Caregiving comes in many different forms; it can range from simple tasks, such as occasionally helping with bill payments or grocery shopping, to the arduous task of being on-call 24/7 to provide hands-on care whenever needed. Caregiving often occurs from a distance due to loved ones living far apart from their support system. A "long distance" caregiver provides care through phone calls, online bill payments and various other ways; while they are not physically with their loved ones every day, they are still providing care the best way they can.
Whatever the case may be with your personal situation, it is important to recognize you are not alone. Caregivers are often so focused on the care they are providing to their family member or friend that they fail to take the time to also properly care for themselves; this self-neglect puts the caregiver's health at risk by becoming emotionally and physically exhausted.
We want you to know that there is an entire caregiver community ready to offer emotional support and resources to help you stay healthy and strong. If you are a caregiver for a loved one, near or far, you are already doing one of the most important and toughest jobs in your life; you deserve some support in your corner and that is what you will find here.
Powerful Tools for Caregivers is a 6-session evidence-based course that helps family caregivers develop a wealth of self-care tools designed to: reduce personal stress; change negative self-talk; communicate their needs to family members and healthcare or service providers; communicate more effectively in challenging situations; recognize the messages in their emotions; deal with difficult feelings; and make tough caregiving decisions. Each class participant also receives a copy of "The Caregiver Helpbook," which was specifically developed for this class.
If you would like more information about this class, contact one of our Powerful Tools for Caregivers trainers at (812) 492-7466, or by e-mail at adrc@swirca.org. You can also follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ptcindiana/.
The Family Learning Center is an online resource that provides access to videos and articles on a wide-range of caregiver topics, including how to care for yourself, caregiving tips, and how to provide disease specific care, such as dementia, for a loved one. SWIRCA & More also has access to online training modules used by professional home care agencies to train their caregiving staff. If you would like to have access to these trainings, please contact our Aging and Disability Resource Center at (812) 464-7817 for more information.
SWIRCA and More's Caregiver Awareness and Resource Education (CARE) Library is located at our main office at 16 W. Virginia Street, Evansville, IN 47710.
The CARE Library can be accessed through our Activities and Wellness Center. Our library consists of a vast array of books and educational materials meant to support caregivers. All the books can be checked-out and read on your own time. It is important to note that many of the books in the CARE Library were donated to us by the authors of the books. SWIRCA extends a special thank you to all who donated their personal books to make this library possible.
CareAware's Help and Hope for Family Caregivers is a six-part video series with an accompanying workbook to help meet the emotional, physical, and logistical demands of caregiving. Each video features interviews with subject matter experts and real-life family caregivers.
This resource is designed for use in caregiver support groups, but the video series is also available for webinars, classes, community presentations, and individual viewing. CICOA, an Area Agency on Aging in Indianapolis, IN offers this series at no cost for private, non-commercial use, as CICOA recognizes that family caregivers need this information to remain healthy and to provide proper care for their loved one. To find out more about CareAware, please call our ADRC at 812-464-7817 or email adrc@swirca.org.