Friday Five: Caring For Others

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

1. We're a little biased, but we love this video story from our nurse Carrie Landau. She shared it a while back with Hospice Action Network, and we love hearing about how patients benefit with the support of a hospice team member. Thanks to Carrie and all the other hospice nurses out there caring for patients at the end of life.

2. This blog post, "At the end of life, never underestimate the power of a map," on popular medical blog site, kevinmd.com, is a great story of why patients, families, and physicians need to have open and honest conversations about health status and prognosis. The end of life is an unfamiliar journey, and our patients and families rely on us to guide them through this journey. And, that honesty is what will give more individuals the opportunity to experience the end of life according to their personal wishes.

3. If you're just beginning the journey of caring for an elderly or ill loved one, you might appreciate this Prepare to Care resource guide from AARP. The guide is a downloadable pdf and is split into five sections: Start the Conversation, Form Your Team, Make a Plan, Find Support, and Care for Yourself. While you're on the AARP site, you might consider poking around the Caregiving section to find additional resources.

4. Support groups can be helpful resources for individuals living with an illness or for family caregivers. It can be therapeutic to share your experiences with others who are in a similar situation, and perhaps share helpful suggestions or other resources. However, due to illness or caregiving responsibilities, it can also be difficult to meet with a group in person. Our online support group directory offers a list of ways you can still receive the support of other individuals on your own time schedule.

5. Articles about family caregivers often focus on either the good or more often, the bad. This CNN article, "Caregiver lives rerouted yet enriched by aging parents" provides both perspectives on family caregiving. It's a reminder that there are pros and cons to family caregiving--exhaustion, financial constraints, but also the opportunity to connect with one another.