Caregiver Initiative

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Vermont’s Area Agencies on Aging each have web-pages dedicated to providing family caregivers helpful information about caregiver local and national resources including Trainings, Workshops, Support Groups, Respite, Counseling and other Assistance. Check out the resource for your area.

Champlain Valley Agency on Aging  www.cvaa.org/services.cgsupport.shtml

Northeast Vermont Area Agency on Aging www.nevaaa.org/services.htm#cgiver

Central Vermont Council on Aging www.cvcoa.org/FamilyCaregiverSupport.html

Council on Aging for Southeast Vermont www.coasevt.org/caregiver.html

Southwestern Vermont Council on Aging www.svcoa.org/caregiver.php

If you are a long-distance caregiver seeking information on area agencies on aging and community-based organizations that serve older adults and their caregivers outside of Vermont you can access the Eldercare Locator www.eldercare.gov to find resources in any U.S. community.

If you are looking for Rewarding Work as a paid caregiver or you are seeking caregiving help, check out the Vermont Direct Care Worker Registry www.rewardingwork.org/State-Resources/Vermont.aspx

New

Employing a Caregiver in Your Home - Important Information You Should Know is a new up-to-date, helpful guide from The Vermont Association of Area Agencies on Aging. It gives two options for finding a caregiver; it describes how to conduct background checks on a potential employee; it lists your responsibilities as an employer and provides information on accessing forms and tools to assist you; and it outlines the penalties for not taking the appropriate steps. There is also a handy Employer Checklist.

The National Family Caregivers Association (NFCA) educates, supports, empowers and speaks up for the more than 50 million Americans who are family caregivers. NFCA reaches across the boundaries of diagnoses, relationships and life stages to help transform family caregivers' lives by removing barriers to health and well being. www.thefamilycaregiver.org/

If you are experiencing physical illness, depression, grief, and other changes, Caring for Caregivers may be a helpful site for you. www.strengthforcaring.com/manual/stress-relief-stress-management-tips/caring-for-caregivers/

www.familycaregiving101.org is designed to provide caregivers with the basic tools, skills and information they need to protect their own physical and mental health while they provide high quality care for their loved one. It is also a place for family caregivers to return again and again as new levels of caregiving are reached.

AGIS (short for Assist Guide Information Services) is a web resource for caregivers at www.agis.com. You can get information on topics such as home care, daily living aids, long-term care solutions, support services, legal and financial help and more. It also lets you ask questions, links you to other caregivers for support and information, and offers a variety of checklists that suggest tips on what to do as a caregiver and how to do it.

www.caring.com also offers practical information, articles, caregiving to-do lists, links to local resources and much more.

At www.aarp.org/family/caregiving you can find tips and worksheets on a wide range of issues including long-distance caregiver, as well as access to their Caregiving Tool Kit

Medicare has a special area dedicated to topics of interest to caregivers such as financial support, medical tips, care options, help navigating the Medicare system and more www.medicare.gov/caregivers/

Additional Resources for Professional Caregivers

Direct Care Alliance is a national organization that’s building awareness and unity around the importance of a stable and valued direct care workforce. www.directcarealliance.org

Health Care for Health Care Workers - National health care reform must work for America’s direct-care workforce. Visit this resource center to stay on top of critical policy developments relating to the direct care workforce. www.hchcw.org

Legislative Study of the Direct Care Workforce in Vermont – This study funded by the Vermont Legislature directed the Commisioner of the Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living (DAIL) to gather information and develop informed policies and practices to address the workforce shortage. The research focused on the issues of workforce quantity and availability, quality, and stability across care and support settings and consumer populations, as well as, the financial issues that will need attention. The March 2008 final report presents 9 recommendations. www.dail.vermont.gov/dail-publications

National Alliance of Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) is a coalition of organizations and individuals committed to strengthening the quality of human service support by strengthening the direct support workforce. The group has representatives from the fields of mental health, developmental disabilities, child welfare, education, and many others in the human services community. www.nadsp.org

The College of Direct Support provides an internet based curriculum for Direct Support Professionals. They believe in educating a workforce of Direct Support Professionals to support individuals with disabilities – “Building Careers, Supporting Lives.” Their curriculum, values and mission are based on the premise that all people should live life to its fullest in community-based settings. http://info.collegeofdirectsupport.com/

The Mission of the National Association of Health Care Assistants is to elevate the professional standing and performance of Caregivers through recognition, advocacy, education and empowerment; while building a strong alliance with health care providers to maximize success and quality care. Their web-site offers experience-based, peer-driven solutions to long term care. www.nahcacares.org

The National Network of Career Nursing Assistants is an educational organization promoting recognition, education, research, advocacy and peer support development for nursing assistants in nursing homes and other long term care settings. www.cna-network.org

PHI National  works to improve the lives of people who need home or residential care – by improving the lives of the workers who provide that care. See this site for policy issues, videos and other resources for and about direct care workers. www.phinational.org

The Pioneer Network is a national organization that envisions a culture of aging that is life-affirming, satisfying, humane and meaningful. Visit this site to learn more about person-centered care and culture change in long-term care. www.pioneernetwork.net

Volunteers of America offer a free on-line training program for Direct Support Professionals (DSP) at www.trdirectcare.org. It consists of 12 separate training modules dealing with the skills you need to be a DSP.

HealthCare Interactive and the Alzheimer’s Association offer CARES, a fee-based on- line dementia care training program, for LNAs and other direct-care workers. This 10-module (10-hour) program features hundreds of videos of real residents, LNAs, and staff members and has received many positive reviews.  www.hcinteractive.com/CARES?event=Cares.Home