Supporting Working Caregivers:
A Self-Assessment Tool for Community Agencies
Press Release, May 27, 2003 - Self-Assessment Tool Announced
Self-Assessment Tool (printable version)
Caregiver Scoring Sheet (zip file for download contains scoring spreadsheet)
Introduction
A caregiver-friendly agency is helpful and responsive to working caregivers. It adopts policies and creates programs that recognize the caregiver as an important member of the care team with individual needs apart from those of the person receiving care. By meeting the needs of working caregivers, other types of caregivers benefit tremendously.
A caregiver-friendly agency strives to identify caregivers and understand their personal and work responsibilities, recognizes their contributions, and creates flexible, individualized supports that enhance their ability to give care while balancing self-care needs. These agencies work in partnership with and seek input from the primary non-paid caregiver, the older person, other non-paid caregivers, as well as other appropriate agencies within the human service system.
These agencies integrate the following principles into their efforts to serve caregivers:
Flexibility - by responding to individual needs and preferences that change over time, and by providing services when and where they are needed. Choice - by offering suitable options of support services that caregivers can choose depending on their needs and preferences. Multi-disciplinary seamless system - by constructing a system of support that appears seamless to the caregiver although it is composed of various helping organizations. Validation - by recognizing and celebrating the contributions caregivers make. Empowerment - by providing the needed resources to help the caregiver make decisions and to participate fully in the care planning process. Self-care - by recognizing the right of caregivers to services for their sole benefit. Advocacy - by encouraging and supporting caregivers' participation in the design of beneficial health care services for their care recipient as well as to advocate for legislative policies and programs that address the needs of older adults and their caregivers.
This tool, Supporting Working Caregivers: A Self-Assessment Tool for Community Agencies is an instrument that community agencies can use to measure their progress in becoming caregiver-friendly. It offers a way to assess an agency's strength in addressing the needs of caregivers as well as and areas where improvements may be needed. It can help an agency make decisions about how to adapt policies, programs, and operations to better meet the needs of caregivers.
American Business Collaboration Elder Care Quality Enhancement Grant Application
Elder Care Quality Enhancement Grant Information (printable version)
Introduction
The American Business Collaboration (ABC) has established a new fund in an effort to help elder caregiving agencies in the Dallas metroplex area enhance the caregiver-friendly attributes of their agencies. The fund is an outgrowth of the community symposium the ABC sponsored in June 2002 and recognizes that companies and communities must work together to support working caregivers. Funding is being made available by the ABC Champions, including Allstate Insurance Company, Exxon Mobil Corporation, IBM and Texas Instruments.
Programs and agencies that have completed the Supporting Working Caregivers: A Self-Assessment Tool for Community Agencies and have developed a quality improvement plan based on the outcome of the assessment, will be eligible for funding. All projects considered for funding must demonstrate an ability to serve working caregivers from the funding companies, as well as the community at large, and must show an ability to sustain the program without additional funds from the ABC. These funds are not to be used for on-going operational expenses nor to subsidize the fees charged for services.
Grants will range from $2,000 - $5,000.
|
