5 I/DD Resources For Nebraska Caregivers
Whether you’re a caregiver for a respite services facility, you provide caregiving for individuals in an in-home respite care services capacity, or you’re caregiving for your own family member, providing the day-to-day oversight for individuals with intellectual developmental disabilities can be challenging. Balancing their needs against your own, coming up with ways to push them in their development, and understanding everything that might be expected of you if you’re not a trained professional, it can all be a little overwhelming. Hands of Heartland would like to remind caregivers across the industry that they are not alone, and we’ve compiled a list of five online resources that can help veteran caregivers and those new to the role of providing care navigate the ins and outs of respite services.
CDC’s Resources for Family Caregivers
Despite the organization’s cinematic reputation for handling disease outbreaks and researching dangerous and exotic illnesses, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also has a section of its website dedicated to research and dissemination of information on disabilities. The site has dedicated a portion to provide families and caregivers with advice and guidance on remaining healthy and positive while providing care to those with developmental disabilities and intellectual developmental disabilities.The page, among other topics, talks about how to act as an advocate, where to look for support, and how to empower both your charge and yourself while acting as a caregiver. It also provides links to other important government links relevant to those acting as a caregiver.
Family Caregiver Alliance
Founded in the 1970’s, the Family Caregiver Alliance is a community-based non-profit established to support caregivers through advocacy, education, and services in providing long-term in-home respite care services for family members. In addition to providing secure personalized solutions to caregivers and resources to help caregivers connect, they also maintain a database of state-level support services and online resources.
Caregiver Action Network
The Caregiver Action Network is a one-stop-shop that provides a great starting point for respite care services caregivers at all steps in their journey from the very first steps in caring for a loved one to the experienced veteran who has made caregiving a career. The site includes a database of instructional videos, a toolbox of resources for many common caregiving situations, and resources to connect with the caregiver community the organization supports.
Caregiver Support Services
This is a great website focused on the wellness and support of caregivers themselves, complete with wellness assessments, tools for ongoing self-care, educational information like medication management resources to assist caregivers perform in role, and links to paid training services. The website also provides links to relevant books and provides membership services that allow individuals and organizations to expand information sharing opportunities and access an expanded offering of educational experiences.
CaringBridge
CaringBridge provides a unique opportunity for those on a health journey to create a personal and protected website to be able to share their story however they might like. The site also offers links to resources on caregiving, including blogs and articles that will provide readers with reassurance that others have similar experiences to their own. The site also takes a unique approach in providing resources for healing in order to reconcile the act of providing care with the long-term effects providing that care might have on caregivers.
Caring for the Caregivers
At Hands of Heartland, we understand that caregivers are human and will at times need a break from providing care to their loved ones. This is why we feel our respite services are so vital to the ongoing health and wellness of caregivers in the Bellevue community and surrounding area. Whether you’re caring for an individual with intellectual developmental disabilities in your own home, or feel that they could benefit from care in one of our two professional facilities, we provide off-site respite care services as well as in-home respite care services to ensure that caregivers get the necessary time to recharge and still maintain the proper level of care for their loved ones.