Here to Serve Helps Families of the Critically Ill With Non-medical Assistance

Online, July 18, 2012 (Newswire.com) - Here to Serve is an innovative and emerging nonprofit based in Los Angeles that helps families, having loved ones who experience a life-threatening health crisis, with much needed non-medical assistance. One in five families in Los Angeles this year alone will struggle both emotionally and financially after a member suffers a life-threatening illness, an accident or violent crime that causes severe bodily injury.

"I am a mother and a wife who has been through life-threatening medical events with both my husband and son," said Here to Serve Founder/CEO Kathleen Quintas. "I understand the pain, the struggle, and feelings of helplessness that afflict these families who are trying to keep their life together as they care for a critically ill loved one. I saw a gap in coordinating resources and identifying and providing available services for families, and I felt it was my duty, even calling, to assist them."

Kathleen Quintas started Here to Serve to mobilize and organize friends, community members and organizations to provide targeted care to families caring for a critically ill loved one. Here to Serve identifies and targets organizations as well as organizes friends and community members to provide assistance to families dealing with a medical crisis. Every person and each organization is vetted by Here to Serve or the families themselves to provide the best non-medical assistance.

Here to Serve guides families through the maze of available social services, managed care organizations and resources, with their associated paper work, as well as responds to ever-changing family needs brought on by the medical crisis. The organization constantly assimilates new information to better assist the individual, family, and caregiver(s).

In a study of 500 caregivers conducted by Family Caregiver Alliance, 90% found care giving to be frustrating, draining, and painful. They also reported caregivers have increased stress within their families and have made substantial financial sacrifices. Half reported that their own health had deteriorated since becoming caregivers.

Research has also shown that 50% of caregivers indicate that they do not have time for themselves, nor do they get enough sleep. A third reported they were near burnout or experienced symptoms of depression. Additional studies have shown that caregivers have a 63% higher risk of mortality than others, even when adjusted for chronic disease and other risk factors. Some caregivers have died before the recipients in their care!

During a traumatic health crisis caregivers are often unable to predict impending needs and this can cause unforeseen stress as time goes on. Caregivers need support demystifying assistance programs, services and nonprofit organizations, as well as mobilizing and managing volunteers and resources. Here to Serve provides personalized service and an understanding of impending needs thereby helping to avoid mental and physical exhaustion along with the potential loss of job, home, career goals, financial solidity and emotional stability that can be experienced by the caregiver and family.

About Here to Serve
Here to Serve, a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit dedicated to collaboration and cooperation with the community and other nonprofit organizations, provides caregivers and their families the non-medical assistance they need when going through a life-threatening health crisis with a loved one. Inspired by the medical trials in her own family, Founder Kathleen Quintas started Here to Serve to mobilize the community and organizations to provide targeted care to families caring for a critically ill loved one. For more information please visit: http://www.heretoserve.org .