Caregivers of Those With Special Needs

Caregiving is an important responsibility that can only be replaced by self-care.  When there is a member of a family with special needs, it takes another family member to provide that self-care care through care-giving.

A care-giver will improve the quality of life and replace self-care by taking responsibility for the loved-one.

A caregiver will be faced with his own responsibility to self-care plus that of the family member with special needs.

For the caregiver there may be many challenges along the way. It is vital that the caregiver keeps a balance in his/her life to maintain health throughout.

Here are some tips from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) on how caregivers can help themselves and the loved one be safe and healthy throughout. The following topics are covered:

• Keeping informed
• Getting support
• Be an advocate
• Be empowering
• Keep balance in the family
• Take care of yourself

Click to read each in detail.

Cancer Drives Families Into Debt- A Charity Report

According to a charity report parents of children with cancer borrow money to make ends meet driving them into debt.

A survey carried out by the Children's Cancer Charity found that the illness has a major impact on finances and loss of earnings.

The survey involved 245 families; 76% reported that it had a major impact on their finances and 2 in 3 parents reported a loss in earnings.

Parents also reported a substantial amount of money spent on cancer related expenses each month.


Read more on this report.

This report is about children with cancer, but adults with cancer are affected financially too. Loss of income as a result of disability is common.

When we give gifts for health we are also contributing to the financial needs that often accompany ill health.

Estrogen Use Linked To Urinary Incontinence

According to a recent study women who use estrogen for 5 or more years have increased risk of developing urinary incontinence.

The study involved post-menopausal women who had not reported urinary incontinence. The women were from an ethnically diverse community in Baltimore, USA and were followed for 10 years.

46 reported using hormone therapy containing estrogen and 14 reported using hormone therapy containing estrogen for more than 5 years.

In 2004 28.1% of the women reported new incidences of urinary incontinence and 18.6% reported incontinence with functional loss.

Researchers say that those who reported use of estrogen for more than 5 years were linked to incontinence with condition-specific functional loss.

Not Enough Children Participate In Clinical Trials

To improve the participation rates ofchildren in clinical trials researchers and institutions need to do more.

According to a recent report only 30% of FDA approved medications have been studied on children.

One reason given was parents lack of awareness of the opportunities for their children.

As the report said only 16 % of adults know of opportunities for their children; although, 68% know about opportunities for themselves.

Researchers and institutions are taking the blame for not doing a good enough job to increase parents awareness.

To help pediatricians explain to parents the importance of children's involvement in medical research and to increase their awareness there is a webite:
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/childrenandclinicalstudies/index.php








Read more on this report.