Do you provide unpaid care to a family member, friend, or neighbor who has an illness, disability, memory loss, injury, or special need? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you are a caregiver! Are you feeling overwhelmed, constantly worried, tired, sad, easily irritated, and/or extremely stressed? You are not alone and there is support available. If you would like to learn more about resources, tools, and supports available for caregivers, please answer the following questions to get connected to the right starting place.
- Are you over the age of 18 and caring for an older adult (age 60+)?
- Are you over the age of 18 caring for an individual (any age) with Alzheimer’s disease or a related disorder (e.g., dementia, traumatic brain injury, mild cognitive impairment, chronic traumatic encephalopathy)?
- Are you over the age of 55 and living with and caring for a child (not biological) under the age of 18?
- Are you over the age of 55 and living with and caring for an adult (can be a biological child) aged 18-59 with a disability?
If you answered yes to any of the questions above, you are eligible for the National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP). The goal of the NFCSP is to support family caregivers so they may continue to carry out their caregiving roles and responsibilities. The program can provide services such as caregiver counseling, information and assistance, caregiver training, respite care (a break from caregiving), and much more. If you would like to learn more about how this program can assist you, please contact the CAREGIVER COORDINATOR at Office for the Aging at 845-340-3456.
If you answered no to all the questions above, or you are not interested in learning about the resources available through the NFCSP, there is still help available to you through the Any Care Counts - New York (ACC-NY) Campaign which recognizes and supports the millions of unpaid caregivers across the state! Through ACC-NY you can discover your caregiver intensity score by taking the ARCHANGELS Caregiver Intensity Index (CII). It takes just 2 minutes to complete. You will find out whether you are “in the red," "yellow" or "green," and be connected to trusted resources.
Do you prefer to search resources on your own? Visit the NY Connects Resource Directory. NY Connects links individuals of all ages and their caregivers to long term services and supports and provides one stop access to free, objective, comprehensive information and assistance.
The New York State Office for the Aging and the Association on Aging has launched the New York Caregiver Portal.
New Yorkers can access the service at https://newyork-caregivers.com. Once registered, caregivers can select personalized training and track their progress on topics like self-care, stroke recovery, dementia care, medication management, and more. It also connects to local resources and support services by delivering personalized education, training, and information links. This is a FREE service.
Users can log-in from any computer, tablet, or smartphone.
ARCHANGELS - TAKE THE CAREGIVER INTENSITY SURVEY AND GET YOUR INTENSITY SCORE & FIND RESOURCES
OFA partners with Mental Health Association in Ulster County to offer FREE Caregiver Support Groups.
NYS CAREGIVER GUIDE
https://www.health.ny.gov/facilities/long_term_care/caregiver_guide/
