Friday Five Helps Family Caregivers

The Friday Five is our weekly roundup of links to smart articles and helpful resources across the Web.

1. Check out the latest edition of our Living with Serious Illness newsletter. Our monthly e-newsletter focuses on offering helpful tips about family caregiving. Subscribe to the e-newsletter to receive it in your inbox every month.

2. It's not uncommon for a family member to reduce their work hours, or leave the workforce altogether, to care for an ailing family member. Reduce the economic strain on your family by looking into financial assistance or benefits for family caregivers. There are some federal and state programs in place that compensate family caregivers. The AARP Caregiving Resource Center can help get you started on your research.

3. If you were a fan of the essay, "How Doctors Die," then you might enjoy this piece from Shannon Brownlee for TIME Ideas. In her article, "What Doctors Know--and We Can Learn--About Dying," she looks at the issue from the perspective of advance directives, considers why doctors choose to "do everything" for a patient, and what she would choose for her own end of life. We need articles like these to further the discussion of how we prepare for the end of life in this country.

4. Here's a flyer from the Pima County Caregiver Education and Support Program. Tucson family caregivers might be interested in one of the program's support groups, practical skills classes, or find the respite program helpful.

5. Have you ever considered volunteering with a local organization? Casa de la Luz Hospice is honored to have more than 100 volunteers.  Together, these volunteers provide hours of service, offering companionship to patients, assisting with tasks in the office, and helping sit vigil with patients who are actively dying. Learn more about the volunteer program today.