Main description:

The Complete Directory for People with Chronic Illness provides a comprehensive overview of 80 chronic illnesses and information on condition-specific support services and resources. This new edition has been designed to offer assistance to all those involved in the chronic illness community, with resources for patients, families, healthcare professionals, and other caregivers. The National Center for Health Statistics defines a chronic illness as 'one lasting 3 months or more,' and surveys report that 125 million Americans currently suffer from a chronic illness, though this number is expected to reach 157 million by the year 2020. These conditions range from Addison's Disease and Fibromyalgia Syndrome to Parkinson's Disease, Visual Impairment, and much more. This directory will prove invaluable to all who deal with the many aspects of chronic disease. This edition has been significantly revised and contains over 10,000 updated and new listings, including an entirely new chapter on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. All listings include the name of the organization or publication, as well as mailing addresses, phone/fax numbers, email addresses, website information, and contact information for key executives. Brief descriptions and other details are also included, depending on the type of listing. The Complete Directory for People with Chronic Illness begins with an introduction to help users navigate this helpful guide, followed by three valuable elements: a Chronic Illness Body Chart, which includes a list of chronic illnesses and their relevant body systems; an article called 'Accepting and Coping with a Chronic Illness,' which discusses what those with chronic illnesses can expect on physical and emotional levels; and an article called 'Next Steps After Your Diagnosis,' which offers information and support in five parts. Following this introductory material, the 90 specific chronic illness chapters are arranged alphabetically by illness name. Chapters begin with an easy-to-understand description of the condition, including cause, symptoms and common treatment options. After each illness description, a variety of condition-specific resources are listed, including national associations, state agencies, libraries, resource centers, magazines, newsletters, pamphlets, research centers, books for adults, books for children, support groups, hotlines, audio and video resources, websites, and more. These listings include complete contact information with website and email addresses, where available. Most listings also feature key personnel and a brief description of the organization. Other information is offered based on the type of listing; for example, magazine entries often include frequency of publication, number of pages, and subscription cost, while association entries include year founded, number of members, and annual dues. Several supplemental chapters offer more resources for those in the chronic illness community. The General Resources chapter lists associations, state agencies, resource centers, support groups, and print and electronic resources that are non-specific to any condition. The Wish Foundations chapter contains listings for organizations who work to fulfill the wishes of children with chronic or terminal illness. Finally, a Death & Bereavement chapter offers support services for those who find themselves or a loved one close to death or in the grieving process. The last portion of The Complete Directory for People with Chronic Illness consists of two indexes: an Entry Name Index that alphabetically lists all entries in the book, followed by a Geographic Index that organizes all listings according to their geographic location. The Complete Directory for People with Chronic Illness is a time-saving and handy tool for those suffering from a chronic illness, as well as families, medical professionals, teachers, social workers, mental health professionals, and hospice providers. This guide, saving hours of internet search time, is a valuable asset to the collections of larger public and academic libraries. With this new edition, everyone involved in caring for those with chronic illness can have, at their fingertips, access to the thousands of important resources available to help individuals achieve a better quality of life.