Resources for Caregivers

The Art of Caregiving

"Casual Friday" Webcasts

The San Diego Caregiver Coalition, a cooperative of public, private, and professional agencies, is dedicated to easing the burden of caring for an ill or frail family members. Click on Casual Friday Webcasts for more information.

"Finding the Balance in Caregiving" Conference

Finding the Balance in Caregiving is a free conference for working caregivers who care for someone at home or in a care facility.  This conference is sponsored by the San Diego Caregiver Coalition and includes a continental breakfast, lunch, free adult day care as well as resource tables with helpful information. Conferences will be held on July 17th and 24th, and on October 5th from 8:30 am - 2:30 pm.  For more information and to register, click on www.Sharp.com or call (800) 827-4277.

Caregiver Support Groups

When you're caring for someone with Parkinson's, it's vitally important that you maintain your own emotional and physical health as well so you can stay at your very best, and keep your loved one at home as long as possible. Talking to people who share your feelings and experiences can help you cope emotionally.

Parkinson's Disease Association of San Diego Support Groups

Southern Caregiver Support Groups

San Diego Network of Care Weekly Support Groups

"I know what the caregivers of Parkinson’s patients go through.  I cared for my husband during the years of his illness.  I am grateful for everything the Parkinson’s Disease Association of San Diego does to help and give encouragement." - June B.

Support Groups offer a social setting where you, your family and your caregiver will find understanding while learning skills to help you maintain the highest quality of life possible from other people with Parkinson's. As a caregiver for someone living with Parkinson's you may feel you are at the mercy of this disease and that you've lost control. You can fight back by being an advocate for your loved one, and also by being actively engaged with support organizations. Your involvement can not only help you and your loved one, but can aid the entire Parkinson’s community.

How to Avoid Caregiver Stress and Frustration
by Michelle Will, LMSC

It's normal for caregivers to experience stress and frustration while caring for individuals dementia, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Over time, this can affect both the caregiver's physical and emotional well-being.

The warning signs of frustration are: shortness of breath, headaches, chest pains, stomach cramps, compulsive eating, increased smoking and alcohol consumption. As these signs become apparent, it is important to take a break from caregiving. You can take deep breaths and count to ten, step out of the room and regain your composure. Take time out to do things you enjoy for yourself such as music, prayer, photography, or exercising.

It often helps the situation to change your thought patterns. Begin to think positive things about your caregiving experience rather than dwelling on all the negative. It also helps to have excellent communication skills. The reduces the amount of frustration by telling others exactly what kind of help you need. Assertive communication is desirable in order to express your needs in a respectful manner without hurting other's feelings.

It is very important to ask for help and accept it. Find other family members, friends or neighbors who are willing to trade off days. People want to help and need to help to feel useful. Allow them the opportunity to take part in the caregiving experience. When they ask you if you need help, tell them "yes" and give them a chore or errand that will help to lighten your load. When you are asked by other family, friends, or employees to do too much, it's okay to say "no" without feeling guilty Communicate and educate them on what is going on at home. Setting limits is important to keep your stress and frustration levels down.

In order to be a good caregiver, you must take care of yourself. Make sure you eat healthy meals, exercise, sleep well and see your physician regularly. The Parkinson's Disease Association of San Diego is an excellent resource for caregivers.We provide a break for caregivers and family members through our In-Home Respite Care Program. We also offer Support Groups to manage your stress and frustrations while receiving helpful advice

Caregiving Guides

Caregiver's Guide to Parkinson's Disease: The Caregiver's Guide to Parkinson's Disease was developed with the caregiver in mind and will help you on your journey with PD.

Caregiver's Guide to Maximizing the Health, Safety and Wellness of Your Love One: Provided by Safety Response Systems, LLC, this free publication helps you ensure that your loved one is taking their medication. Call (858) 273-6763 to request this helpful guide that includes information about the Wellness Wizard, an "Electronic Caregivers Assistant" that provides caregivers with greater peace-of-mind and enhances the safety and wellness of your loved ones.

Show Me Guide: The Show Me Guide is for anyone who provides assistance to others who are physically or cognitively impaired. This assistance can vary by circumstance and includes anything from helping with bathing and personal hygiene tasks to running errands or grocery shopping. Whether someone actually provides such assistance themselves, or coordinates the services of others who provide the assistance, they are considered an Adult Caregiver.

San Diego County Can Help You Take A Brake From Caregiving: Aging and Independence Services Inter-generations Respite Team members can help you get a much needed brake from your caregiving duties to relax and reenergize yourself. Call John Scholte at San Diego County Health & Human Services at (619) 253-5155 for more information.

