Family Caregiver Support Program
Approximately 44 million American families and friends provide unpaid care to another adult, sometimes around the clock. All that care equates to approximately $350 billion worth of service. You may be a spouse, son, daughter, neighbor, close friend, or distant relative. You may be young or older yourself. No matter your relationship or age, as a caregiver you are making concessions and a personal sacrifice to provide care for another person. This can create areas of conflict and high levels of stress in your life.
Caregiving may include hands-on personal care, supervision, medication management, meal preparation, transportation, cleaning, laundry, or financial assistance.
Your loved one may be eligible for temporary respite services to give you some relief under our Title 3E Family Caregiver Support Program.
What is the Title 3E fund and where does it come from?
Title 3E, funding for the Family Caregiver Support Program, was established as part of the Older Americans Act Amendments of 2000.
This program was developed by the Administration on Aging of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Family Caregiver Support program is designed to meet five basic needs of caregivers:
- Information
- Assistance
- Individual counseling, support groups, and caregiver training
- Respite Care
- Supplemental services
Some of the services available under the respite program:
- Respite home health aides—can assist with bathing, dressing, transferring, walking, toileting, meal preparation, cleaning, laundry, or sit with the person to relieve the caregiver
- Respite attendants—can assist with personal care except transferring and toileting, meal preparation, cleaning, laundry, or sit with the person to relieve the caregiver
Respite homemakers—can assist with meal preparation, cleaning, errands, transportation and laundry - Emergency lifeline units—a necklace or wrist button that one can wear and push in case of a fall or other emergency
- Home health supplies—such as incontinency supplies, nutritional supplements, grab bars, transfer benches, shower chairs, etc.
Lunch and Learn, a series of educational luncheons for caregivers, is offered once a month three of the counties we serve: St. Joseph, Elkhart, and Kosciusko. Call for a current schedule of dates, locations, and topics or click on the link.
RELEASE is a new support group for caregivers of older adults. Meetings begin February 10, 2010 and will take place the 2nd Wednesday, each month, from 5:00-6:00 pm in the Pokagon Room at the St. Joseph Public Library, 304 South Main Street, South Bend, IN 46601. Registration is required. View RELEASE Flyer.
The Family Caregiver Coordinator is available to answer any questions about respite care, in addition to providing resources, referrals, counseling, and support, and can help you understand the best options for care for your loved one.
For more information, contact Sarah Ressler, MSW at 574-284-7173 or toll-free (Indiana only) 1-800-552-7928, ext. 7173.
For more information related to family caregiving issues, the following web sites may prove helpful as well:
www.alzheimersanddementia.org (Alzheimer’s Association)
www.aoa.gov (Administration on Aging)
www.caregivers.com/pages/inspiration.html (Empowering Caregivers)
www.caregiver.com (Today’s Caregiver)
www.caregiver.org/caregiver/jsp/home.jsp (Family Caregiver Alliance)
www.caregivereducation.org/site/PageServer (Institute for Caregiver Education)
www.caregivingathome.com/ByChapters/10.htm (Caregiving at Home)
www.caringinfo.org/?gclid=CKWh452IkJQCFQEqIgodgyy7eQ (Caring Connections)
www.caringtoday.com/basic-caregiver-guide/take-good-care-of-yourself (Caring Today) www.cdc.gov/aging (Center for Disease Control and Prevention)
www.coachkeyes.com (Personal and Professional Life Coaching) www.extension.org/family+caregiving (Family Caregiving)
www.familycaregivers.org (Family Caregivers)
www.familycaregiving101.org (Family Caregiving 101)
www.ltcplanningnetwork.com (Long Term Care Planning)
www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTCS_08.htm (Burnout Self-Test)
www.mysollievo.com (Be Home, Live Life)
www.nasua.org (National Association of State Units on Aging)
www.nia.nih.gov (National Institute on Aging)
www.strengthforcaring.com/manual/stress-relief-stress-management-tips/stress-relief (Strength for caring stress relief)
www.thefamilycaregiver.org/caregiving_resources (National Family Caregivers Association)
www.wellspouse.org (Well Spouse Association)