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Family Caregiver
Support Program
The National
Family Caregiver Support Act, (The Older Americans Act,
as amended in 2000, Title III, Part E) became effective November
13, 2000. The amended act provides funding for programs that
focus on support services for familiy caregivers. North Carolina
has designed and developed a comprehensive Family Caregiver
Support Program. The
NC Division of Aging works in partnership with the Area
Agencies on Aging.
The services
funded under the act must support family caregivers. "Family
Caregiver" is defined as an "adult family member,
or individual, such as friend, neighbor, domestic partner
or relative, who is an informal provider of in-home and community
care to an older individual" in the National Family Caregiver
Support Act. The Act also includes older caregivers (age 60
and above) of persons with mental retardation and related
developmental disabilities and grandparents raising grandchildren
as family caregivers. The program will support caregivers
through some combination of: information about services; assistance
with access to services; individual counseling; organization
of support groups and caregiving training; respite care and
supplemental services.
Holly
Henderson, Family Caregiver Resource Specialist, with the
Cape Fear Area Agency on Aging is the contact for caregivers
in Region O. The Area Agency on Aging is in the planning stages
for the caregiver program
by contacting and collaborating with many agencies (public
and private) in the area. If you have any questions please
contact Holly
at (910) 395-4553 ext. 204.
More
information:
"FULL
CIRCLE OF CARE" CAREGIVER WEBSITE
As part
of the North
Carolina Family Caregiver Support Program, a website designed
specifically with family caregivers in mind has been developed.
It provides information on topics such as: legal issues, paying
for care, remaining independent, independent housing options,
evaluating and assessing needs, assisted living, nursing home
care, Alzheimer's Disease & dementia, long-distance caregiving,
geriatric evaluation clinics, available services, prescription
drug assistance, disease information, home safety, hospice
and end of life care, grandparents raising grandkids, support
groups, web resources, and accessing personalized service.
We hope
you will choose to visit this new website. For your convenience,
a direct link is provided below.
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