WHAT IS CAREGIVING?

By caregiving or helping to care for an older person, we mean providing unpaid care to a relative or friend who is aged 60 or older in order to help them take care of themselves. We are talking about a range of help - from such everyday things as helping this elder person get to the doctor or the store, or helping to pay his or her bills, to personal things like helping them eat, get dressed, or take a bath. In some cases the older relative or friend might live far away, or she or he might live in your home. All of these are part of our broad view of day-to-day or month-to-month caregiving.

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FAMILY CAREGIVING

Families, not social service agencies or government programs, are the foundation supporting long term care (LTC) for older persons in the United States. According to the most recent National Long Term Care Survey, more that seven million persons are informal caregivers - providing unpaid help to older persons who live in the community and have at least one limitation on their activities of daily living. These caregivers include spouses, adult children, and other relatives and friends.

The degree of caregiver involvement has remained fairly constant for more than a decade, bearing witness to the remarkable resilience of the American family in taking care of its older persons. This is despite increased geographic separation, greater numbers of women in the workforce, and other changes in family life. Thus, family caregiving has been a blessing in many respects. It has been a budget-saver to governments faced annually with the challenge of covering the health and LTC expenses of persons who are ill and have chronic disabilities. If the work of caregivers had to be replaced by paid home care staff, the estimated cost would be $129 billion per year.

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THE NATIONAL FAMILY CAREGIVER SUPPORT PROGRAM

The National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP), was developed by the Administration on Aging (AoA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). It was modeled in large part after successful LTC programs in States such as California, New Jersey, and Wisconsin and after listening to the needs expressed by hundreds of family caregivers in discussions held across the country.

The program calls for all states, working in partnership with area agencies on aging and local community-service providers to have five basic services for family caregivers, including:

• Information about resources that will help family caregivers;
• Assistance to families in locating services from private and voluntary agencies;
• Caregiver training, peer support and counseling to help families cope with the emotional and physical stress of dealing with a family member's chronic condition;
• Respite care provided in a home, and adult day-care center or over a weekend in a nursing home or an assisted living facility; and
• Supplemental services, on a limited basis, to complement the care provided by caregivers.

The NFCSP also recognizes the needs of grandparents who are sole caregivers of grandchildren and those individuals who are affected by mental retardation or who have developmental disabilities.

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CAREGIVER SURVEY

ARE YOU A CAREGIVER?

Your Area Agency on Aging needs your input on this survey in order to determine your needs as a caregiver and the best way to meet those needs. The information you share is critical and will remain confidential. Additionally, the more feedback we receive from you the better we will be able to work together toward developing programs and services.

Caregiver Survey Form (Email Version)

Caregiver Survey Form (PDF Version)

Acrobat Reader is required to utilize PDF files

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CAREGIVER INTERNET LINKS

Following are some of the numerous websites that can be found on the Internet that deal with caregiving issues. The Area Agency on Aging of the Capital Area does not endorse or recommend any of these resources. The list is furnished for informational purposes only.

Aging Network Services

Alzheimers Association/Capital of Texas Chapter

Caregiving Online: Wellness for Caregivers of an Aging Relative, Friend or Neighbor

Eldercare Locator

Eldercare Online

Federal Trade Commission "Aging Parents and Adult Children Together"

Legal Hotline for Texans

National Alliance for Caregiving

National Council on the Aging, Inc.

National Family Caregiver Alliance

National Family Caregivers Association

On-line Caregiver Education and Training

U.S. Administration on Aging

For Grandparents

Grandsplace Kinship Caregiver support

AARP- Grandparent Information Center

Texas Cooperative Extension Grandparents support resourses

Information for Employees, Managers and Caregivers in the workplace

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GRANDPARENTS & RELATIVES RAISING GRANDCHILDREN

Who are the Grandparents Raising Grandchildren?

In 1998, there were over 2.5 million grandparent-maintained families with or without parents present. Together, these families cared for nearly 4 million children or 5.6% of all children under the age of 18.

Of these grandparent maintained families:

• 1.7 million had one or more parents present
• 888,000 were without parents present
• 32% contained both grandparents and some parents
• 29% contained grandmother only and some parents
• 19% contained both grandparents and no parents
• 14% contained grandmothers only and no parents
• 6% contained grandfathers only

Grandparent-Maintained Families Are More Likely To Live In Poverty And To Be Uninsured Than Parent Maintained Families

• One in five (19%) children living in households maintained by their parents lived in poverty in 1997. In contrast, one in four (27%) children living in grandparent-maintained households were impoverished.
• One in eight (13%) children in homes maintained by parents had no health insurance in 1997, whereas one in three (33%) children living in grandparent maintained homes had no health insurance.
• The primary source of insurance coverage for children is through their parents' employers, thus making it more likely for children to be covered when one or more parents are living in the household, then when they are not.

Relative caregivers are often unable to include the children they raise on their private insurance unless they have chosen to adopt.

