Resources For Over Stressed Caregivers: Finding Ways For Fighting Stress

If you are a caregiver or knows someone who is overburdened with stress because of care giving, you should know there are resources in your community that will help.  Stress relief may come in the form of respite care.  This is a service that gives a caregiver some much-needed time away from their duties.  The local Visiting Nurse Association or special agencies that provide home health care may offer this care.  Adult day care centers are an alternative to caring for a family member alone.

You may also consider short-term nursing homes for those who will recover from a physical problem or surgery, or even assisted living homes.  Assisted living gives the patient a sense of freedom while still providing the care they need.  Any type of respite care will help the caregiver keep the patient home for as long as possible.

Another resource to consider is the National Family Caregiver Support Program.  This group is federally funded and provided through the Older Americans Act.  This program helps states provide services for family caregivers.  They do have certain guidelines and each state may offer different amounts or types of services.  To be eligible you must care for an adult 60 years old or older.  You may also be a grandparent or relative caring for a minor child under the age of 18.

Services offered by the NFCSP include information about available services and how they can be obtained, support services and help in contacting them, and respite care.
They also offer caregiver training, counseling and help in organizing support groups in an area.  It also offers some supplemental services that would go with the care the family member is giving.

People who are caring for elderly family members may find support through their local Area Agency on Aging.  You may find other support organizations by looking in the yellow pages of your phone book under state and area agencies.  Help is available on-line by contacting www.aoa.gov/eldfam/How_To_Find/Agencies/Agencies.asp.   You may also call an eldercare hot line.  Their telephone number is toll-free 1-800-677-1116.

There are other caregiver services that may be available in your community.  One particular agency may provide meals.  Meals are delivered once a day and they usually provide lunch and dinner meals.  The agency in our area is called Meals-on-Wheels.  They play an important part of our community by providing meals to seniors who cannot or don’t fix meals for themselves.  Other agencies may provide free yard work, weatherization, legal and financial counseling and senior centers.  Transport is often provided for seniors to have help in getting to doctor appointments or other necessary trips.  A caregiver can take advantage of these services if they do not have transportation available to take their loved one where they need to go.

Medical and non-medical relief is available for caregivers and their loved ones.  Sometimes Medicare, Medicaid, and some private insurance agencies pay for these services.

There is help available for relieving stress for a caregiver.  Usually if you contact one agency they are able to help you find other resources for easing the stress of care giving.