Training & Support

Southern Caregiver Resource Center offers numerous educational opportunities for caregivers to help them improve their skills. If you are looking for ways to reduce stress and frustration, need to counsel families, or looking for ways to improve communications with dementia patients, call (858) 268-4432 for more information.

Movement Disorder Virtual University a not-for-profit organization that utilizes creativity, innovation, and collaborative approaches to improve awareness, diagnosis, and management of movement disorders among people living with these conditions and the professionals who care for them.

CareTrain On-Line Training Center: Whether you are a professional working in Senior Housing needing your CEU's or a corporation needing to train your entire workforce, CareTrain has the training and support solutions you need. Convenient and affordable. CareTrain offers accreditation training (CEU's) for anywhere, any time convenience. RCFE Assisted Living Administrators, Nursing Home Administrators, RN's, LVN's, Certified Nursing Assistants, Home Health Aides, Adult Residential Care Facility Administrators, MFT, LCSW's use CareTrain to receive CEU's.

Parkinson's Training for Caregivers: The Parkinson's Training for Caregivers project is a free online course developed to train caregivers in caring for those with Parkinson's Disease in long-term care settings.

The Science and Practice of LSVT LOUD

Empowering people with Parkinson's, LSVT offers a free, symposium for people with Parkinson's, their families and caregivers. This symposium has attracted world experts in speech treatment, and includes a one-hour interactive session with therapists practicing vocal exercises. Call (888) 438-5788 or (520) 609-5363 or visit www.LSVTGlobal.com for more information.

Learning Opportunities

Leading experts present the latest research advances in managing Parkinson’s Disease. The Professional Parkinson's Educational Symposium, sponsored by PDASD, is an ideal learning opportunity for all medical professionals serving the greater San Diego Parkinson's Community.  Community agencies throughout San Diego County offer a wide variety of training workshops and seminars for caregivers as well as medical professionals needing continuing education credits. Click on Events for Care Providers or on SHARP Grossmont Caregiver or call (800) 827-4277 for more information.

Caregiver Services

This Caring Home: Provides tips and tools to enhance home safety for persons with Alzheimer's and others types of demential. Highlights include "Virtual Home", product guides, videos and annimations.

Empowering Caregivers: Have you ever been caught off guard by the challenge of care giving to a parent, a spouse or a child in the midst of your busy life? Most of us prefer to avoid this timely but unpleasant subject. Too many of us are caught up in the physical world with our work, families, attainment of goals, and our material possessions. However, no one knows when they might be presented with this challenge. Perhaps now is the time to think about it.

Caregivers Forum: Today, many people over 35 are either caregivers or know someone who is. Long term care giving, although rewarding, can take its toll in the form of increased medical risk (depression, heart attack, stroke) for those caring for their loved ones. Since the expansiveness of the caregiver environment is relatively new in our society, most caregivers are doing research to help ailing family members, and in many cases reinventing the wheel. Often they don’t have the time to read through volumes of information, sort through the necessary paperwork and forms, and do the hands-on work of caring for their loved ones.

Caregivers of People with Parkinson's: This information on this site was partially drawn from a ListServ on the Internet. The ListServ is CARE or Caregivers Are Really Essential. It is a sublist of the Parkinson's Information Exchange Network ListServ. The lion's share of the information was drawn from my personal searches on the Internet. It is especially for Caregivers (CGs) of People with Parkinson's (PWPs). The need for such a list was evident from feelings expressed on the PD (Parkinson's Disease) list that there are times when CGs need to be able to "let off steam" in a place where they will not upset their PWPs. Some of us have Caregiver support groups, where we can safely express feelings, get practical support, and share experiences but some do not.

Parkinson's and Care-Partners Support: This site contains education and research URL's bookmarked by a Parkinson's patient. Nothing you read in these pages should be considered an endorsement or medical advice. CARE (Caregivers Are Really Essential) is a sublist of the main PARKINSON List. It is especially for caregivers (CGs) of Parkinsonians (PWPs). The need for such a list was evident from feelings expressed on the PARKINSON List that there are times when CGs need to be able to "let off steam" in a place where they will not upset their PWPs. Some of us have Caregiver support groups, where we can safely express feelings, get practical support, and share experiences but some do not. The CARE list , as a "virtual support group", serves this need, but DOES NOT shut off the participation of CGs on the main list.

LivHOME San Diego: When it comes to at-home care for seniors, you want the best for your loved one. LivHOME offers a LivHOME Care Manager, a credentialed expert in geriatric care with a specialty in social work, nursing or mental health. Many of our Care Managers have experience caring for individuals and families affected by Parkinson's disease. Our Care Managers provide oversight and communication with the family and medical professionals. Call (619) 544-1622 for more information.

