Being a caregiver can be an extremely stressful job. The hours, the incredible demands, the worry — can all get you down. I know, I’ve been a caregiver. If you are a caregiver for an elderly relative, then at some point, you are going to need some relief.
And the Administration on Aging (AoA) created the National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP) to help you and your family at little or no cost.
What does the National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP) do for you and your family?
1. The NFCSP provides to caregivers of seniors, information about services available to you in your local area. Services like adult day care, meals on wheels, respite care, sitting services. Last year, over 1.5 million people sought and received information through the this program.
2. They help you get access to these services. This can be particularly critical if your budget is tight. They can help you find low cost or no cost services; some of which are available through the program itself. Services like respite care and sitter services.
3. They provide individual counseling, organize support groups and provide caregiver training to caregivers all over the nation. Training was named the number one issue for caregivers throughout the country last year. Caregivers needed to learn the best methods of caregiving and the NFCSP provided this training. And having someone to talk to about what is going on in your life, can be invaluable — so support groups and individual counseling is available through this program. Last year, 150,000 caregivers used this government program. If you cannot get to one of these groups, please join us in our chat room. We’re here for you.
4. The NFCSP directly provides respite as well as sitter care for you and your aging family member; so you can get a little, often much needed break from caregiving.
