Family Caregiver Program
Caregiving is having a concern and then taking action on behalf of another person’s well-being.
Many family members do not describe themselves as caregivers but
If you provide:
- grocery shopping
- homemaking
- meal preparation
- rides to appointments
- assistance with bathing, dressing, walking, feeding
If you help:
- identify care options
- assist with legal/financial issues
- communicate with healthcare providers
- provide emotional and social support
If you face:
- discussing difficult decisions with family members
- dealing with siblings’ different opinions
- grieving the loss of a parent or spouse’s health
- the fear of not knowing what to do to help
If you answered yes to any of these responsibilities, you are a caregiver!
You might be providing care for a parent, an ill spouse, disabled sibling or grandchild, occasionally or daily. You might be miles away from your family member or across the street caring for a close friend. If you are doing just a few of these things, you are probably managing. But, if you are handling several of these jobs and juggling other responsibilities, it is a challenge!
Be the best caregiver you can be … we can help.
The Family Caregiver Program can help you:
- Assess your family member’s situation
- Discuss options by phone or in-home
- Answer your questions
- Inform you of services to assist in caring for your family member
- Educate you on caregiving, memory loss and programs to help pay for services
- Provide relief/respite and financial support for equipment to aid caregivers
Kay Vanags
Family Caregiver Specialist
(515) 255-6142 ext. 311
Wenda Bishop
Family Caregiver Counselor
(515) 255-6142 ext. 336
Downloadable Documents [PDF]
Family Caregiver Brochure
Family Caregiver Guidelines
Family Caregiver Application for Services
Family Caregiver Registration Form
Family Caregiver Respite Invoice
Elderly Waiver Qualifications Benefit
Medicaid Eligibility for Home-Based or Nursing Home Expenses
Alzheimer’s Disease: Unraveling the Mystery
Alzheimer’s From the Frontlines: Challenges a National Alzheimer’s Plan Must Address
American Psychological Association (APA) Caregiver Briefcase
Generation Alzheimer’s: The Defining Disease of the Baby Boomers
Guide to Choosing a Nursing Home
Medicare & You 2012
So Far Away
Taking Care of Yourself
Valuing the Invaluable: 2011 Update The Growing Contributions and Costs of Family Caregiving
Working Caregivers: Finding a Balance
World Alzheimer Report 2011: The benefits of early diagnosis and intervention
