Lotsa Helping Hands Free Online Service Helps Families, Caregivers Manage During Times of Medical Crisis, End-of-Life Caring or Family Caregiver Exhaustion.

Additional Services Added to Streamline Care in Advance of November's National Family Caregivers Month

SUDBURY, Mass. -- According to a study by the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP, 44 million family caregivers in the U.S. are providing unpaid caregiving services to adult family members or friends, valued at over $306 billion annually. These caregivers face emotional struggles, financial and employment issues and physical strain. To help eliminate those issues, Lotsa Helping Hands (www.lotsahelpinghands.com), a free online caregiving coordination service designed for family caregivers, today announced a major service upgrade with additional community communication tools that provide further support during times of medical crisis, caregiver exhaustion, or when caring for elderly parents. Lotsa Helping Hands is a website designed to easily coordinate the help offered to a family caregiver by friends and loved ones and to help these 'circles of community' stay better informed with status updates, photo galleries, message boards, and more.

Lotsa Helping Hands communities can be created online at www.lotsahelpinghands.com or by connecting through one of the many Lotsa Helping Hands partners, such as the ALS Association, the American Lung Association, the Brain Tumor Society, the Colon Cancer Alliance, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition and the National Stroke Association. A 'lead coordinator,' usually a close friend or family member, sets up the personalized password-protected site and then invites friends, family, colleagues and neighbors to join the community. This community plays an active role in providing support to both the patient and the primary family caregiver. The enhanced system builds on the already-popular Lotsa Helping Hands group calendar coordination feature and allows coordinators to create, manage, and customize new community sections based on the particular needs of their community. Easy-to-use communication tools such as message and discussion boards, a well wishes wall, online journals, and photo albums help members stay better connected.

"When sudden or chronic illness strikes a loved one, a real sense of community can develop to support the patient and his or her family caregivers. Still, it's often difficult for patients and family caregivers to ask for help, and when help is offered, it can be difficult to manage," said Hal Chapel, CEO of Lotsa Helping Hands. "Our private communities help alleviate the daily pressures facing caregivers by allowing those around them to jump in and help out with the daily activities that often become a challenge during times of medical crisis or caregiver exhaustion. These tasks can include meal delivery, transportation to medical appointments, housecleaning, babysitting, carpooling, and visitations. More than a quarter million volunteer tasks have been posted to Lotsa Helping Hands communities already, helping families when they need it most."

"With National Family Caregivers Month approaching in November, it

is important that we thank, celebrate and support family caregivers in this country," said Suzanne Mintz, president and co-founder of the National Family Caregivers Association. "This year we are encouraging family caregivers to speak up during NFC Month. Resources such as Lotsa Helping Hands can truly make a difference in the lives of caregivers by fostering a sense of community and providing the help family caregivers need to better manage the daily routines of their loved ones and themselves."

About Lotsa Helping Hands

Lotsa Helping Hands is a free online caregiving coordination tool that allows family and friends to stay informed and to more easily provide assistance and support to family caregivers. The service combines many communication and social networking tools, as well as an easy-to-use private group calendar. The calendar is specifically designed for organizing helpers, where everyone can pitch in with meal deliveries, rides and other tasks. Currently, nearly 1,000 new caregiving communities are being created every month and more than a quarter million tasks have been posted for volunteer coordination. Lotsa Helping Hands partners with non-profit organizations such as National Family Caregivers Association, Family Caregiver Alliance, and the National Alliance for Caregiving, as well as the Lance Armstrong Foundation, Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization and the National Kidney Foundation. The company is located just outside Boston. For more information, please visit www.lotsahelpinghands.com.