affordable housing, food, employment training, utility payment assistance, services for their children or aging parents, and many other issues.
Click here to visit the 211 Maryland Caregiver website
2-1-1 Maryland is partnership of four agencies working together to provide simple access to health and human services information. 2-1-1 is an easy to remember telephone number that connects people with important community services. Our specially trained call specialists answer calls 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
The 2-1-1 database has information on nearly 5,000 agencies and programs across the state. Each week 2-1-1 Maryland handles thousands of calls from people in need, providing referrals to services and helping people problem-solve when the services they need are not available.
More than 65 million adults in the United States are currently serving as caregivers, providing care to someone who is a senior, ill, or who has a disability. Being a caregiver can be extremely demanding and exhausting, both physically and mentally/emotionally, and it can be difficult to take care of oneself while focusing on caring for another. Fortunately, there are resources available to provide a variety of assistance and support to caregivers.
Dealing with the stresses of care giving as well as the emotional impact of having a loved one with an illness, injury or disability can easily become overwhelming. It can be very useful to connect with other caregivers, who understand the situation and may in fact be dealing with very similar thoughts and emotions. 2-1-1 has information on support groups for caregivers, which help to bring people together and process their situations.
Another source of support can be respite care. These programs provide a brief period of rest or relief for those who are regular caregivers for dependent adults/children by offering temporary or intermittent care in the home or in community settings/facilities. Respite care programs can be very valuable, helping to give caregivers time to attend to their own needs with the knowledge that their loved one is being cared for. Oftentimes, respite care is paid for privately, though in some cases, insurance may help to cover the cost. Additionally, grants and subsidies may be available, and it is important to ask about these when contacting the respite care agency. Click here to find programs in your area. Please note that some respite care programs are focused on assisting people with a certain medical condition, so be sure to read the details to find resources that are most appropriate.
Training may also be available to provide useful tips and information to caregivers. Click here to find resources in your area that may provide these services. Again, please note that some agencies are focused on assisting those in specific situations and with specific medical conditions, so be sure to read the details.
Aside from the types of resources and services described here, there may be a variety of assistance services available to caregivers. To find out more, visit these websites:
Caregiver Action Network
Family Caregiver Alliance
You can also call your local Maryland Access Point (MAP) or 2-1-1 for additional information and guidance.
Click here to view the 211 Maryland Caregiver website
