Caregiver Resources
Who are caregivers?
A caregiver is a person providing ongoing care for a loved one. Caregivers consist of the following: spouses, parents, siblings, nieces, nephews, grandparents, friends or any relatives who provide a wide range of assistance.
Educating caregivers and providing them with the necessary tools to make them successful is a priority of the Garrison Institute on Aging.
Visit the Help and Hope Caregiver Library at the GIA office.
Key Links
- Long Term Care Search and Evaluator
- Informative Links to Support Caregivers
- Tips for Caregivers
- Earlier Than Early Signs of Dementia
- Local Support Groups
- Area Agency on Aging of the Panhandle
- Permian Basin Area Agency on Aging
- South Plains Area Agency on Aging
- Area Agency on Aging of the Concho Valley
- Area Agency on Aging of West Central Texas
- Area Agency on Aging of North Texas
Caregiving in the US Research Report
Caregivers remain the backbone of the long-term supportive services system in the United States. They provide the majority of care for people who need help with activities of daily living, such as bathing and eating, and instrumental activities of daily living, which include paying bills and taking medication. While this care is unpaid, its value has been estimated at $257 billion annually.
Working Caregivers
Many caregivers juggle work with caregiving responsibilities. Nearly six in 10 (59 percent) of caregivers currently are employed. Those who are not working are most likely retired or are homemakers. Male caregivers are more likely to be employed full time than female caregivers. Among working caregivers age 50-64, 48 percent work full time; only 3 percent of working caregivers 65 and older work full time.
Support for Caregivers
The vast majority of employer-based and publicly funded support in the U.S. is available for family caregivers. For instance, The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is the first U.S. national policy designed to assist working caregivers in meeting their work and caregiving responsibilities. The FMLA allows employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to care for an ill family member or newborn child. Since its passing in 1993, 35 million Americans have taken leave under this law. Publicly funded services are also available for family caregivers. In October 2000, Congress established the National Family Caregiver Support Program under the amended Older Americans Act. The program provides support services for family members caring for persons with disabilities and grandparents caring for grandchildren. States also cover respite care (temporary assistance that allows caregivers to take a break from caregiving responsibilities) under Medicaid Home and Community-Based waiver programs. For more info about caregiver support services please see PPI fact sheet number 112, "Family Caregiver Support Services: Sustaining Unpaid Family and Friends in a Time of Public Fiscal Restraint."