Caregiver Resources
Have you ever felt the world’s weight on your shoulders while caring for a loved one? Do you feel overwhelmed and alone in your caregiving journey? Caregiver Resources are in place to guide and support you during stressful moments and times of need.
Once you find resources, what questions should you ask? The information below serves as a jumping off point on where to find resources in and around your area. Knowing what services are available will be helpful during your care journey.
Many families desire to keep their loved ones at home long term, but that is not always possible. Each state offers caregiver resources specific to their area, so check your area for available services.
Your loved one’s health needs determine the best options for your family. As their needs change, so do the services. Common services available are Home Health, Assisted Living, Skilled Nursing, and Adult and Senior programs.
November is National Family Caregivers Month! Recognize your caregivers all month long. After all, the choice to care for a loved one is perhaps one of the most difficult decisions a caregiver can make!
Resources For Seniors
Senior Caregiving (North Carolina)
Resources for Seniors offers a range of services and programs serving the Raleigh, North Carolina, and surrounding Wake County area. It supports independence, dignity, and well-being of the aging community.
These home and community-based services offer seniors and those with disabilities choices for remaining at home in a healthy and independent environment for as long as possible.
They provide information and support on services, and care for both individuals and their families. Some of these services available include Home Care, Adult Day Programs, Senior Centers, and Home Improvements help when possible.
***Check local listings for resources available in your area.
In-Home Care Agencies:
Visiting Angels offers seniors independent living and aging with dignity in the comfort of their home. Their services include Companion, Personal and Specialized Care and an assessment to determine the best care plan for your loved one. They assist with daily tasks such as medication reminders, household chores, errands, bathing, dressing, meal preparation, and one-to-one personalized care. For more information, call (800-365-4189).
Home Instead offers at-home senior care services and caregiver resources to help navigate your loved one’s care journey. At-home care services available include Personal, Alzheimer’s, Nurse-Directed Care, Hospice Support, Meal Preparation, Transportation and most importantly, Companionship. Personality and client needs are critical to a successful match with a compassionate and reliable caregiver. Call (888-341-8046) for the office nearest you.
Aging In Place provides free online resources for those who wish to remain at home. They connect senior adults and their families with extensive community resources and tools to prepare their homes and lives for success in remaining at home for the long term.
While there are no shortages of organizations offering senior care services and resources, it can be quite overwhelming. When searching for options in your area, it is best to focus on your immediate care needs first.
***Check local listings for in-home care services available in your community.
Assisted Living Communities (ALC)
Assisted Living Facilities are for senior adults who cannot or choose not to live independently and those with disabilities. This type of community is advantageous for aging adults in these situations. These adults need daily care but not as much care as with skilled nursing. Help with activities of daily living or ADLs, such as bathing, dressing, grooming, and medication management is their focus.
ALCs provide personal care in a home-like setting, including meals, laundry service, transportation, social programs, and activities. Some residents may be able to leave the facility for a weekend visit with family if they sign in and out. Families are encouraged to participate in ALC programs and to celebrate special events with their loved ones within these facilities.
***Check local listings for resources available to you.
Palliative and End-Of-Life Care (EOLC)
Palliative Care is specialized medical care for those suffering from serious illnesses such as cancer, heart failure, COPD, or Dementia. PC focuses on pain management for people at any stage of a serious illness. It provides medical care, quality of life, and emotional support for the family, giving them a moment to breathe.
End-Of-Life Care refers to health care for a person nearing the end of life or in the advanced stages of a terminal illness such as Dementia/Alzheimer’s or cancer. This care is usually offered as hospice services and focuses on comfort care, quality of life and spiritual support.
It includes practical and emotional care during the stage closest to the end of life as well as Companion Care, Skilled Nursing, and Personalized 24-Hour Care.
***Check local listings for resources available to you.
Dementia is not a specific disease; however, it is a broad term that describes a group of symptoms. Alzheimer’s is a degenerative brain disease and the most common form of dementia. Typical early signs of dementia include memory loss, difficulty concentrating and carrying out daily tasks, confusion over correct change when shopping, struggling to follow conversations or to use the right words, time and place confusion, and mood changes.
Typical early symptoms of Alzheimer’s include memory loss, poor judgment leading to bad decision-making, taking longer to complete an ordinary daily task, repeating questions, trouble handling money and paying bills, wandering, and getting lost in a familiar neighborhood, losing items, or misplacing them in odd places, mood and personality changes, increased anxiety, and aggression. To learn more about Dementia and Alzheimer’s, visit Alz.org and Alzheimers.gov.
Transitions Life Care provides individuals and families with compassion, support, and expertise as families navigate their loved ones’ end-of-life or life-changing illness. Their focus is on the well-being of the patients and their families.
TLC offers care and support services in North Carolina in the following counties: Chatham, Durham, Franklin, Granville, Harnett, Johnston, Orange, and Wake. In addition, free grief counseling is available to caregivers after the loss of their loved one.
National Caregiver Organizations
Caregiver Action Network (CAN)
Caregiver Action Network is a national, non-profit organization that provides education, peer support, and resources to caregivers across the country at no charge. It helps improve the lives of caregivers caring for loved ones with chronic conditions, disabilities, or disease.
CAN serves a broad range of caregivers from families and friends of wounded soldiers to adult children caring for parents with Alzheimer’s; from a couple dealing with MS to parents of children suffering with serious health needs.
In addition, CAN provides information, education, and support for caregivers with cancer and loved ones with rare diseases.
National Association on Mental Illness (NAMI)
Caregivers and their families play an important role in helping and supporting those who experience mental health challenges. Learning how to support and encourage someone in crisis, is important for the well-being of both caregiver and their families.
NAMI offers encouragement and support to those in distress and for their caregivers. Whether your loved one has limited access to care or doesn’t want help, it is important to learn how to support and encourage them. Their programs include support groups, education, skills training, and support for family members.
Mental health affects the lives of everyone touched by this illness.
Family Caregiver Alliance
Family Caregiver Alliance was created more than 40 years ago in San Francisco. Their objective was to advocate for loved ones struggling with long-term care resources who did not “fit” the mold of traditional health systems. Although different circumstances, these families shared similar challenges: a lack of information, scarcity in community resources and changes in family roles.
FCA services include assessment, care planning, direct care skills, wellness programs, respite services, and legal/financial consultation vouchers.
Ongoing resource support is available for loved ones with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Traumatic Brain Injuries, and debilitating disorders and more.