Helping Those Who Care For Others
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Percentage of Caregivers with symptoms of depression
Education
A self-care educational program designed for 6-10 caregivers.
Communication
Learn how to communicate their feelings, needs and concerns.
Stress Management
Steps are presented for effective stress management.
Taking Care of You
Emphasizes that the focus in on ‘YOU”.
Welcome to Tools for Caregivers
Providing education, support, and resources to caregivers
How We Help:Â Tools for Caregivers is a network operating under the umbrella of Executive Services Corps-Nebraska, Inc., a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to “Help Others.”
Most people don’t plan to become caregivers for another person in their life; however, many find themselves in a caregiving situation due to either an acute incident, disability, or a chronic illness. Whether providing care at home or having responsibility for a neighbor or someone in a care facility, down the block or miles away, caregivers face many challenges – physical and emotional – and place their own health at risk.
Tools for Caregivers operates a nationally known evidence-based program named Powerful Tools for Caregivers.
Unlike many support and respite programs, which provide paid and volunteer individuals to give relief to caregivers for a certain period of time, Powerful Tools for Caregivers is devoted to teaching a caregiver the art of self-care. During a six-week series, caregivers discover how to thrive as individuals while managing caregiving responsibilities.
The Programs
Although the original Powerful Tools for Caregivers program is still the primary outreach for caregivers and series are offered each year, the network has grown. New programs have been added to enrich the lives of caregivers.
Powerful Tools for Caregivers focuses on 3 special areas. Caring for:
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- Parents
- Military
- Adults with a long term chronic illness
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Respite Enrichment Grants
Respite Enrichment Grants are designed to provide respite that will help enrich the life of a caregiver.
To be considered for a Respite Enrichment Grant, a professional must work with an individual with a disability and the primary/secondary caregiver for that individual to fill out a grant application form.
The person with the disability and/or the caregiver for that individual must be a resident of either Douglas or Sarpy County in Nebraska. A primary caregiver must be identified. Requests for individuals with disabilities living independently will not be accepted as this grant is intended to provide the caregiver with assistance to enrich their life.
As resources are limited, we ask that the professional who is considering submitting a Respite Enrichment Grant request to first explore all other funding resources. If all resources have been exhausted, a Respite Enrichment Grants application can be submitted one time per year on behalf of an individual/family in need.
The maximum grant is $1,000.
Examples of appropriate requests include:
• Assistance with respite costs if family is receiving respite through a state program, VA, adoption/foster stipend, or other community resource, a Respite Enrichment Grant can be used to supplement respite costs that are not covered or additional respite hours that may be needed due to extenuating circumstances on a short-term basis
• Educational opportunities that enrich the life of the caregiver
• Counseling opportunities that enrich the life of the caregiver
• Assistive technology/equipment costs that enrich the life of the caregiver
• Home modifications that enrich the life of the caregiver
• Medically related travel expenses
Examples of inappropriate requests:
• Rent or utilities assistance
• Purchase of phone or computer
• Automobile repairs
• College classes
Please contact Pat Billings (402-306-6055) with Tools for Caregiver or email respiteforcaregivers@gmail.com to obtain a Respite Enrichment Grant application or if you need more information.
Powerful Tools for Parents
supports parents caring for a child with a disability, chronic illness, or behavioral concerns.
Social activities and events
allow caregivers and family members to network in an informal setting.
Caregiver workshops
offer education, support, and resources in an informal setting.
An Annual Caregiver Retreat
provides caregivers a day of relaxation, training, and fun.
Who are the helpers?
In 2008, while working as consultants for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Pat Billings and Ruth Hamlin-Bitter discovered a program developed by Stanford University researchers named Powerful Tools for Caregivers. Pat and Ruth were intrigued as they had both been full-time caregivers and served in the caregiving field as professionals most of their adult careers. Since the program was not in Nebraska, they encouraged the Executive Services Corps-Nebraska nonprofit board of directors to sponsor the program under a Tools for Caregivers Network. Since the beginning, the Nebraska program has impacted thousands of caregivers and their families. Powerful Tools for Caregivers continues to be the only program in Nebraska that concentrates specifically on the caregiver’s self-health, giving them ‘tools’ to care for them as they care for another.
Pat and Ruth have co-led over one hundred six-week class sessions, have become Master Trainers, and have taught co-leaders in 14 states outside Nebraska.