The Commission’s Legislative Mandates are to:
- Solicit and gather concerns of caregivers
- Develop and distribute to interested parties a handbook of current respite care and other family caregiver services available in the State
- Review successful respite care programs in other states
- Develop a model family caregiver support program that incorporates best practices from existing programs in this and other states
- Provide ongoing analysis of best practices in family caregiver support programs in this and in other states
- Coordinate activities of existing and proposed family caregiver support services among State and local units
- Research available funding sources and explore possibilities for additional funds
- Identify unmet needs and priorities for additional funds
- Monitor and implement the Commission’s recommendations
Who Are Caregivers?Caregivers provide a family member, friend or neighbor with supportive care when they are unable to care for themselves. Caregiving may include helping an adult or child with an illness or disability accomplish activities of daily living, such as walking or getting dressed, household chores, or money management. It may also include coordinating outside services, and medical care. Other support includes driving the individual to appointments or visiting regularly with a concern for their personal safety and well-being.
What do Caregivers Need?
As a “Voice of the Caregiver”, the Commission advocates for the needs of the informal caregiver.
In recent surveys, caregivers overwhelmingly proclaimed the need for respite services. Respite is essential to restoring the mental and physical well-being of a caregiver, which is beneficial to the care receiver too.
