What caregiving services can I find in my community?

Many communities are responding to the needs of caregivers of aging parents and loved ones and beginning to offer a wide varity of caregiving services.

First, check with your local Area Agency on Aging - they are a wealth of information about resources in your area.  They also have a scholarship program for respite care hours. Additionally, your local Senior Center is also a good place to gather information. 

Senior Centers and Hospitals often have adult day care programs so that you can continue working or can get some much needed respite.  Assisted living facilities are beginning to offer these services, as well, and often have overnight respite available.

Home Care Agencys offer hourly or daily rates for companion care and light services (generally non-professional - R.N.s can be found from Home HEALTH Care Agencies).

Do not overlook obtaining the advice of a licensed occupational therapist or Geriatric Care Manager who can help you evaluate the surroundings of your loved one to make sure they are safe and can make recommendations for improvements. (You will need a prescription from a physician for an occupational therapy visit, but it is easily obtained.)

If you need legal advice (and you will), be sure that the attorney you contact has a specialty in elderlaw.

There are great resources, social networks, website, churches, local organizations that can help with caregiving, thereby helping with emotional needs. In order for caregivers to provide the best caregiving, they need to care for themselves - that includes physical, mental and emotional needs. Sometimes, connecting with other individuals, people, families going through the same caregiving stresses can be all one needs. You can relate, share stories and tips.

Below is a list of free resources/websites for caregiving help & assistance

• Lotsa Helping Hands is a free service. They offer both Private and Open Communities http://www.lotsahelpinghands.com/
• Treatment Diaries. Another free service. Treatment Diaries is a social network for those living with illness, newly diagnosed or caring for someone with a medical condition. http://www.treatmentdiaries.com/about.aspx
• Caregiving.com is a community of family caregivers sharing their stories, support and solutions. 
• CareRxInc.com is a new social, virtual, educational, supportive community for caregivers, sandwiched generation families, and seniors. Their goal is to connect and provide health, wellness & medication management tips to family and professional caregivers.

Below is a list of free resources/websites for caregiving help & assistance

• BenefitsCheckUp is free service of the National Council on Aging (NCOA), a nonprofit service and advocacy organization in Washington, DC. There are over 2,000 federal, state and private benefits programs available to help. But many people don’t know these programs exist or how they can apply. http://www.ncoa.org/ http://www.benefitscheckup.org/about-us/
• The ARCH National Respite Network includes the National Respite Locator, a service to help caregivers and professionals locate respite services in their community, which is funded by the Administration on Aging (AoA) in the US Department of Health and Human Services. http://archrespite.org/respitelocator
• The National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP), established in 2000, provides grants to States and Territories, based on their share of the population aged 70 and over, to fund a range of supports that assist family and informal caregivers to care for their loved ones at home for as long as possible. http://www.aoa.gov/aoaroot/aoa_programs/hcltc/caregiver/index.aspx