Caregiver Resources
CAREGIVER’S CORNER
LONG DISTANCE CAREGIVING
In today’s mobile society, family members may live several hundred
miles apart from each other and may be unaware their loved one has
unmet needs until a crisis occurs. With planning and adequate
support, family members can be involved, no matter how far away
their loved one lives.
IDENTIFY NEEDS
Make the most of your visits and find out what your loves ones need.
Observe, ask questions, and make planning a team effort. Once you
have reached a consensus on needs, you will need to identify sources
of help.
DEVELOP AN INFORMAL SUPPORT SYSTEM
Identify what support is already in place. Many people have friends,
neighbors, or others who are already helping them. Introduce
yourself to these people and let them know they can contact you any
time. Reach out to other family members for help. Be specific about
what you will do and what they can do to help.
LOCATE FORMAL SUPPORT SERVICES
Gather information about services and programs in the community
where your loved one lives. The Eldercare Locater is an excellent
resource for information about at 1-800-677-1116. Friends and
neighbors are also a good source of information about services they
have used.
BE REALISTIC
Caregiving from a distance can be very stressful. You may experience
guilt or frustration at not being able to do more. Frequent travel,
additional expense, and conflicts with work and family can be
exhausting. You will need to decide how extensively you can be
involved.
Caregiver Online Resources:
AARP:
http://www.aarp.org
Alzheimer’s Association:
http://www.alz.org
Caregiving Support:
www.caregiving.com
Family Caregiving 101:
http://www.familycaregiving101.org
Family Caregiver Alliance:
www.caregiver.org
Full Circle of Care:
www.fullcirclecare.org
National Family Caregivers Association:
www.nfcacares.org
Caregiver Support Groups:
Virginia Tech Adult Day Services
(540) 231-3160
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
More than 4.5 million children are living in
households headed by grandparents. Many of these grandparents have
assumed full responsibility for their grandchildren’s basic needs.
These grandparents often lack information about support services,
benefits and policies they need to assist in their care-giving
efforts.
Listed below are resources and support group information that may
assist grandparents in their roles as caregivers:
AARP:
www.aarp.org
Brookdale Foundation:
www.brookdalefoundation.org
Generations United:
www.gu.org
Grandsplace:
www.grandsplace.com
Pulaski County Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Support Group
- meets the second Thursday of the month from 5:30-7:00 pm at Pulaski Elementary School.
- For more information, contact Cassie Mills at the Agency on Aging at (540) 980-7720 or Julie Williams at Pulaski Community Partners Coalition at (540) 980-3228.