Family Caregiver Support Program
The goal of the Family Caregiver Support Program (FCSP) is to provide caregivers with the needed support to reduce depression, anxiety, and stress and enable them to provide care longer, thereby avoiding or delaying the need for costly institutional care.
Who is a family caregiver?
- Caregivers age 18 and over who are caring for someone over the age of 60.
- Family Caregivers of a person with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia.
- Grandparents or relative caregivers who are 55 years and older and are providing care for adult children with a disability who are between 19 and 59 years of age.
- Caregivers must reside in the service area of Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties.
Services Available to Caregivers
The following services and programs are available to caregivers:
- Information about available services and resources to help families in their caregiver roles.
- Assistance to families in gaining access to services from a variety of public and private agencies. Help in planning future needs.
- Caregiver Support to help families cope with the emotional and physical stress associated with caregiving.
- Caregiver Training events to educate families on topics such as care techniques, communication with health care professionals, making healthcare, legal and financial decisions.
- Respite Care to provide caregivers with temporary breaks.
- Limited Supplemental Services to complement care provided by eligible caregivers. Most are one-time services such as home modifications (ramps, grab bars, assistive devices, and safety inspections).
If you are a family caregiver (or know of a family caregiver), who could benefit from a confidential consultation regarding these services, please contact the Family Caregiver Resource Coordinator, Kellie Dula at 828.565.1826 or by email at [email protected]