Help For Caregivers
Programs, Events, Resources & MoreWe’re here to help
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”.
Helping You Find What You Need
Why Caregivers Need Help
Are You a Caregiver?
You are a caregiver if you have accepted the responsibility for assisting a family member or loved one with activities of daily living and/or medical and financial tasks.
Being a caregiver can put you at risk for health problems. This is because you tend to neglect your own health. And some tasks are difficult. This includes lifting or bathing your loved one. It can cause financial stress. You may avoid going to the doctor so you don’t have to pay for visits or treatments. Or you may have to cut back or leave your job. These things can affect your emotional, mental, and physical health.
Resources
The Caregiver Helpbook
Cost $30.
Enrichment Respite Grants
Caregiver Retreats
10 Websites to Help Caregivers Thrive Not Just Survive
AARP
Aging Care
Care.com
The Caregiver Space
Caring
Daily Caring
Family Caregiver Alliance
Leezas Care Connection
National Alliance for Caregiving
National Family Caregivers Association
Most disease specific agencies can offer information on their websites.
Â
Studies show that caregivers have an increased risk for the following health problems:
-
- alcohol, tobacco, and drug abuse
- anxiety disorders
- cancer
- diabetes
- heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol
- heartburn
- infection
- obesity
- pain (muscles, joints, headaches)
Other studies have shown that Caregivers:
-
- Use 71% more prescription drugs
- Have a higher rate of depression
- Have 46% more physician visits
- Often forego their own health and well-being for the sake of caring for their loved one
- Experience loss of self, time, and money
- Who are experiencing stress have a 63% higher mortality risk (JAMA*)
- Become isolated from friends and family
Facts show
-
-
- Approximately 43.5 million caregivers have provided unpaid care to an adult or child in the last 12 months. [National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP. (2015). Caregiving in the U.S.]
- The majority of caregivers (82%) care for one other adult, while 15% care for 2 adults, and 3% for 3 or more adults. [National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP. (2015). Caregiving in the U.S.]
- Approximately 39.8 million caregivers provide care to adults (aged 18+) with a disability or illness. [Coughlin, J. (2010). Estimating the Impact of Caregiving and Employment on Well-Being: Outcomes & Insights in Health Management.]
- About 15.7 million adult family caregivers care for someone who has Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia. [Alzheimer’s Association. (2015). 2015 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures.]
- Upwards of 75% of all caregivers are female, and may spend as much as 50% more time providing care than males. [Institute on Aging. (2016). Read How IOA Views Aging in America.]
- Males may be sharing in caregiving tasks more than in the past, but females still shoulder the major burden of care. [National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP. (2009). Caregiving in the U.S.]
- Among spousal caregivers aged 75+, both sexes provide equal amounts of care. [McCann, J. J., Hebert, L. E., Beckett, L. A., Morris, M. C., Scherr, P. A., & Evans, D. A. (2000). Comparison of Informal Caregiving by Black and White Older Adults in a Community Population.]
- Other studies indicate that 36% of female caregivers handle the most difficult caregiving tasks (i.e., bathing, toileting, and dressing) when compared with 24% for their male counterparts, who are more likely to help with finances, arrangement of care, and other less burdensome tasks. [National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP. (2009). Caregiving in the U.S.]
-