Organization. According to HFA president, Jack Gordon, "It’s our hope that these resources will supplement the important work being done by people throughout the state of Colorado."

Cyberspace - Cancer patients and their families can find good advice at a new web site on cancer fatigue, a side effect of cancer and its treatment that affects three-quarters of all cancer patients. Fatigue is a debilitating, yet is often misunderstood or untreated. At www.cancerfatigue.org, visitors can post questions to oncology nurses; learn more about the causes, symptoms and management of cancer fatigue; and find educational events in their communities.

The Center for Jewish Ethics of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College is developing a manual for family caregivers, health care providers, rabbis and chaplains to help them understand end-of-life decision making from a Jewish perspective. To increase the usefulness of the guide, the group asks clinicians to respond to a short survey at its website, www.gse.upenn.edu. Respondents will receive a free copy of the book.

<<< Previous Next >>> [ Go Up ]


This content is provided by Americans for Better Care of the Dying. For more information, visit www.abcd-caring.org.