Psychological, social, and health variables were compared in 175 Black and White family caregivers of patients with dementia and 175 Black and White noncaregivers. Caregivers and noncaregivers did not differ within race on demographic variables. Caregiving was associated with increased depression and decreased life satisfaction only in White families. However, caregiving appears to have similar social consequences for Black and White families, including restriction of social activity and increased visits and support by family from outside of the home. Race, but not caregiving, was associated with physical health variables. Methodological issues in comparing well-being in Black and White caregivers, in particular the importance of including noncaregiving comparison subjects are discussed.

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Context: Out-of-pocket expenditure on health in India is high. Many people including persons with disability (PwD) face catastrophic health expenditure. Health insurance is a promising strategy to overcome this burden. Swavlamban was the first health insurance for PwD which also covered mental illness. We conducted regular camps at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) for enrollment in the scheme. In this study, we present the features of the scheme and the sociodemographic profile of beneficiaries enrolled. Aims: To describe the experience of conducting enrollment camps for the Swavlamban Health Insurance scheme at NIMHANS and the sociodemographic profile of beneficiaries enrolled. Settings and Design: The study comprised all PwD and their family members enrolled in the Swavlamban through the camps conducted at NIMHANS from May 2016 to April 2017. Results: A total of 1248 persons were enrolled, of which 643 were PwD. The beneficiaries (PwD) were predominantly male (69%), with a mean age of 31 years, from Bengaluru (84%), and majority had disability due to mental retardation (43%). Although camps were conducted in mental hospital and publicized among mental health professionals, only 135 persons disabled with mental illness (21% of PwD beneficiaries) were enrolled. Conclusions: Mental health professionals need to take the lead in coordinating with various stakeholders so that the PwD can avail health insurance and other welfare benefits. There is a need to lobby and advocate for making these schemes easily accessible.

Background: Numerous telephone calls for advice on diabetes-related issues are received by diabetes specialist nurses (DSNs), but resources required to deal with such calls are rarely formally identified. (27 h) during the month. Of the 386 calls, 6% were from general practitioners, 10% from practice nurses, 44% from patients, 4% from nursing homes, 4% from care providers/relatives and 32% from others (ward nurses, doctors, dietitians, district nurses, diabetes care technicians and other primary care trust staff). Conclusion:The helpline is heavily used and its impact on DSN workload is considerable. Appropriate resource allocation is necessary when planning for the future requirements of patients with diabetes.