New York State Office for the Aging Highlights Resources During Caregivers Month To Help New Yorkers Who Provide Unpaid Care To Friends And Family

 

The New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) today recognized National Family Caregivers Month, highlighting the many resources to support unpaid caregivers in New York State who provide uncompensated help to a friend or family member.

 

NYSOFA Director Greg Olsen said, “National Family Caregivers Month is a time to celebrate and recognize the people in your life caring for a loved one. While each caregiver’s journey is unique, you are not alone. NYSOFA and our community partners work continuously to help caregivers understand the importance of their work and support them, including in-person support as well as tools to relieve caregiver stress, find resources, learn evidence-based best practices, and feel empowered.”

 

More than half of unpaid caregivers do not self-identify in this role. They are family members, friends, or neighbors who provide unpaid care and support to someone else, such as a spouse, an older parent, children, or someone with chronic or other medical conditions.

 

NYSOFA works on multiple levels to raise awareness of unpaid caregiving while offering programs for individuals of all ages who provide this care for someone else, including many digital resources and supports.

 

In New York State, every year, more than four million caregivers provide direct and indirect care to assist a relative, friend, or neighbor, regardless of age. Understandably, caregiving can take a toll on a caregiver’s physical and mental health. NYSOFA has partnered with ARCHANGELS on an Any Care Counts NY campaign that uses a Caregiver Intensity Index (CII) for measuring caregiver intensity. The CII is being used statewide by Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) for caregiver assessments, revealing that more than 30 percent of caregivers are “in the red,” meaning they are experiencing the most severe caregiving burden or are in crisis, and more than half are still working. Learn more and get your score using the CII here.

 

Self-Identifying as a Caregiver

To help caregivers self-identify, NYSOFA has developed a Caregivers Guide Video that summarizes the many services and supports available to caregivers in New York State.

 

Aging Services Programs to Help Caregivers

Area Agencies on Aging in New York State deliver more than 20 core services to help older adults age in place. These programs help caregivers by meeting older adults’ social, assistive, and other community-based needs, thus relieving caregiver intensity. These services and supports include transportation, nutrition programs (home-delivered and congregate meals), personal care, legal services, social programs (including friendly calls or visiting programs), and more. To learn more about these programs, visit NYSOFA’s website or contact NY Connects at 1-800-342-9871. NYSOFA and the aging services network also provide support directly to caregivers, such as respite programs.

 

Resources

• New York’s Caregiver Portal, powered by Trualta: NYSOFA offers a New York Caregiver Portal that is available free of charge to any of the 4.1 million people who provide unpaid care to another individual. This evidence-based caregiver training and support platform helps families build skills to manage care at home for loved ones of any age. It also connects to local resources and support services by delivering personalized education, training, and information links.

• Working Caregiver Initiative: NYSOFA, the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL), and partner agencies have launched the Working Caregivers Initiative to address the unique stresses experienced by individuals who are balancing work with a caregiving role for family, friends, or neighbors. As part of this initiative, NYSOFA asks New Yorkers to complete a statewide survey to assess specific challenges faced by individuals in this role. NYSOFA and NYSDOL also offer a Caregivers in the Workplace Guide, providing tips and resources for employers to help support working caregivers.

• GetSetUp Online Communities for Caregiver Support: New Yorkers age 60 and older can connect with GetSetUp’s peer-led online classes, gaining skills in caregiving, technology, health and wellness, financial literacy, and more. To explore GetSetUp’s offerings and classes, free for older New Yorkers, visit getsetup.io/nystate. View GetSetUp’s “Caring for Caregiver” classes here.