Getting Help
- Establish routine assistance from family, friends, and neighbors to build a support network you can call on when you need a break.
- Adult day care facilities can help make your schedule more manageable and provide social interaction for your loved one.
- Professional caregiving help may seem expensive, but it’s often a smart investment in your well-being.
Next Step
Learn techniques to control your stress and stay healthy.
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Many caregivers have trouble accepting help even when it’s offered. When you share
caregiving duties, you’re not shirking your responsibilities -- you’re giving
someone else a chance to feel good about helping both your loved one (and you).
Still, getting caregiving help from friends, family, and neighbors can seem like
more trouble than it’s worth, especially when someone doesn’t show up on time. By
delegating small, regular activities -- such as a ride to a weekly appointment --
you begin to establish a base of reliable help you can call on when you need a break.
Several tools can help you coordinate support, including
Family CareGroups.
Many communities have adult day care centers, including some that provide health care. As
with child care, these programs can make a busy schedule much more manageable. Churches
and other community groups may offer volunteer programs that provide rides, simple respite
care, or other forms of help. Your local Area Agency on Aging can connect you to these
services.
Professional caregiving help can be expensive, but remember that it’s an investment in your
well-being -- and your continuing ability to provide care. Geriatric care managers, for
example, assess your loved one’s situation, arrange proper care, and often monitor care on
an ongoing basis. Home health aides provide extensive in-home caregiving services.
Content shown was developed in collaboration between AGIS and Family Caregiver Alliance.
