Caregiver Support Services are designed to offer informal caregivers such as family, friends, and neighbors of all ages to carry out caregiving responsibilities. Caregiver support services provide information and assistance (case management), caregiver training, respite in the form of level 1 and level 2 personal care assistance, consumer directed in-home services, in-home contact and support services, social adult day services, supplemental services of transportation, caregiver meals, and personal emergency response services. These services are defined as follows:

Assistance

Case Management

Services consist of assessment and reassessments, care planning, arranging for services, follow-up and monitoring and discharge planning. Case Management services are provided by our caseworkers who are certified by Boston University's School of Social Work's Center for Aging & Disability Education & Research (CADER) program. The Washington County Office for Aging and Disabilities Resource Center will pay the full cost of all approved Case Management Services.  A contribution of $5.00 per month is suggested to support the continuation of these services, but no one will be denied services because of an inability or unwillingness to contribute.

Respite 

We offer nonmedical respite services for caregivers.  These services are available to provide companionship, supervision, and some assistance with personal needs so that a caregiver can have a break. 

Personal Care (PC) Services

Personal Care (PC) Services are nonmedical care provided in two ways and is divided by levels:

     
         Level 1 PC Services are in the form of household chores, shopping, laundry, preparing meals, managing money, escorting to appointments, and other essential task/errands.

       Level 2 PC Services are task that may include all the level 1 assistance and also include bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, walking and transferring assistance, supervising and providing support to the consumer for their medication administration, routine skin care, and other essential nonmedical care. 

The Washington County Office for Aging and Disabilities Resource Center will pay the full cost of all approved PC Services.  A contribution of $5.00 per hour is suggested to support the continuation of these services, but no one will be denied services because of an inability or unwillingness to contribute.

Consumer Directed In-Home Personal Care Services

Consumer Directed In-Home Personal Care Services is a system in which the individual in need of care, or their family/caregiver determine what services are necessary. They do the decision-making. It is a creative way to enable older American's to maintain their independence and dignity by making their own choices in the services they receive by directing their own care. This program enhances the ability of family members or other informal caregivers to care for an older person in a home environment and can provide non-institutional respite supports. 

 The Washington County Office for Aging and Disabilities Resource Center will pay the full cost of all approved In-home services.  A contribution of $5.00 per hour is suggested to support the continuation of these services, but no one will be denied services because of an inability or unwillingness to contribute.

In-Home Contact and Support Services

In-Home Contact and Support Services and activities are designed to provide support to caregivers for their care receivers who are isolated because of physical and/or cognitive limitations. These services include but are not limited to, friendly visiting and telephone calls. 

Social Adult Day Services (SADS)

Social Adult Day Services (SADS) is a structured, comprehensive program which provides functionally impaired individuals with socialization, supervision and monitoring, personal care, and nutrition in a protective setting. SADS provide caregivers an opportunity for much deserved respite. The Washington County Office for Aging and Disabilities Resource Center will pay the full cost of all approved SADS services. A contribution of $10.00 a day is suggested to support the continuation of these services, but no one will be denied service because of an inability or unwillingness to contribute.

Supplemental Caregiver Services

These services that include transportation, personal emergency response services (PERS) and home delivered meals. Details of these programs can be found on our web pages.   

Additional Caregiver Resources

Caregiver Trainings

Caregiver Trainings are provided by our CADER certified caseworkers and provide caregivers with instruction to improve knowledge and performance to specific skills related to their caregiver roles. We offer Powerful Tools for Caregivers, which is a six-week class, developed to provide family caregivers information about self-care. Family caregivers will be given tools to reduce personal stress; change negative self-talk; communicate more effectively in challenging situations; manage their emotions; and make tough caregiving decisions. This training is a space where caregivers can talk about how they feel by sharing their stories and struggles and hear others who are feeling the stress of caregiving. The Washington County Office for Aging and Disabilities Resource Center will pay the full cost of all approved Caregiver Training.  A contribution of $5.00 per class per session is suggested to support the continuation of these services, but no one will be denied services because of an inability or unwillingness to contribute.

Trualta

Caring for a loved one and don't know where to start? New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) and Aging-NY has given New York State caregivers free access to a Caregiver Portal through Trualta. Trualta can be accessed online by caregivers whenever they need.  For more information go to New York Caregiver

TCARE Screening

Do you provide unpaid care to a family member, friend, or neighbor who has an illness, disability, memory loss, injury, or special need? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you are a caregiver! Are you feeling overwhelmed, constantly worried, tired, sad, easily irritated, and/or extremely stressed? You are not alone and there is support available. If you would like to learn more about resources, tools, and supports available for caregivers, please answer the following questions to get connected to the right starting place. 

1. Are you over the age of 18 and caring for an older adult (age 60+)?
2. Are you over the age of 18 caring for an individual (any age) with Alzheimer’s disease or a related disorder (e.g., dementia, traumatic brain injury, mild cognitive impairment, chronic traumatic encephalopathy)?
3. Are you over the age of 55 and living with and caring for a child (not biological) under the age of 18?
4. Are you over the age of 55 and living with and caring for an adult (can be a biological child) aged 18-59 with a disability?

If you answered yes to any of the questions above, you are eligible for the National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP). If you would like to learn more about how this program can assist you, please take this short screen for an initial assessment of your wellbeing, and a Program Specialist will reach out to discuss the results. The evidence-based screener asks you to reflect on your experiences and respond to a series of statements based on identified rating scales in each section. This screener is used to help you and the Program Specialist better understand your situation and define an individualized plan to meet your unique caregiving needs.

If you answered no to all the questions above, or you are not interested in taking the evidence-based screen, there is still help available to you through the Any Care Counts - New York (ACC-NY) Campaign which recognizes and supports the millions of unpaid caregivers across the state! Through ACC-NY you can discover your caregiver intensity score by taking the ARCHANGELS Caregiver Intensity Index (CII). It takes just 2 minutes to complete. You will find out whether you are “in the red," "yellow" or "green," and be connected to trusted resources.  

Do you prefer to search resources on your own? Visit the NY Connects Resource Directory. NY Connects links individuals of all ages and their caregivers to long term services and supports and provides one stop access to free, objective, comprehensive information, and assistance.

ARCHANGELS

Caring for a loved one is an honor....it's also really intense. Over half the people "helping" a loved one, friend, or neighbor is in the caregiver role and don't realize it. ARCHANGELS can help you realize and understand that there is intensity in being a caregiver and that intensity can be measured and supported. That intensity you are feeling is real and you're not alone. For more information go to ARCHANGELS 

Support Groups & Educational Sessions     

There are also a variety of caregiver support groups available throughout the Washington/Warren County areas. Washington County Aging and Disability Resource Center has provided a few links to help with your search of these support groups. If you need further assistance, please contact our office at (518)746-2420.

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