Caregivers Need Support Too!

For many of us, there will come a point in our lives when we need to step up, in an unpaid capacity, to support a loved one who is no longer able to take care of themselves. For 53 million adults across the United States, the role of family caregiver is one that may begin slowly, as a relative slowly loses the ability to complete activities of daily living, or quickly, such as following a medical emergency.

72% of family caregivers report that the emotional stress from their role  is the top difficulty they face as a family caregiver, and for many that stress is the direct result of feeling unsupported and alone as they face the daunting task of adding caregiving on top of all their other roles and responsibilities. To effectively care for your loved one, it is essential to continue taking care of yourself. Exploring and using different support options available to family caregivers in Santa Clara County.

• If your loved one has Medi-Cal, consider having them apply for In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) available through the County of Santa Clara Social Services Agency. IHSS provides in-home assistance with household and personal care services to individuals who are blind, live with a disability, or are aged 65 years and older.  Sharing the load of caregiving with a hired care provider provides much needed free time. For other family caregivers, they may choose to receive payment from IHSS to ease some of the financial burden of caregiving.
• If your loved one does not have Medi-Cal, there are many out-of-pocket in-home care agencies to choose from as well. Even paying for a few hours of care a week may create some precious pockets of spare time for an exhausted family caregiver.
• Lastly, there are a few short-term respite options available in one-time grants. Caregivers Network by Sourcewise offers respite care grants to temporarily relieve family caregivers from their caregiving responsibilities, and this program has no insurance or income requirement to be eligible. Community Supports through Santa Clara Family Health Plan and Anthem Blue Cross also have respite care options for Medi-Cal recipients reliant on a family caregiver.

Being a family caregiver is a selfless and often never-ending role. Consider getting support and pouring into yourself so you’re not pouring from an empty cup when caring for a loved one.

Connect with a Community Resource Specialist at (408) 350-3200, option 1 to explore what options are available to you and your family.