Caregiver Program

National Family Caregiver Support Program
This program provides assistance to informal caregivers – spouses, adult children, other family members, friends and neighbors, in their efforts to care for an older person who needs help with everyday tasks. This may include certain aspect of personal care, such as, bathing, dressing, and grooming, as well as, light housekeeping, errands, grocery shopping, providing meals, transportation, monitoring, supervision, and companionship. Because of the assistance received, this older person with chronic illnesses or disabilities is able to remain in their home, instead of being placed in residential facility.

Available services include:

• Individual Counseling to determine needs, to solve problems encountered by the caregiver and to find measures to cope with the stress of caregiving. Referrals are made to programs, services and resources available to assist.
• Education/Training: Periodic in-services on communication skills, caring for yourself, and Alzheimer’s Disease and other dementias are a few of the topics covered.
• Respite Services: Respite temporarily relieves caregivers from their responsibilities by providing a short-term break.  One respite option is to have an aide come into the home a few hours per week to provide monitoring, supervision and companionship to the care receiver.  This could also include aspects of care, such as assistance with bathing, dressing, and grooming, as well as light housekeeping, meal preparation, grocery shopping, errands, and transportation.  Another option is out-of-home respite for Social Adult Day Care at Bethany Village Day Club.   The Day Club is a program of structured activities designed for adults who may require supportive care. The Day Club provides social interaction and stimulating recreational activities. It also provides a secure, pleasant and home-like atmosphere, which promotes independence and self-esteem. 
• Caregivers Resource Library: Books, pamphlets, and articles related to caregiving, as well as age-related diseases, are available at OFA, the Montour Falls Library & Watkins Glen Library to offer easy access to a wide-variety of materials.
• Supplemental Services: Examples include, but are not limited to, assistive technology, adaptive equipment, personal supplies (e.g., incontinence products), Home Delivered Meals or a Personal Emergency Response System (PERS), which allows access to emergency help with the touch of a button.
• Information, assistance and referral services are also available to grandparents and other older relatives caring for their grandchildren and other relative children due to a variety of circumstances. These caregivers often face unique issues such as financial hardships, isolation from their peers, the need for legal advice, and other types of services to create a safe and healthy home environment.
  
  All services are subject to budget limitation and availability.