In a commendable move, Arkansas has launched a new program to aid caregivers of those living with dementia. In Arkansas alone, there are 93,000 people caring for loved ones with dementia. This new program acknowledges the fact that caregiving is expensive and family caregivers are often left paying the entire bill themselves.
Who is the caregiver respite program for?
The Dementia Respite Care Pilot Program is for Arkansas residents caring for a family member with Alzheimer’s or some other form of dementia. The program gives family caregivers $500 to help ease expenses or hire other part-time help so they can take care of other responsibilities.
It’s been shown that respite care programs like this one help both the caregiver and the care recipient. The caregiver gets a much-needed break that reduces stress and benefits mental health, while care recipients get social interaction with individuals outside their immediate family.
Other resources for family caregivers
At Connected Caregiver(™), we would love to see more programs like these become established nationwide. We believe respite care programs could benefit family caregivers of all kinds, not just those caring for loved ones with dementia.
While there currently isn’t a federal program with a cash stipend like Arkansas, there is the National Family Caregiver Support Program, which offers respite care along several other services.
You can also use the Family Caregiver Alliance to search for family caregiver services by state. Simply choose your state from a menu and the FCA will list caregiver compensation programs, disease-specific organizations, government health disability programs, and more.
We will keep you informed
Our priority is making sure the family caregiver community is up-to-date with the latest tools and services available. We want caregivers to be able to give the best care possible with the least amount of stress. Be sure to come back often or sign up for our newsletter below.