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CAREGIVER SUPPORT SERVICES
WHAT IS A CAREGIVER?
- A caregiver is someone who provides unpaid assistance to another adult who is ill, disabled or needs some help.
- Caregiving is often a full-time job, and is usually added to existing responsibilities in the home or in a paying job.
- Caregiving allows a person with disabilities to remain in the home rather than being placed in a long term care facility.
- Caregivers do not usually have professional training.
SERVICES FOR CAREGIVERS
There are a variety of support services for caregivers, older adults and people with disabilities.
- Transportation services for visits to the doctor, grocery store, or senior center. Some transportation services have a low-income requirement for eligibility.
- Friendly visitors/companions, usually volunteers, make visits to isolated persons in their homes and sometimes escort them on shopping trips, doctor's appointments, and other trips outside the home.
- Telephone reassurance is provided by volunteers who regularly call people to talk and to see how they are doing.
- Home maintenance and repair services may offer specialized services for households with an older adult or person with a disability. Some home improvement service providers specialize in the installation of grab bars, wheelchair ramps, and other devices that enable people with physical limitations to remain in their homes.
- Home delivered meals are available through Meals-on-Wheels or similar programs.
- Home care agencies provide assistance with household chores, such as cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, and personal care, such as bathing and dressing.
- Gatekeeper/home observation services are often operated by the postal service as a community service. Any person who visits the home on a regular basis can be trained to notice anything that might be an indication of need and report it to the family or local emergency services.
- Home health care providers offer nursing care, special medical treatments and therapies, assistive devices, and many other services.
- Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS) utilize a device that initiates a telephone call for help to an emergency service, relative, or neighbor whenever the device is activated.
- Respite care gives the caregiver a break from care giving responsibilities. Nursing homes, rest homes, and other agencies offer respite care for short or long periods of time.
- Adult day care providers offer health care, social activity, and meals during the day. Most operate five days a week and some provide transportation.
- Hospice care providers offer care for a terminally ill person in the home or in a community hospice setting.
- Independent living centers offer resources, support services, and advocacy for people with disabilities. They also offer assistance with finding assistive devices and adapting homes to accommodate the needs of a person’s disability.
- Medical equipment and supplies are offered by various local agencies and for profit businesses. Medical equipment includes assistive devices and aids for people with disabilities. Assistance with finding insurance programs and other programs that will cover some or all of the expenses is also available.
- Care managers evaluate individual and family needs, advise about services and coordinate payment for services.
- Other resources include social workers, case managers, hospital discharge planners, physicians, and attorneys.
LINKS TO FURTHER INFORMATION
HOW TO FIND PROVIDERS IN CONNECTICUT'S COMMUNITY RESOURCES DATABASE
Search by service name:
Adult Day Programs
Adult Respite Care
Caregiver Support Groups
Case/Care Management for Older Adults
Escort Programs
Family Caregiver Subsidies
Friendly Visiting
Grocery Delivery/Grocery Shopping Assistance
Home/Community Care Financing Programs
Home Delivered Meals
In-Home Assistance
Live In Companions
Medical Transportation
Outreach Programs for Older Adults
Personal Emergency Response Systems
Senior Ride Programs
Telephone Reassurance
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SOURCES: AARP: Caregiving brochure; AARP website
PREPARED BY: 211/rj
CONTENT LAST REVIEWED: February2008
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