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Successful Aging - Archived Article
Support for Caregivers
Thanks to the federal government's new Title III-E initiative, the New York State Office for the Aging has established the New York Elder Caregiver Support Program in each local Area Agency on Aging. With this additional funding, Broome County Office for Aging will be enhancing our services for unpaid caregivers of the elderly.
Caregivers need help in three major areas: education and training; counseling and support; and respite care. Because affordable respite care is most frequently identified by caregivers as an unmet need, Office for Aging will be concentrating on expanding respite opportunities in several ways.
What is respite? Respite simply means getting a break from caregiving. For instance, an adult social day program is a place where seniors who are isolated or have mental or physical impairments can spend part of the day while the caregiver attends to personal business. The new caregiver program will be improving access to social day care by providing additional transportation to Yesteryears, Office for Aging's social day program.
Another kind of respite provides professional supervision of the elder at home. To this end, Office for Aging is contracting with several local home care agencies to support up to four hours per week of in-home respite care for a limited number of family caregivers.
Sometimes caregivers need to temporarily place a relative in a care facility so they can get away overnight. We are also developing contracts with local nursing homes so that caregivers can obtain short-term placement.
These enhanced opportunities for caregivers to get a break will support community living for elders. Respite allows caregivers to rest, relax and renew their energy. It prevents isolation, alleviates emotional and physical strain, and allows caregivers to enjoy vacations or outings with other relatives and friends. Respite also improves caregiver skills. According to a recent study by the Center for Rural Elderly, lack of respite is the number one reason caregivers do not obtain the training and education they need to do their caregiving most effectively. Another benefit of respite is that the elder gets to spend time with other people and experience new activities. Both caregiver and care-receiver gain a new perspective.
By using respite services, caregivers are able to continue caregiving for much longer. But it's important to start using respite services before you experience burnout. Don't think of respite as a last resort-it should be part of your ongoing caregiving plan.
For more information on respite or other services for caregivers, call Office for Aging at 607.778.2411.