NWRC's Family Caregiver Support program provides support to unpaid caregivers in Island, San Juan, Skagit, and Whatcom Counties.
Family and friends have always been the primary source of help to those with long-term care needs. They are the backbone of this nation’s in-home care system. Caregivers represent all genders, ages, and ethnic groups. They are wives, husbands, partners, daughters, sons, neighbors, and friends.
The importance of supporting family caregivers
Families have always been, and continue to be, the primary source of help to those with long-term care needs. In fact, it is estimated that family and friends are the sole sources of assistance for nearly 75 percent of people who need help with routine daily activities.
Caregivers represent all gender, age, and ethnic groups. They are spouses, daughters, sons, neighbors, and friends. They cook meals, wash clothes, administer medications, and provide companionship. Without them, many people with long-care needs would either be in costly institutions or would live in isolation and at high risk.
Yet most family caregivers have little or no training and minimal support. They often have financial difficulties, lack information on local caregiving resources, and can experience feelings of isolation and depression. Family Caregiver Supports Programs provide outreach and education to those caregivers by building upon our community's existing supports and services.
Available resources
- Trualta is an online platform that provides education, tutorials, and community for caregivers.
- Powerful Tools for Caregivers is a six-session educational program for family caregivers that provides tools for increasing self-care, communicating with health care professionals, and for dealing with and finding solutions to difficult situations. Classes are provided in various locations throughout the region.
- Administration for Community Living
- Long-Distance Caregiving
- Balancing work with providing care for an older adult
- Family Caregiving
- Caregiver Action Network
- Community Living Connections
- WA State Department of Social and Health Services
- Dementia Support NW
- Caregiver Information Booklets provided educational materials on a variety of topics, including Alzheimer's/dementia, stroke, depression, and self-care. They are provided free of charge from any NWRC location and online.
Case Managers
Staff in each county help caregivers find information about diagnoses, available local resources; help connect caregivers with support groups, counselors and other professionals; coordinate home-based services; and provide follow-up support.
Caregiver Consultants and Training
Caregiver Consultants are available to provide in-home training and support, custom-tailored to the needs of the individual caregiver and care recipient. Consultants are available throughout the region and may include occupational/physical therapists, counselors; and dementia support specialists, and other professionals.
Respite Care
Respite Care provides a break for caregivers who need to be away for anywhere from a few hours to two weeks. Care is provided by qualified professionals, and may be provided in the home, in a nursing facility, in an assisted living facility, or through an adult day service program.