the better you can help

COVID-19 resources for family caregivers

• AARP — Download an overview called Preparedness for Caregivers during COVID19.

• University of Michigan — See a selection of COVID-19 resources for patients and families.

Getting started with taking care of a family member or friend

• AARP — See the five steps to take as you begin caring for a family member. Download the family caregiver guide that’s full of helpful checklists and definitions. Available in multiple languages. 
  https://www.aarp.org/caregiving/prepare-to-care-planning-guide/

• Atlas of Care — Learn how to make a simple diagram showing the overall picture of where you give or get help, support, and advice as you care for a family member or friend.
  https://atlasofcaregiving.com/caremap/

• Office on Women's Health (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services) — Read about the stress of caregiving in a fact sheet outlining the signs, symptoms, and management of family caregiver stress.
  https://owh-wh-d9-dev.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/documents/fact-sheet-caregiver-stress.pdf

• CaregiverStress.com — Find worksheets that help you manage the many aspects of caregiving. If the person you're caring for has dementia, give the Dementia-Related Behaviors Chart to his or her doctor. http://www.caregiverstress.com/senior-safety/health-information- management/senior-emergency-kit/worksheets-checklists/

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General family caregiving information

• AARP — Get helpful information on a wide variety of topics, including medical, financial, and legal aspects of family caregiving. 
  https://www.aarp.org/caregiving/

• Family Caregiver Alliance — Click on your state to find local resources for family caregivers.
  https://www.caregiver.org/

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Family caregiving skills, products, and support

• Caregiving Pathways — For help with any aspect of family caregiving, schedule a free 30-minute consultation. 
  https://calendly.com/beth-75/one-to-one-support?month=2021-10&date=2021-10-19

• The Caregiving Years Training Academy — Learn skills, techniques, and strategies to help you care for a family member and formalize your role as a family caregiver through the Certified Family Care Manager training. https://www.careyearsacademy.com/cfcm/pilot/

• Smart Caregiving — Find products created by family caregivers for family caregivers and round-the-clock telephone or email support. 
  https://smart-caregiving.com/

• ARCH National Respite Network and Resource Center — Use the National Respite Locator to find respite resources in your area.
  https://archrespite.org/respitelocator

Getting paid to care for a family member

• AARP — There are limited options for getting paid to provide care for a family member, including Medicaid and veterans support. But new options are emerging, so research what's available in your state.
  https://www.aarp.org/caregiving/financial-legal/info-2017/you-can-get-paid-as-a-family-caregiver.html

Hands-on care: Managing medications and caring for wounds

• AARP — Find time-saving tips on managing multiple medications.
  https://www.aarp.org/caregiving/health/info-2017/medication-management.html

• AARP — See videos for family caregivers on caring for wounds, treating pressure ulcers, maintaining ostomy bags, and more. 
  https://www.aarp.org/ppi/initiatives/home-alone-alliance/

Learning about health conditions

• U.S. Office on Women’s Health (part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) — Find information on dozens of health topics. Much of the information is not just for women. 
  https://www.womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/

• The Office of Minority Health (part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) — See information on health issues common to African Americans, Asian Americans, American Indians/Alaska Natives, Latinas, Native Hawaiians, other Pacific Islanders, and more. Language assistance is available for many languages. 
  https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/omh/content.aspx-?ID=146&lvl=1&lvlID=3

Information on managing a hospital stay

• Caregiving Pathways — If a family member is in the hospital or you worry that a health crisis may occur, download a free family caregiver guide to managing the hospital stay. 
  https://www.caregivingpathways.com/the-hospital-stay

Information on aging

• Eldercare Locator — Enter your zip code or a topic to find assistance in your community for older adults and family caregivers. 
  https://eldercare.acl.gov/Public/Index.aspx

• National Institute on Aging — Learn how a geriatric care manager can help with an older family member. 
  https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/what-geriatric-care-manager

Safety at home

• Life Alert — Use this medical alert system to summon help for anyone having a home health emergency. 
  http://www.lifealert.com/

• PillMap — Use this companion to your traditional weekly pill organizer as a visual guide to make sure medications are correct.
  https://pillmap.com/

Online tools that help coordinate information and tasks

• Caring Bridge — This site acts as a central coordination hub for you and your family and friends. 
  https://www.caringbridge.org/

• Doodle — Scheduling family meetings is so easy with this site. 
  https://doodle.com/

• Lotsa Helping Hands — Set up a Help Calendar and send the link to people who ask how they can help. You can list things like providing a family meal, giving a ride to a doctor appointment, or scheduling a visiting time. 
  https://lotsahelpinghands.com/

• eCare21 — Long-distance caregivers can use this app and a wearable smart device to monitor a loved one’s heart rate, glucose levels, and other health data.
  https://ecare21.com/

• Medisafe — Use this app to monitor medications, see side effects to look out for, and more. Doctors can use the app to connect with patients. 
  https://medisafe.com/

Managing Medicare

• Medicare.gov — Learn how Medicare works. 
  https://www.medicare.gov/what-medicare-covers/your-medicare-coverage-choices/whats-medicare

Medicaid Waivers

• Medicaidwaiver.org — Learn how Medicaid can help people receive long-term care at home or in the community rather than in a nursing home or hospital. 
  http://medicaidwaiver.org/

Managing hospice

• Medicare.gov — Learn how hospice care works. 
  https://www.medicare.gov/what-medicare-covers/what-part-a-covers/how-hospice-works

Native American drug rehab support

• Addiction treatment centers — Find the center closest to your location.
  https://drugrehabus.org/rehabs/treatment/native-american/ 

Veterans information

• Federal Benefits — Learn about government benefits for veterans. 
  https://www.va.gov/opa/publications/benefits_book/2017_Federal_Benefits_for_Veterans.pdf

• Military Caregiver Support — Find resources for military caregivers. 
  https://www.woundedwarrior.af.mil/Portals/23/documents/083016_CaregiverSupportResources2016.pdf?ver=2016-08-30-163523-473

• Respite — Get information on respite relief for military and veteran caregivers.
  https://hiddenheroes.org/respite/

End-of-life information

• The Conversation Project — See the Conversation Starter Kit and other tools to help your family begin difficult conversations about the end of life. 
  https://theconversationproject.org/

• International End of Life Doula Association — If you’d like help with an end-of-life vigil, use the registry on this site to locate an end-of-life doula. 
  https://www.inelda.org/find-doula/

• Caregiving Pathways — Before a care plan becomes an end-of-life plan, download our free family caregiver guide to managing the end of life. https://www.caregivingpathways.com/end-of-life-planning

Additional resources

• Northern Westchester Hospital — This Northwell Health hospital has a family caregiver center that inspired the creation of many other centers. This site features a diverse list of resources that include a number of blogs for family caregivers. 
  http://nwhc.net/online-resources-for-family-caregivers

• Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving — Discover extensive additional resources.
  http://www.rosalynncarter.org/caregiver_resources/

• Parentgiving — See simple steps to increase safety at home, in the car, and beyond.
  https://www.parentgiving.com/elder-care/50-safety-tips-for-seniors/

After caregiving ends

• The Caregiving Years Training Academy — Learn how to start a business helping other family caregivers.
  https://www.careyearsacademy.com/transform/

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