Caregiver Support

The Family Caregiver Support Program is designed to benefit you in your caregiver role. Services are designed to meet the individual needs of caregivers and their situation. This program connects you with the right information and available community resources for your particular caregiving needs. Services include information and assistance, respite care and other supplemental services.

AVAILABLE SERVICES
Information
Assistance
Education / Training
Grandparents and Relatives As Surrogate Parents
Social Support
Resources

OFFICE HOURS
Monday – Friday
8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

CONTACT NUMBERS

812-948-8330

888-948-8330 Toll Free

812-542-6895 TTY

877-641-5826 TTY Toll Free

WHO IS A CAREGIVER?
A caregiver provides assistance to another who is experiencing limitations in one or more daily activities. These activities may include: bathing, grooming, meal preparation, grocery shopping, transportation, medication management, feeding, and/or walking – mobilization. Caregivers are also providing kinship care and raising children not their own.

Caregiving may be short term or it may happen over a long period of time. Some people become caregivers gradually while to others, it happens overnight. It depends on the disease, disability, or the reason a child’s parents may no longer be able to care for them.

Those caring for another in the above situations who are unpaid are considered Informal Caregivers or Family Caregivers. These individuals provide help or arrange help for another. Assistance can be provided on a full-time or part-time basis, and the caregiver may or may not live with the person requiring help.

If you have identified yourself as a family or informal caregiver, help is available through the Family Caregiver Support Program to assist you in your role.

INFORMATION
The Caregiver Support Coordinator is available to listen to concerns, answer questions and provide information about elder care resources in Southern Indiana. A caregiver presentation is available to local groups and agencies to increase knowledge of caregiver needs and existing caregiver resources.

ASSISTANCE
Access to services and community agencies can be accomplished thru the Caregiver Support Coordinator. The coordinator is available to assist you with making telephone calls, advocating for your needs, and by referrals to appropriate agencies.

EDUCATION / TRAINING
Understanding the emotional strain and stresses of caregiving, the Caregiver Support Coordinator can provide materials on coping strategies for caregivers. Local training and conferences will also be developed to meet the needs of caregivers.

GRANDPARENTS AND RELATIVES AS SURROGATE PARENTS (G.R.A.S.P.)
Due to the rising number of grandparents and relatives raising children not their own, the G.R.A.S.P. support group was established to provide support and education. The Caregiver Support Coordinator has information and resources to aid a relative caregiver in the often unexpected role of being a parent for the first, second, or maybe even the third time around.

A monthly newsletter is published to address the specific needs and questions of GRASP members to assist them in their daily lives.

The 2nd Annual “Get A GRASP” Conference was held on June 28, 2003 at Personal Counseling Services, Inc. in Clarksville, Indiana. The conference addressed “Where Indiana is Today” in regards to kinship care and relative caregivers had a chance to share their personal story.

G.R.A.S.P. SUPPORT GROUP
The number of grandparents raising grandchildren in American homes continues to rise. According to the US Census Bureau Report for 2000, 5.5 million children live with a grandparent. This is 7.7% of all children in the United States.

Due to the great number of grandparents raising grandchildren, a support group, Grandparents and Relatives as Surrogate Parents (G.R.A.S.P.) was formed. The mutual support group shares information and resources on topics ranging from child development, discipline, mental health, financial resources, and the legal system. Click on the link above to access meeting times and location.

SOCIAL SUPPORT
Support groups are a valuable tool to caregivers that enable them to meet and discuss with others the rewards and stressors of caregiving. The Caregiver Support Coordinator is available to help start a support group and will also provide information on current groups and other social activities to relieve caregiver isolation.

RESOURCES
The Caregiver Support Coordinator has many pamphlets and brochures available on a range of topics.

Helpful web page links:

AARP www.aarp.org
AARP Grandparents www.aarp.org/grandparents
Administration on Aging www.aoa.gov
American Medical Association www.ama-assn.org
American Society on Aging www.asaging.org
Benefits Check Up www.benefitscheckup.org
Breaking New Ground www.ecn.purdue.edu/ABE/Extension/BNG
Caregivers-USA.org www.caregivers-usa.org
Children of Aging Parents www.caps4caregivers.org
Eldercare Locator www.eldercare.gov
Eldercare On-Line www.ec-online.net
Family Caregiver Alliance www.caregiver.org
Family Care America www.familycareamerica.com
Generations United www.gu.org
Grand Parent Again www.grandparentagain.com
GrandsPlace www.grandsplace.com
National Family Caregiver Association www.nfcacares.org
Rosalynn Carter Institute www.rci.gsw.edu
The Caregivers Marketplace www.caregiversmarketplace.com