Caregiver Services

Office for the Aging - Caregivers Program

Are you helping a spouse, relative, or friend who is ill or disabled? Maybe they need extra help with basic activities of daily living? Do you help them with rides to the doctor, shopping, cooking meals and even bill paying? Perhaps you help your loved one get ready for the day? And even manage medications or arranging for services and hired help?

If you do things like these, whether or not you live with the person, you are a Caregiver.

“There are only four kinds of people in the world—those who have been caregivers, those who are currently caregivers, those who will be caregivers, and those who will need caregivers.”

~ Rosalynn Carter, Former First Lady and President of the Board of Directors for the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving.

Family members and friends often provide assistance to elders with everyday tasks to help keep them safe, healthy, and in their own homes. We offer specialized counseling and assistance to family caregivers.

Here is a description of some services offered under the Caregiver Program:

Information: Providing information to Caregivers about available services.

Assistance: Providing assistance to Caregivers in gaining access to services.

Respite: Personal Care provided to Care Recipient to enable their Caregiver to be temporarily relieved from their care giving responsibilities.

Case Management: Helps Caregivers gain access to services and benefits.

Counseling: Providing emotional support, information and guidance in individual and/or group settings for family members, friends and significant others.

Training: A formal or information session where a Caregiver receives training to help them cope with the stresses of caregiving. Some sessions are offered in group or one-on-one settings. Call for more details on these programs that could help:

Powerful Tools for Caregivers: Educational workshops that will provide you with tools and strategies to better handle the unique caregiver challenges you face.

Understanding Your Grief Support Group: Ten-week support group to empower adults to heal the complex thoughts or feelings associated with a loved one’s death.

Rosalyn Carter Institute for Caregivers REACH Program: For Caregivers of Dementia or Alzheimer’s in your home. Teaches coping strategies, stress management techniques, and prevention/reduction of depression.

Share the Care ™ is a proven model that provides information and coaching to empower ordinary people with everything they need to create and maintain a caregiving “family” to help someone they know in need of support no matter what the circumstances.

Supplemental Equipment Loan: Equipment loaned to Caregivers to assist them in caring for their loved one.

Reach-out: Activities that identify, seek out and encourage hard-to-reach or isolated Caregivers to use existing services and benefits.

We also assist with the installation of assistive devices for Care Recipients and minor home repairs. For example, putting up grab rails and fixing loose steps.

For more information on how our Caregiver Program can help you and your family member or loved one, please call 518-358-2963.