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Support Program > You Are Not Alone
You Are Not Alone
Do you manage the health care of your parent who lives down the
street, care for your disabled spouse or child who lives with you,
or manage the finances of your elderly relative who lives many
miles away? Family caregiving is a challenging role, and it can
be very rewarding, too.
Sometimes the challenges of caregiving can outweigh the rewards,
but it’s possible to reduce the challenges so you and your
loved one can both be as happy and healthy as possible.
The role of a family caregiver can be part-time or full-time, and can include:
 Providing
24-hour-a-day care, including help with bathing, dressing, and
other activities of daily living (often referred to as ADLs)
Managing
legal and financial affairs
Shopping
or cleaning
Cooking
or doing laundry
Supervising
people who provide direct care
Arranging
for social activities
Providing
transportation
Attending
medical appointments or communicating with health care providers
to ensure the best health care for your family member
No matter how much care you provide, it’s good to ask for
help in providing this care.
Getting help is good for everyone:
It provides
variety for the care receiver.
It gives
others a chance to feel good about helping.
And
taking good care of yourself means you’ll be a better
caregiver.
Where to find help?
Ask family members and friends to pitch in. Even if they have
other responsibilities, they can do something--like spend time
visiting or reading to the person who’s disabled, which gives
you a break to go out by yourself or see a friend. Be specific
about what you need.
Some religious congregations have volunteers who will visit people
who are elderly and disabled. They sometimes provide transportation
to religious services.
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to Family Caregiver Support Program page
For more information,
call the Family Caregiver Resource Center:
360-694-8144 - Clark County
360-577-4929 - Cowlitz & Wahkiakum
Counties
509-427-9466 - Skamania County Senior
Services
509-493-3068 - White Salmon, Klickitat
County Senior Services
509-773-3757 - Goldendale, Klickitat
County Senior Services
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