Helpful Links for Caregivers Caregivers are the backbone of our nation's long-term care system.
The physical strains, emotional stresses and even financial hardship of caregiving can be intense, especially as the level of care escalates. Caregivers are so often focused on the person they are caring for that they find it difficult to find care for themselves.
The AARP Public Policy Institute says the unpaid value of the support provided by caregivers is worth billions.
There is help available. We have compiled the links in this page from reputable sources around the internet. We invite you to take some time out for yourself and click on the links below.
Acknowledging You Need Assistance
As caregivers, we sometimes become so involved in the day-to-day efforts to keep things going we may forget to let others know we need additional assistance with providing care, or just need a break from the work of caring for someone. Read more from the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization.
A Guide to Taking Care of Yourself
"The care you give to yourself is the care you give to your loved one," a caregiver said. Absolutely the easiest thing for someone to say and the hardest thing to accept is the advice to take care of yourself as a caregiver. Read more from the Family Caregiver Alliance.
Handbook for Long-Distance Caregivers
Whether you live an hour away or across the country, this booklet offers a roadmap for those new to the challenges of caring from afar for ill or elderly loved ones.Read this PDF from the Family Caregiver Alliance.
One way to think about caregiving is to see it as a set of stages.The National Family Caregivers Association and National Alliance for Caregiving explain.
Are you stressed or strained? AARP provides an interactive test of your stress level.
