Family Caregiver Support & Training

Family caregivers are responsible for the physical, emotional and often financial support of another person who is unable to care for him/herself due to illness, injury or disability. Family members and friends primarily provide most long-term care at home in the United States: 58% of care recipients 50 or older live in their own home and 20% live with their caregiver. Caring for a loved one is rewarding and satisfying and it can also be stressful and exhausting. Senior and Disability Services offers tools to care for caregivers.

Access to Caregiver Support – Family Caregiver Resource Specialists assist family caregivers by providing a place to start and by providing information and assistance to caregiver resources in our area. The resource specialists also help to develop plans for care. For more information, contact Sandy Divine at 541-471-3853.

Powerful Tools for Caregivers is a workshop that helps family caregivers and other unpaid caregivers learn to take care of themselves while caring for an older relative or friend regardless of care setting. Certified instructors give six weekly 1 ½ hour sessions.  For those who are interested, longer, 2 1/2 hour sessions are available. Click here for more information and class schedule.

Family Caregiver Respite – Senior and Disability Services can provide respite care grants to allow family caregivers a brief period of rest and relief by paying for temporary, substitute supports or living arrangements for care recipients. Eligible recipients are family caregivers caring for dependent adults; people with disabilities of all ages, or family relatives aged 55 or older who are caring for children.

Powerful Tools for Caregivers Workshops are also available for grandparents caring for grandchildren. Grandparents develop tools to care for themselves while caring for children.

STAR-C is a home-based program to assist family caregivers living with someone with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia who are dealing with challenging or frustrating behaviors, and are feeling frustrated, depressed or anxious. A STAR-C Consultant provides four face-to-face visits and six follow-ups by phone. Click here for more information.

Teepa Snow Positive Approach to Care (PAC) – Senior and Disability Services offers Teepa Snow’s Positive Approach to Care (PAC) One-on-one Dementia Consultation.  A Certified PAC Consultant works with a family caregiver to learn skills to better meet the needs of their loved one who is living with dementia.  The Consultant offers a specialized approach to dementia care and helps the family caregiver learn problem solving techniques and increase their dementia awareness and knowledge.  In the process, the Consultant is able to identify needed skills and train the family caregiver in those skills.  For more information, contact the ADRC and ask about a Teepa Snow Dementia Consultation.  Click here for more information.

Don’t see what you want?  Contact the ADRC at 541-618-7572 or Click here.