Source: Generations United ©2000 www.gu.org

Temporary Assistance For Grandparents

The Texas Department of Human Services (TDHS) provides one-time cash payments to grandparents and great-grandparents. One-time cash grants are made through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. Under this program, grandparents are eligible to receive one-time cash assistance if:

• They are 50 years of age or older. This includes those who turn 50 in the month the eligibility determination is made and couples in which one is 50 or older (regardless of which one is the caretaker/payee);
• They meet the TANF relationship requirement of a grandparent;
• They are the caretaker or payee (or spouse of the caretaker or payee) of TANF certified grandchild, and the parent of the grandchild is not in the home;
• They have a family gross income less than or equal to 100% of the TANF resource limit of $2000 (or $3000, if there is an aged or disabled member who meets the relationship requirements)

Should you need any additional information, please contact your regional DHS office. You can also access information about TANF on the TDHS website at www.dads.state.tx.us

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Grandparent and Kinship Caregiver Services

A care coordinator will assess your needs and the needs of your children and develop a care plan to help meet these needs. Caregivers must be 60 years of age to access services. Services are available on a short-term limited basis and may include:

• Caregiver resource information and support groups
• Respite Care, after school and camp programs for your children
• Assistance with the purchase of clothing and/or school supplies
• Connections to counseling resources for the whole family
• Limited assistance with utilities or other basic needs
• Connections to legal assistance services

Kin Caregivers: Tips for Taking Care of Yourself

Take care or your own health. Be sure to eat well, exercise and schedule your your regular health check-ups

Take a break. Seek relief through a friend, relative, church or formal support agency that can provide respite care, giving you time to rest & recharge.

Share your concerns, with family, friends, or support group members.

Avoid isolation; keep in contact with friends and maintain those special relationships.

Set limits; for yourself & the children you care for. Let them know what you expect of them.

Look into parenting classes for practical tips and information.

Get to know more about the resources in your area for medical care, legal advice. Financial assistance, education and caregiver support services.

Set realistic goals. Being a grandparent or kin caregiver is a fulltime job. Nobody can do it all. Accept the help that is offered.

Let go go the guilt. Your adult child's situation is not your fault.

Look to your faith community & your own spirituality for strength.

Focus on the positive & the here and now. Maintain your sense of humor.

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PROGRAM SERVICES

ARE YOU A CAREGIVER? HOW CAN WE HELP?

You are a caregiver if:

♥You are providing a loved one with regular support & assistance for personal care needs, transportation, meals, finances, shopping etc.
♥You are changing roles & making decisions for your loved one.
♥You are adjusting your schedule to assist your care receiver.
♥You are planning for long-term care for a loved one.
♥You are coping with loss and change in your relationships and role.

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Caregiver Initiative Program

The Older Americans Act of 2000 established the National Family Caregiver Support Program. The Area Agency on Aging of the Capital Area has developed the Caregiver Initiative Program for its service area. This program is designed to support caregivers in their efforts to care for the care receiver at home for as long as possible.

You are eligible for the following services if you are.
♥The caregiver of an adult 60 years old or older, or
♥ A caregiver 60 or older caring for a care receiver with developmental diabilities, or
♥A grandparent, age 60 or older, raising a grandchild or other relative under 18 years of age.

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Caregiver Support Program Services

♥Information and Referral:
Questions answered about available programs & services to meet your caregiving needs.

♥Care support Coordination:
A Caregiver Initiative Specialist will do a complete assessment of your caregiving needs, assist in creating a plan of care for you and your care receiver, & coordinate appropriate services to meet your needs.

♥Education & Training Workshops:
A Caregiver Initiative Specialist may facilitate group or one-to-one training for caregivers & their care receiver, church & civic organizations, formal service providers and employer or employee assistance programs. Some of the topics that may be explored include;

♥Caregiver Support Groups
A Caregiver Initiative Specialist facilitates or helps create a special group where caregivers can meet with other caregivers to share ideas, stories, tips, practical solutions and support.

♥Respite Care Services
Respite is the provision of a short time of rest or relief from your caregiving needs. Respite care services are available on a limited basis. Eligibility for these services is based upon the level of care receiver and caregiver need, which will be determined by Caregiver Initiative Specialist Assessment. If eligible the caregiver program will assist caregiver in obtaining a respite care service provider. The care receiver's needs are provided for so the caregiver can take some time off. Respite Care Services may include; in-home care, adult day programs or facility-based respite care. In addition there is some funding available for homemaker services, emergency response systems and/or adaptive equipment as needed.

If you would like more information about the Caregiver Initiative Program call Patricia Bordie at (512) 916-6062 or toll-free at 1-888-622-9111. You can also send an email to aaacap@capcog.org

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QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS

If you have any questions or comments regarding the Caregiver Initiative Program please feel free to email us at aaacap@capcog.org Your input is greatly appreciated.

Please note that these external links are provided for informational purposes only. AAACAP does not edit, control, or attest to the accuracy of the information provided on the websites made available through this page. Additionally, AAACAP does not endorse any specific organization listed on this page.

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