The month of November brings thoughts of political elections, veterans, Thanksgiving turkey and holiday shopping. November 2000 also is National Family Caregivers Month. Family caregivers are persons who provide care for a loved one who is chronically ill, disabled or frail. They provide approximately 90 percent of all long-term care services in America and can be found in every community. The numbers of caregivers in America is increasing as our population ages and as medical science continues to find ways to preserve and extend life, but support and education for family caregivers is lagging behind. This month is an opportunity to raise awareness and to honor, thank, support, assist, educate and celebrate our nation's more than 25 million family caregivers. It also is an opportunity to help family caregivers increase their self-esteem and provide education and services for them in communities across the country.

"Share the Caring" is the theme of the National Family Caregivers Association http://www.nfcacares.org/, acknowledging that caregiving is more than just a one-person job. The NFCA's Web site offers suggested activities to help individuals and organizations let family caregivers know they are valued and appreciated, and raise public awareness about caregiving issues that affect all of us. A media-communications kit including posters, buttons and educational materials supporting the Share the Caring theme has been developed by the association to help organizations enhance their planning activities. There also is a guide for congregations of all faiths to help support caregiving families.

The Family Caregiver Alliance http://www.caregiver.org/ is a support organization addressing the needs of families and friends providing long-term care by developing services, advocating for public and private support, conducting research and educating the public. The Web site features specialized information on Alzheimer's disease, stroke, traumatic brain injury, Parkinson's disease, ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease) and other disorders and long-term care concerns for families, caregivers, professionals, policy makers and the media.

The "Clearinghouse" provides research findings and trends, information on specific diagnosis of cognitive disorders, statistics on long-term care, recommended readings and a full listing of FCA publications, fact sheets and the FCA's quarterly newsletter. The "News Bureau" is an online resource to help reporters with background materials and interviews for stories. The "Interview" section provides monthly conversations that focus on the latest trends and discoveries with leaders in the fields of caregiving, clinical practice, research, law, ethics and public policy. Practical, hands-on information for caregivers can be found in the "Resource Center" section, which provides online interactive services including a support group for caregivers, problem solving consultation and "Ask FCA."

CareThere http://carethere.com/ is another useful organization-founded in 1999-that provides various tools and services that maintain independent function and promote healthy living. In "Get Informed," you can find medical, financial and legal resources to help answer questions you may have. You can learn how to create a support network in the "Find Support" section. Additionally, you can learn specifically what you can do to improve your and your loved one's health and independence in "Take Action."

For more sites on family caregiving, check out the Caregiver Health Links at http://www-hsl.mcmaster.ca/tomflem/caregiver.html provided by Tom Flemming, head of public services in the McMaster University Health Sciences Library in Hamilton, Ontario.

-Sue Neumeister and Lori Widzinski, University Libraries