Escalating energy costs threaten health care for critically ill and homebound seniors: home care nurses, aides and therapists drive 4.8 billion miles per year to reach shut-in patients.

The rapidly rising cost of fuel has had a profound impact on the home care and hospice industry. In an effort to quantify the increased burden, the National Association for Home Care & Hospice's (NAHC) Foundation for Hospice and Home Care conducted a study showing that home care and hospice providers drive over 5 billion miles per year to deliver services --about two-and-a-half times the number driven by United Parcel Service, the international delivery service. The findings garnered significant interest by the media and elected officials. Reprinted in this issue of CARING Magazine are the press release that NAHC issued regarding the study, as well as a graphic representation of the study's findings that was circulated to the National Conference of State Legislatures at its most recent meeting in July. Also represented on these pages is a reprint from the Congressional Record of July 11, 2008, in which Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), one of the highest ranking Democrats in the US. Senate, entered into the record an article from the front page of the New York Times of July 5, 2008, that covered the mileage study.