Caregiver Connections
In Spokane,the Parkinson’s Resource Center has a Caregiver Support Group that meets the 3rd and 4th Wednesday of each month from 2-3:30 at the PRC – 910 W 5th Ave., Suite 256. Join in the conversation in person or on-line to get helpful tips and advice from others in the same situation. Reach Out: Don’t Burn Out!
Respite Care, Family Caregiver Support Respite and Kinship Care
Providing respite from the stress of caregiving, support and information about available resources, as well as access to items/equipment that assist unpaid caregivers in carrying out their valuable caregiving role.
History:
Throughout history, families have provided care to loved ones without compensation or outside assistance. It is estimated that until recently, 95% of all care provided to older adults has been provided by their families. Increasing numbers of women in the work force and longevity for older adults are having a dramatic affect on the composition and size of families across America. These changes are impacting caregivers’ role and their ability to meet the needs of loved ones.
Caregivers are usually family members, (i.e., spouse, adult child, or a parent caring for a disabled adult child, etc). Caregiving can be emotionally draining and caregivers experience depression at three times the rate of others within their own age group. The stress of caregiving also places caregivers at increased risk of developing a physical illness. Therefore, it is critical that caregivers have access to resources and support that help them effectively deal with the stress that often accompanies providing care.
To receive Elder Services’ Respite Care, Family Caregiver Support, or Kinship Care services, caregivers must be unpaid and provide substantial care to a disabled person who is 18 years of age or older, be a grandparent caring for a grandchild or a relative raising a relative.
Services Include:
- Information about available services;
- Assistance in gaining access to supportive services, including support group/individual counseling;
- In/out of home respite services to provide a break from care giving (up to 12 days/yr.);
- Supplemental services that include equipment, etc., to assist with caregiving;
- Kinship Care/Kinship Navigator provides relatives raising relatives with information regarding how to navigate DSHS, legal and other systems, as well as school supplies, clothing, household items, etc.
How to get information about Respite, Family Caregiver Support, and Kinship Care/Kinship Navigator Services:
Call (509) 458-7450 and Elder Services staff will explain the programs and eligibility criteria.
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CAREGIVER ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS, from the National Parkinson’s Foundation
Read more to learn how to navigate the various challenges of caring for someone with PD, what to expect at different stages and how to recognize signs of caregiver stress. Go to: http://www.parkinson.org/Caregivers/PD-Caregiving-101.aspx
Caring.com
http://www.caring.com
Are you caring for an aging parent or family member? Caring.com is a community of family caregivers with an active Parkinson’s disease focused community and expert contributors.
National Alliance for Caregiving
http://www.caregiving.org/
Dedicated to providing support to family caregivers and the professionals who help them and to increasing public awareness of issues facing family caregiving.
National Family Caregiver Association
http://www.thefamilycaregiver.org
1-800-896-3650
The National Family Caregivers Association (NFCA) exists to support family caregivers and to speak out publicly for caregivers’ needs. Through its services in the areas of education and information, support and validation, public awareness and advocacy, NFCA strives to minimize the disparity between a caregiver’s quality of life and that of mainstream Americans.
Well Spouse Foundation
www.wellspouse.org
1-800-838-0879
This non-profit, membership organization provides support to wives, husbands and partners of chronically ill and/or disabled people. Here you can sign up for a caregiving mentor, or become a mentor for a new caregiver.
Family Caregiver Alliance
http://www.caregiver.org/
FCA serves as the lead agency in California ‘s system of Caregiver Resource Centers and operates the National Center on Caregiving to advance the development of high-quality, cost-effective support programs for family caregivers in every state in the country.
Children of Aging Parents
www.caps4caregivers.org
800-227-7294
Lotsa Helping Hands
www.lotsahelpinghands.com
OTHER CAREGIVER RESOURCES
Family Caregiving 101
www.familycaregiving101.org
Find assistance, answers, new ideas and helpful advice.
Strength for Caring
www.StrengthForCaring.com
Site for family caregivers sponsored by Johnson & Johnson.
Caregiving.com
www.caregiving.com
Want to know where you are in the six stages of caregiving? Find out at Caregiving.com, a site that features pages of tools and resources, including online support groups, and a kit for the new caregiver.
…And Thou Shalt Honor
http://www.pbs.org/thoushalthonor/
The site for the acclaimed PBS caregiving documentary …And Thou Shalt Honor provides a variety of caregiving tools and resources.
Agingcare.com
The Community for Caregivers
http://www.agingcare.com