Caregivers provide a great deal of informal community care, which produces benefits such as increased quality of life for care-recipients and reduced public expenditures for institutional care. The majority of all long term care is provided by these caregivers. Unfortunately, caregiving can be very stressful.
In order to offer some relief to the caregiver, Congress began funding in FY 2001 for a new program called the National Family Caregiver Support Program. Alabama Cares is a part of this. It provides services that will help caregivers to continue caregiving efforts which in turn will allow care-recipients to remain in the community for a longer period of time.
Services are available to (1) Caregivers of any age who provide care to individuals age 60+ or (2) Caregivers age 60+ caring for children age 18 or younger. Targeted care recipients are those with greatest social and/or economic need and/or older caregivers providing care to mentally retarded or developmentally disabled individuals 18 years of age or younger.
There is no fee for this program but contributions are encouraged for those who are able. The Alabama Department of Senior Services has developed a cost sharing plan for this program listing a suggested contribution schedule.
Alabama Cares is designed to support caregivers by providing
- Information about services
- Assistance in obtaining services
- Counseling to help Caregivers cope
- Respite to give Caregivers a break through adult day care, unskilled or skilled respite in the home or respite in an institution
- Supplemental Services to fill the gaps include sponsorship for Emergency Response Systems; incontinent and other caregiving supplies; caregiving equipment; sponsorship for home delivered meals and nutritional supplements.
For more information, please contact our Care Coordinator at the Area Agency On Aging (334) 793-6843 or (800) 239-3507.
Click here to view the schedule for Caregiver support meetings.
