Help for family caregivers

County of Los Angeles Community and Senior Services Office of Communications 3175 W. 6th Street, Suite 302, Los Angeles, CA 90020       psenette@css.lacounty.gov

 

 

 

           

http://css.lacounty.gov            July 3, 2008

PRESS RELEASE

Contact:  Patricia Holt          Tel: (213) 738-2065

                                                                                                           

                                                                                                                               

L.A. COUNTY AREA AGENCY ON AGING ANNOUNCES

HELP FOR FAMILY CAREGIVERS

 

LOS ANGELES COUNTY—In response to the many demands and pressures facing family caregivers who are caring for loved ones with disabling health conditions—in many cases forever changing the lives of families and caregivers—the Los Angeles County Area Agency on Aging (LACAAA) is launching an outreach campaign to inform caregivers of available support services to assist caregivers with education and training, coping skills to relieve depression, and respite to relieve stress and deterioration of the caregivers’ own health status.

   The term caregiver for this program refers to an adult (18 years of age or older) family member who provides assistance to someone else without pay who is, in some degree, incapacitated and needs help:  a husband who has suffered a heart attack, a wife with Alzheimer’s, a grandson with AIDS. We find in dedicated families that provide most of the care, the care can range from handling family members’ transportation to managing medications, feeding tubes and personal hygiene.  Here are a few of the signs that indicate a caregiver may need support:

·         Feeling completely overwhelmed

·         Feeling he/she cannot leave his/her family member alone

·         Trouble sleeping because of care of a family member

Grandparents, step-grandparents, or other older relatives (age 55 and older) identified as the primary caregiver of a young child are also eligible for this program and may receive support services provided by the LACAAA Family Caregiver Program.

“The Los Angeles County Area Agency on Aging has a support system of services in place for family caregivers; but many of the families in Los Angeles County are not aware of the program.  We are launching the Family Caregiver Outreach Campaign to reach as many families as possible” says Cynthia Banks, Director, Community and Senior Services/Los Angeles County Area Agency on Aging,

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The Family Caregiver Outreach Campaign is being conducted in partnership with community agencies currently contracted with the County to provide family caregivers services, such as:

·         Respite (a break for the caregiver from the daily responsibilities of caregiving)

·         Support Groups

·         Counseling Services (ranging from guidance with the responsibilities of the caregiving role to therapy for stress and depression)

·         Training (self-care skills to reduce stress)

·         Information about available resources

·         Assistance in gaining access to services

 

While helping a loved one who needs care can be positive, the effects on the caregiver can be devastating due to financial pressures, emotional turmoil and depression.  For information on how to obtain services call 800-510-2020.

 

 “It is so important that family caregivers have a simple way to reach services for themselves and family members.  Family caregivers are often overwhelmed, stressed and feel isolated.  The County is now reaching out to this often-neglected population with a very caring and supportive program.  I hope everyone who knows a caregiver or is providing help to a family member or friend calls because they don’t have to do it all alone,” says Donna Benton, Ph.D., Director, Los Angeles Caregiver Resource Center/USC Andrus Gerontology Center.

 

 “We want to reach as many families as possible with information about the Family Caregiver Program largely because of the tremendous need for the service and the fact that the senior population is growing—9,000 boomers a day turned 60 in 2007; and from 2010 to 2020, the 65+ population is projected to spike by 72%—and this will expand the need for services,” says Banks.       

 

According to AARP Public Policy Institute, 2007, 4 million family members in California are caring for someone over the age of 18; and 1.8 million households are caring for someone aged 50 or older (i.e., 16% of California’s 11,502,870 households [Scharlach, e al., 2003]).

 

            Here is the testimony of one client who received respite services from the program. “This has been the best time of my life.”   She has been a long-term caregiver for her husband with dementia, but she also has her own chronic health conditions. The respite she received through the Family Caregiver Program allowed her to get the rest she needed. She said she’s been listening to the radio and singing again—something she hasn’t done in years. She said that she was “so happy about the kitchen floor looking clean again.”

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All services and programs are free or low-cost.  For more information about the LACAAA Family Caregiver Program please call 800-510-2020.  A copy of the brochure, cover shown on the top of this press release, will be located at your senior center and other locations around the County. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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