An online resource for America’s caregivers -- Ask Medicare

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September 22, 5:33 PM

by Angela Spears, Health Examiner

 

 

Caregivers are family, friends, and neighbors 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has launched a new online site Ask Medicare, a new initiative to help family caregivers –those who are family members or friends who help people with Medicare -- access and use valuable healthcare information, services, publications and resources.

The Ask Medicare Web site was designed with family caregivers in mind. More than 44 million Americans, about one in five adults, provide care to a loved one, friend or neighbor, valued in economic terms at $350 billion annually, according to a recent report by AARP.  The new site provides credible and easy access to useful information, tools and materials for caregivers as well as helping beneficiaries make better use of Medicare and other essential resources.

 Who are America’s family caregivers? Most caregivers do not think of or identify themselves as caregivers. It's a complicated question and answers may vary depending upon whom you ask. Physicians may give an answer different from social workers and researchers may undoubtedly quote statistics. America's family caregivers are family, friends, partners, and neighbors and many of the resources available to them use that term. If a person helping someone on Medicare does not relate to the term ‘caregiver,’ they may miss out on available resources. 

The Ask Medicare Web site will provide links to key partner organizations; including HHS’ Administration on Aging, AARP, and the National Alliance for Caregiving, that assist caregivers and beneficiaries, and present personal stories from caregivers in the community.  Support information and tools to help caregivers address common problems will also be available.  As part of the initiative, CMS will launch an e-newsletter for caregivers. This newsletter is specifically designed to provide the latest information on Medicare and vital information to caregivers.

November is National Family Caregivers Association (NFCA) month and is a nationally recognized month that seeks to draw attention to the many challenges facing family caregivers, advocate for stronger public policy to address family care giving issues, and raise awareness about community programs that support family caregivers. In honor of NFCA’s 15th Anniversary, NFCA is hosting a free Family Caregiver Teleclass to teach family caregivers how to improve their communication with healthcare professionals and become better healthcare advocates for themselves and their loved ones. The two one-hour educational sessions will be available by telephone and Web on Thursday, November 6th and 13th at 2:00 p.m. Eastern time. Register here. 
 

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