Caregivers: You Deserve Care, Too

The New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) today recognized National Family Caregivers Month, highlighting the many resources to support unpaid caregivers in New York State who provide uncompensated help to a friend or family member.

NYSOFA Director Greg Olsen said, “National Family Caregivers Month is a time to celebrate and recognize the people in your life caring for a loved one. While each caregiver’s journey is unique, you are not alone. NYSOFA and our community partners work continuously to help caregivers understand the importance of their work and support them, including in-person support as well as tools to relieve caregiver stress, find resources, learn evidence-based best practices, and feel empowered.”

More than half of unpaid caregivers do not self-identify in this role. They are family members, friends, or neighbors who provide unpaid care and support to someone else, such as a spouse, an older parent, children, or someone with chronic or other medical conditions.

NYSOFA works on multiple levels to raise awareness of unpaid caregiving while offering programs for individuals of all ages who provide this care for someone else, including many digital resources and supports.

In New York State, every year, more than four million caregivers provide direct and indirect care to assist a relative, friend, or neighbor, regardless of age. Understandably, caregiving can take a toll on a caregiver’s physical and mental health. NYSOFA has partnered with ARCHANGELS on an Any Care Counts NY campaign that uses a Caregiver Intensity Index (CII) for measuring caregiver intensity. The CII is being used statewide by Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) for caregiver assessments, revealing that more than 30 percent of caregivers are “in the red,” meaning they are experiencing the most severe caregiving burden or are in crisis, and more than half are still working. Learn more and get your score at www.anycarecountsny.com/.

Aging Services Programs to Help Caregivers

Area Agencies on Aging in New York State deliver more than 20 core services to help older adults age in place. These programs help caregivers by meeting older adults’ social, assistive, and other community-based needs, thus relieving caregiver intensity. These services and supports include transportation, nutrition programs (home-delivered and congregate meals), personal care, legal services, social programs (including friendly calls or visiting programs), and more. To learn more about these programs, visit NYSOFA’s website or contact NY Connects at 1-800-342-9871. NYSOFA and the aging services network also provide support directly to caregivers, such as respite programs.

ARCHANGELS CEO Alexandra Drane said, “Unpaid caregivers aren’t worrying about themselves, and that’s why we work so hard to connect with them. They’re laser-focused on holding everyone else up — at home, in their communities, and at work. And all that care can be intense. More than one-third of New Yorkers are actually ‘in the red’ — the highest level of intensity — with 90 percent experiencing mental health impacts due to caregiving. The good news? Any Care Counts New York has not only connected with tens of thousands of New Yorkers, but our efforts have matched more than 25 percent of these caregivers to resources like Area Agencies on Aging and other partnerships in New York that provide tools for older adults and families to further connect. As a result, close to 30 percent of caregivers who start off ‘in the red’ get out of the red with this support. That’s good for the state, and it’s even better for the families that can take a breath, knowing that help is within reach. Get your score. Help someone else get theirs today.”