Community Partner Spotlight
Care for the Caregiver
Resources Available to Alamo Area Caregivers
As the 70 million “baby boomers” (those born between 1946 -1964) age and retire, their needs change; many will begin to need assistance to stay safe and healthy as they grow older. The demand for caregiver services professionals is and will continue to be an important need for our aging population. Caregiving today is often assumed informally, by unpaid family members. These family caregivers require more education, training, and support to properly assist those they now care for.
The Alamo Area Council of Governments (AACOG) Area Agency on Aging (AAA) has resources available to caregivers in the Alamo region. The AAA works with local providers and agencies to provide coordination services, legal assistance and referrals, homemaker services, and personal assistance.
Cyndee Pierce, AACOG Caregiver Support Coordinator, shared “caregiver education classes and training are now available from AACOG through the AAA. Our caregiver support services are for unpaid family caregivers.”
These services include:
- Caregiver stress-busting, dealing with dementia classes, and support groups
- Healthcare professionals teaching family caregivers in-home care skills
- A geriatric care manager providing individualized care management
- Advocates helping families prepare for the loss of their loved one through guidance, consultation, and paperwork preparation
The AAA provides assistance to families with either informal caregivers (18 years of age and older) who provide care to someone 60 years and older or care for someone (of any age) with Alzheimer’s disease and other related dementia, through:
- Support coordination services– assessment, arranging, and follow-up of needs,
- Health maintenance, residential repair, emergency response services, medication purchases, and securing durable medical equipment,
- Respite care– temporary relief for in-home caregivers – adult daycare to short-term facility care,
- Mental health care– individual counseling,
- Education and training– programs/workshops to target stress management, self-care, and learning to navigate the caregiving journey.
Limited services are also available for grandparents and other relatives 55 years and older, who are raising children 18 years and younger, due to biological parents being unable or unwilling.
To learn more about this program call the Aging and Disability Resource Center / Alamo Service Connection at (210) 477-3275 or online using this link www.aacog.com/411/Alamo-Caregiver-Empowerment