When someone you love becomes ill, is diagnosed with a disease, or has a tragedy strike that causes them to need help functioning with daily living, most people want to do what they can to help that person. Once you start providing some type of daily care to someone who is not able to do it all for themselves, you become a caregiver to a care dependant individual. A few examples of giving care are assisting with bathing, dressing, grooming, walking, transferring, toileting, wound care, eating, medication administration, or general supervision for those that can’t be left alone due to physical or mental impairments.
Being a caregiver can be an exhausting and stressful situation. Admitting that does not mean you don’t feel you want, or need, to take care of your loved one. It is nothing to be ashamed of. Caregiver burnout is common and comes when the caregiver takes on the responsibility of providing for all of the needs of the care dependent individual without acknowledging that it is hard and that they may need some help. It is okay to ask for help.
Your local Area Agency on Aging offers a program, the Family Caregiver Support
Program, which is geared toward assisting caregivers in Warren and Forest Counties.
This program offers a small financial reimbursement to caregivers to aide in the cost of paying for supplies or services associated with caring for their loved one. It can also help with the cost of an assistive device or home modification that assists in the care of the care receiver. Eligible supplies must be non-prescription items such as: Depends, gauze, bandages, ointments, Boost, Ensure, vitamins, etc. Some examples of eligible services include paying for someone to come and help bathe the care receiver, do housekeeping, or to sit with him/her while the caregiver gets a break.
Qualifications are that the caregiver (anyone over 18) must be caring for someone age 60 and over on a daily basis due to a significant illness which makes them functionally dependant on someone else for care in at least one area. Or, the caregiver may be caring for anyone with a chronic dementia diagnosis regardless of the care receiver’s age.
Grandparents who are the primary caregiver to children under the age of 18 can also qualify for reimbursements for supplies and services associated with caring for that child through this program. Reimbursement is based on the amount of entire household income. A percentage of what is spent on care, up to 100%, will be reimbursed up to a maximum of $500 depending upon household income and assessment determination.
Please contact the Area Agency on Aging for more information at 723-3763.