CAREGIVER SUPPORT INFORMATION

[Guest guest]

Below is one of the first sentences I noted while looking up information. I

felt this important to note. *Remember...when caring for another person it is

important to take care of yourself too! Seek out assistance from others when

needed and be aware of your own limitations. A good Article I copied and pasted

here for you, also has a 800 # at the bottom of the article as well as a

website: www.caregiver.org AARP Website has many articles for the caregiver.

I will list some of the Titles below and all you have to do is go to the site

and type in the " title " in the search box: This Article is Titled " Who's Caring

for the Caregivers? " @ www.AARP.org P Home»About AARP»News from AARP»Who's Caring

for the C...Who's Caring for the Caregivers? AARP Unveils New Report on Trends

in Support for Family CaregiversConsumer-Directed Services for Caregivers Take

Hold in Statesfrom: Press Center | March 16, 2006TextPrintEmailA growing number

of older persons with disabilities are receiving care in home and

community-based settings rather than in nursing homes, and family members

continue to provide the vast majority of the care they receive. These family

caregivers are often juggling multiple roles at home and in the labor force, or

are experiencing other stresses and health problems, and need some help

themselves. Yet, health care practitioners and social service providers don't

routinely assess the unique health risks of family caregivers, even though the

family caregiver's role is generally recognized as physically and emotionally

difficult. Increasingly, states are funding innovative programs to identify and

support these caregivers, according to a new report released today by the AARP

Public Policy Institute, Ahead of the Curve: Emerging Trends and Practices in

Family Caregiver Support. The report draws attention to the needs of an

estimated 44 million Americans who provide unpaid assistance and support to

older people and adults with disabilities and to the new programs and services

that have been created across the country to benefit these caregivers. " This

new AARP Public Policy Institute report found that the use of paid, formal care

by older persons with disabilities in the community has been decreasing, while

their sole reliance upon family caregivers has been increasing. Because there is

a growing need, we wanted to identify promising practices to help caregivers.

And we found them in eight states in particular: Alabama, California, Georgia,

Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Washington, " said

AARP Director of Policy and Strategy Rother. " People want to stay in their

homes, surround themselves with loved ones, and maintain a greater level of

control over their care as they age, " Rother said. " While this arrangement has

benefits economically and helps with the shortage of long-term care workers,

there is a growing recognition that the caregivers need a greater level of

support to make the situation a success. Taking care of caregivers is simply

smart public policy. " To address this need, a growing number of states have

initiated various caregiver support programs. California, for example, has a

state-funded Caregiver Resource Center (CRC) system that offers consumer

directed services for caregivers. Among the range of options, caregivers most

frequently choose in-home respite, allowing them to receive a voucher to pay for

agency services or to hire private help (such as another family member, friend,

or neighbor) to care for their relative. In Georgia, the state conducted an

effectiveness evaluation of consumer-directed programs through the Gerontology

Institute at Georgia State University. It found that consumer direction for

caregivers provides a safety net for many individuals, especially low-income

caregivers living in rural areas. Researchers reported that the financial,

emotional and physical relief provided by the care enables families to extend

the time that care in the home is possible, thus avoiding nursing home

placement. " The demand for in-home caregiving is going to increase. To help

ensure the quality of care, policymakers and health providers need to factor in

an important part this equation—family caregivers, " said Rother. The report

also looks at a number of new initiatives filling the gap to assess the needs of

family caregivers themselves and link with the health care system. " This is an

important step forward, " said Lynn Friss Feinberg, Deputy Director of the

National Center on Caregiving at Family Caregiver Alliance and lead author of

the report. " The health and support needs of family caregivers are often

overlooked. The strain of caring for a family member, especially an older

spouse, is becoming a public health issue, " said Feinberg. For more on the

emerging programs in these and other states, the full report can be found at:

www.aarp.org/caregiver AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization

that helps people 50-plus have independence, choice and control in ways that are

beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. We produce AARP The

Magazine, published bimonthly; AARP Bulletin, our monthly newspaper; AARP

Segunda Juventud, our bimonthly magazine in Spanish and English; NRTA Live &

Learn, our quarterly newsletter for 50+ educators; and our website,

www.aarp.org. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security,

protection and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands

of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. We have staffed offices in all 50 states,

the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Established

in 1977, Family Caregiver Alliance is one of the largest and oldest

organizations in the US devoted solely to caregivers. Its pioneering

programs—information, education, services, research and advocacy—support and

sustain the important work of families and friends caring for loved ones with

chronic, disabling health conditions. The National Center on Caregiving at

Family Caregiver Alliance was established in 2001 to advance the development of

high-quality, cost effective programs and policies for caregivers in every state

in the country. FCA and the National Center on Caregiving offer programs at

local, state and national levels. Visit www.caregiver.org or call

for more information. Caregiving info and advise @ www.caregiver.org from the

Family Caregiver Alliance Another Article, same site: Caregiving Tips

Connecting Caregivers from the National Family Caregivers Association @

www.thefamilycaregiver.orgAnother Article, same site: Tips and Tools

Education and Support Caring for those who care about you @ www.AARP.org

Another Article, same site: Internet Resources on Aging Family Caregivers

Online (Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services/Area Agencies on

Aging) @ http://www.familycaregiversonline.net/ Please Let me know if this

information helps ya'll. If you need further assistance just let me know and I

will help you. Love,

Kathleen