If you are a caregiver for a parent or spouse, it might help to know there are many types of resources out there just for you. You may not even think of yourself as a caregiver, so you may not think to search for these resources.
If you’re responsible for helping someone manage the tasks of daily living, then you qualify as a caregiver.
The resources below are ones Indiana caregivers will find to be especially helpful.
1. The National Family Caregiver Support Program in Indiana
The Older Americans Act includes provisions for The National Family Caregiver Support Program. This federal program gives money to states for the purpose of supporting family caregivers. In Indiana, for example, there is the Northwest Indiana Community Action.
The NICA offers information about further resources for caregivers, help with gaining access to those services, counseling, support groups, and respite care so caregivers can take a break.
Some Indiana caregivers have found this organization to be helpful with finding solutions to transportation and home improvement services, too. Finally, if you need information on legal assistance for yourself or your senior loved one, they may be able to direct you to some recommended resources.
If you’d like to learn more, you can call them at 1-800-826-7871.
2. The Veterans Administration (VA) in Indiana
Veteran Health Indiana offers both online and in-person caregiver support programs. The online program is offered in the form of a six-week workshop. Participants who log into the workshops receive training in how to deal with stress and how to communicate more effectively.
The Indiana VA in-person support groups also run as workshops and are offered several times throughout the year.
A sampling of workshops offered through Veterans Health Indiana:
- Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction
- Stress Management for the Caregiver
- Caring While Sharing
- Caregiver Peer Support Mentoring Program
The support programs offered through the VA are, understandably, aimed at helping people who care for veterans. If your senior loved one is a veteran, you can all the VA Caregiver Support Line at 1-855-260-3274 for more information.
3. National Veterans Administration Caregiver Support Resources
The VA operates a national Caregiver Support Line. Again, the services offered include information, resources, and tools for people who care for a U.S. veteran. You can call the support line at 1-855-260-3274.
They also manage a national network of Caregiver Support Coordinators. Their website allows caregivers to search for a coordinator in their area.
4. Support Groups in Your Indiana Neighborhood
Caregiver support groups exist throughout Indiana. Some originate from hospitals, such as the one run by Putnam County Hospital in Greencastle, IN. Others are actually Indiana chapters of the Alzheimer’s Association. Obviously, the AA support groups are for those caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease.
Caregivers in Indiana Have Even More Resources
Five Star Senior Living operates 16 communities in Indiana. Special events at our communities sometimes include caregiver support group meetings. It’s just one of the reasons many of our retirement communities have received perfect scores on surveys conducted in Indiana. To find out more, call one of our Indiana communities or schedule a tour online.