New Resources Aim to Reduce Caregiver Stress
Over the last year, we worked with local caregivers to identify and find solutions for some of the most persistent issues that caregivers face. As we heard at our fall convenings, finding resources and quality information can be arduous. We have spent the last year working with caregivers, service providers, and community members to create resources that will reduce caregiver stress and we are pleased to debut
www.WashoeCaregivers.org/ and the Washoe Caregivers Guidebook!
There’s nothing out there that tells us what’s available or where to go. I felt that I was blazing my own trail throughout every process.
-Tod Sherman, local caregiver and steering committee member.
Tod’s words speak volumes about the challenges of finding resources. To make finding help easier, we developed
http://washoecaregivers.org/, which lists over 300 resources including those that are free and low-cost. This website was made in partnership with the Sanford Center for Aging and the Savitt Medical Library at the University of Nevada, Reno. If you or someone you know needs to find caregiving and senior resources, please visit
http://washoecaregivers.org/.
Life can change in a moment.
Convening participants also shared how they became caregivers unexpectedly. Many reported how a few words from a hospital discharge planner revealed that they would now need to be a caregiver 24/7, but they did not know where to start. As a supplement to our resource website, we created the Washoe Caregivers Guidebook, a free instructional manual on the basics of beginning care. Area experts and caregivers wrote the guidebook to provide information and advice to first-time caregivers. This guidebook covers diverse topics including legal and financial planning, home safety, techniques for communication with health care professionals, and more. You can pick up a copy of the Washoe Caregivers Guidebook at the Community Foundation and can also download an electronic version at
http://washoecaregivers.org/documents/washoe-caregivers-guidebook/. Copies of the Washoe Caregivers Guidebook will additionally be distributed at hospitals, offices of service providers, community centers, and other locations.
A Special Thank You
Caregivers face adversity, but they provide a service of love that is to be commended. Please join me in thanking all the caregivers who have guided our initiatives process. They have given their time and shared their experiences to benefit the thousands of other caregivers in our community.
Spread the Word.
Business cards promoting washoecaregivers.org are convenient to pass out and readily available. We are happy to send you cards to give to your clients. The Community Foundation appreciates the referral and so will your clients.
Nick Tscheekar, Director of Community Leadership
Connecting people who care with causes that matter
Photo above: From left to right: Terry Henner, Head of Outreach Services at the Savitt Medical Library; Sarah Jahr, Initiatives Associate; Shelby Grana Social Worker at the Sanford Center for Aging; Kelley Macmillan, Director of Community and Social Services at the Sanford Center for Aging; and, Nick Tscheekar, Director of Community Leadership.