What Every Caregiver or Patient Advocate Should Know By: Kathy Mays Smith When taking care of a patient, ask yourself, “What would I want if I were that patient, and how would I like to be treated?” What Every Caregiver or Patient Advocate Should Know is a great guide for certified nursing assistants, nurses, medical staff, and family caregivers. It makes a difference in the quality of life of patients. It would be beneficial as a textbook to teach these individuals.

Family caregiving affects millions of Americans every day, in all walks of life. At least 17.7 million individuals in the United States are caregivers of an older adult with a health or functional limitation. The nation's family caregivers provide the lion's share of long-term care for our older adult population. They are also central to older adults' access to and receipt of health care and community-based social services. Yet the need to recognize and support caregivers is among the least appreciated challenges facing the aging U.S. population. Families Caring for an Aging America examines the prevalence and nature of family caregiving of older adults and the available evidence on the effectiveness of programs, supports, and other interventions designed to support family caregivers. This report also assesses and recommends policies to address the needs of family caregivers and to minimize the barriers that they encounter in trying to meet the needs of older adults.

Most of us are unprepared for medical crises. We go about our daily lives and dont give much thought to our ability to handle medical emergencies. Often we hear about afflictions that have affected people we know. Maybe we even have friends, family members and acquaintances that have had such experiences. However, never has the old adage, Out of sight, out of mind, had more relevance than it does when it comes to medical crises. All of this changed for my wife and me when she was diagnosed with an invasive bladder cancer in early 2010. We were hit between the eyes with the shocking news. There were decisions to be made, research that needed doing, and very little time in which to accomplish it all. She would need surgery. This book is a memoir of our experiences and the lessons that I learned through several surgeries and a prolonged hospital stay. It is written through my perspective as the primary caregiver. It will help you in your role as a caregiver. I am sure that my male perspective is apparent. However, regardless of your sex, there are lessons to be learned to help better prepare you. The timeline of the book begins with the day of the diagnosis and ends with the recovery once we were back home after a twenty seven day stay in the hospital. During this period, I learned to be an advocate. There are important lessons here for anyone who is facing a similar situation. I did not have any medical background prior to this experience. Both my wife and I were healthy 59 year olds. Nor did my professional life prepare me for the emotional and spiritual issues that are discus in the memoir. My sole purpose in publishing my thoughts, feelings, and actions throughout our crisis is to help others when they are facing similar situations. Our hospital stay was prolonged and we had to deal with several mistakes that were made. I discuss them candidly, not for the reason of pointing fingers or establishing blame, but instead, because I believe that they will better prepare you, as a caregiver, for dealing with your loved ones crisis. Like it or not, as a caregiver you have some awesome responsibilities that will definitely affect your loved ones recovery. The research you do, the connections that you make to help you advocate, the tactics you ploy to gain information, and the continual support and affection that you give, will make a difference. This book shares all of my personal experiences with you, the reader. As you read, try not to compare your situation or my personal life with yours. Instead, try to relate to my experiences. Look for commonalities rather than differences. By doing so, I believe that you will be better prepared for logically and emotionally helping your loved one achieve a full and healthy recovery. Although you are not the person who is ill, you will be challenged emotionally, physically, and even spiritually. The extent to which you are on guard and prepared to handle these challenges will affect the experience of your loved one. Again, this is the sole purpose of the book: to better prepare you to help you loved one get better. I wish you and your loved one the best. You become an advocate on the day of diagnosis. From that point on, its no longer about you, its about helping your loved one get better. Theres another old adage that says, This too shall pass. I, sincerely, wish that you crisis will pass uneventfully and successfully. Best Wishes, Peter G. Christie

Learn how to start and grow a private practice as a health or patient advocate or care manager.

"Nurses play a vital role in improving the safety and quality of patient car -- not only in the hospital or ambulatory treatment facility, but also of community-based care and the care performed by family members. Nurses need know what proven techniques and interventions they can use to enhance patient outcomes. To address this need, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), with additional funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, has prepared this comprehensive, 1,400-page, handbook for nurses on patient safety and quality -- Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses. (AHRQ Publication No. 08-0043)." - online AHRQ blurb, http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/nurseshdbk/

As a contribution to the emerging healthcare quality movement, Patient Advocacy for Healthcare Quality: Strategies for Achieving Patient-Centered Care is distinct from any others of its kind in its focus on the consumer’s perspective and in its emphasis on how advocacy can influence change at multiple social levels. This introductory volume synthesizes patient advocacy from a multi-level approach and is an ideal text for graduate and professional students in schools of public health, nursing and social work.

I wrote The Patient Advocate's Handbook, a content-rich, easy-to-use, quick reference patient advocacy book to offer you, the patient advocate, concise explanations, options and suggestions, which will help you learn about and cope with many of the unfamiliar, but common healthcare issues most patient advocates and their families face at the hospital and at home. This patient advocate book discusses common situations created by illness and recovery to offer relevant information when you need it, so your increased familiarity with healthcare issues as an informed patient advocate will lead to better results for your loved one. Keep this handbook with you to optimize the hospital stay and to have a more effective experience as an advocate and caregiver for your loved one's healthcare at the hospital and at home. James Thomas Williams