The Vine News

Caring for a loved one can be both rewarding and enormously overwhelming. According to the Family Caregiver Alliance, a San Francisco-based support organization, nearly half of caregivers provide fewer than eight hours of care per week, while nearly one in five caregivers provide more than 40 hours. If they were replaced by paid workers, their service would cost about $306 billion annually. That is more than the cost of paid home health care and nursing home care combined.

Many caregivers are unaware of help available to them. Instead they work alone under stress, exposing themselves to increased blood pressure, increased insulin levels and higher danger of heart attack. Studies show that about one out of three caregivers provide intensive care to others, while they are themselves in “fair to poor” health.

The National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP), added to the Older Americans Act of 1965 in 2000, provides grants to the states to fund a range of supportive services and information for caregivers. These include individual counseling, training and short-term relief care

If you are providing care to someone 60 or older, contact the Prince George’s County Department of Family Services Administration on Aging at 301-265-8450 for information about NFCSP. Also, contact the Elder Care Locator at 1-800-677-1116 for information about your local Area Agency on Aging.