Wouldn’t it be nice if caring for an older loved one came with a manual? Caregiving is a role you take on with honor and commitment, but you soon find out that there are many aspects to providing care that require skills, training and techniques that most of us just don’t have.
A new website has been introduced that’s helping to bridge that information gap. Best Programs for Caregiving is an information-filled, easy-to-use, free website from Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging and Family Caregiver Alliance that for the first time puts details about useful programs and services directly into the hands of family caregivers who need them most.
How can these programs help?
There are many opportunities for you to get the help they need in almost every area of care. Some programs are offered in person, some are online or by telephone to accommodate your busy schedule. Many programs are free of charge or have costs that are covered by insurance or government funding.
The new Best Programs for Caregiving website pinpoints programs that are available within your area; you just type in your zip code. It also identifies programs that have been adapted to meet the needs of diverse cultures and ethnicities, and provides information about how to enroll in them.
The types of programs available are:
- Skills training and education programs
Most people admittedly have little to no experience in caring for an aging loved one. Skills training programs are designed specifically to provide you with hands-on, practical information needed to physically take care of an older adult who may no longer be able to complete daily tasks on their own.
You’ll learn more about the disease, how to understand and manage challenging behaviors, and how to handle daily activities like bathing, meals and shopping. In research studies these programs have been shown to increase participants’ knowledge and confidence in providing hands-on care.
- Stress reduction and caring for the caregiver
Providing care for someone with dementia can be time-consuming, stressful and exhausting, especially if you are employed and have a family of your own. Your own health and well-being is all-too-often overlooked.
Several programs featured in Best Programs for Caregiving give harried caregivers the tools to reduce the stress and anxiety they experience in their daily lives. Programs advise how to improve your self-care, including diets, exercise and medical visits, and increase your understanding of how your own mental and physical well-being impacts the quality of care you are able to provide.
Stress reduction activities can include exercise, mental stimulation, yoga and mindfulness exercises. Again, these programs have been proven through research to be effective.
- Care navigation programs
Care navigation programs, sometimes referred to as care consultation or care coaching programs, provide one-on-one assistance to caregivers by experienced professionals. They are very flexible to help you with finding the resources and services you may need, such as those that provide in-home aides, meals, transportation, legal and financial guidance, as well as all types of healthcare services. Care navigators customize the assistance to meet your individual needs. They also help prioritize your needs, answer your questions, and serve as a sympathetic listener who understands the challenges of caregiving.
Many of these programs are offered by telephone or online to make them more convenient for caregivers to use.
Visit the Best Programs for Caregiving website at bpc.caregiver.org.
Leave a Reply