Home Instead Senior Care: Home Instead Senior Care is a service provider of non-medical in home care to individuals or couples that wish to remain independent any place they call home. Our services are designed and can be tailored to assist those who need help with meal preparation, incidental transportation, medication reminders, personal care, respite for family members and light housekeeping. Call (619) 460-6222 (La Mesa), (858) 277-3722 (San Diego and South Bay) for more information.

California Caregiver Resource Centers: The Caregiver Resource Center serves as a point of entry to services available to caregiving families in every county of California. Services are free or low cost and include Specialized Information, Support Groups, Family Consultations & Care Planning, Legal & Financial Consultation, Respite Care, Education, Counseling and Professional Training.

AccentCare Personal Care Services: AccentCare offers a full spectrum of services ranging from non-medical, personal care to skilled nursing and rehabilitation.

www.AlzheimerHelp.org: The George G. Glenner Alzheimer's Family Centers, Inc. (GGG/AFC) continues this commitment to care for the living today by providing compassionate care and education for those suffering from Alzheimer's disease and their loved ones. Caring for the whole family has been our highest priority through education, advocacy, crisis intervention, referrals, financial assistance, and exceptional service.

Family Caregiver Alliance: The Family Caregiver Alliance brings together experts from the field of aging to advance the support of informal caregiving by identifying and further developing best practices in nursing and social work to help families care for older adults.

Southern Caregiver Resource Center: A private, independent non-profit agency and most services are free of charge. Anyone living in San Diego or Imperial County caring for an adult with a cognitive impairing condition that occurred after the age of 18, or someone age 60 years or older in need of assistance with activities of daily living, is eligible for our services.

Lotsa Helping Hands is a website where friends, family, and neighbors can assist loved ones in need. Featuring a private group calendar specifically designed for organizing helpers, anyone can pitch in with meal deliveries, rides, and other tasks necessary to help life run smoothly during times of medical crisis, end-of-life caring, or family caregiver exhaustion.

Dementia Caregiver's Toolbox: Tips, news bites, product reviews, and people in the news for professional and family caregivers who want to keep up with the world of dementia care. This is a companion blog to NurturingNuggets.com, a product line which provides education to caregivers while supporting dementia and caregiving causes worldwide.

San Diego Network of Care: A web-based community resource for older adults and people with disabilities, including caregivers and service providers.

Care San Diego: Gain access to a community of high-quality, trustworthy caregivers and service providers. You can also post job listings detailing your specific needs or use the search tools to find care providers who match your criteria, including the ability to request free background checks, view photos, videos, references, and much more.

Link2Care is an online information and support program for family caregivers in California. The resources on the site are specifically designed for those providing care for someone who is living with a disease-related dementia such as Alzheimer's, stroke, Parkinson's and Multiple Sclerosis. There is no cost to members to use this online service.

At Your Home Family Care: The mission of At Your Home Family Care is to make a positive difference in the quality of life for the communities we serve, especially on behalf of senior citizens, disabled, and youth.

Parkinson's Disease Caregivers Association is for anyone caring for someone with Parkinson's. This site an extremely valuable source of information and references that will help you understand the nature of Parkinson's and how you can be at your most effective when providing care to your patients.

CareTrain offers state-certified e-learning from anywhere you have Internet access. RCFE Assisted Living Administrators, Nursing Home Administrators, RN's, LVN's, MFT, LCSW's use CareTrain to receive CEU's.

Caregiver Coalition of San Diego: The mission of the Caregiver Coalition of San Diego is to identify and address the needs of caregivers through advocacy efforts and collaboration to improve the overall quality of life for caregivers, their families and the community.

Los Angeles Caregiving Resource Center: Most family caregivers reach a point when they realize they need help at home. Tell-tale signs include recognizing that your loved one requires constant supervision and/or assistance with everyday activities, such as bathing and dressing. Caregivers also find that certain housekeeping routines and regular errands are accomplished with great difficulty or are left undone. It may become apparent that in order to take care of any business outside the home, more than one caregiver is required.

All About Parkinson's: When you purchase Everything You Need to Know About Parkinson's, you also receive a free copy of "54 Real Life Secrets and Practical Tips That Someone With Parkinson's Can Use Every Single Day To Make Their Life Easier, Happier and More Productive" and "A Helpful Guide for Parkinson's Caregivers."

CareGiver.com is a leading provider of information, support and guidance for family and professional caregivers including Today's Caregiver Magazine, the first national magazine dedicated to caregivers.

National Family Care Givers Association supports, empowers, educates, and speaks up for the more than 50 million Americans who care for a chronically ill, aged, or disabled loved one.

Parkinson's Educator offers an online course developed to help you become a better caregiver to people with Parkinson's. The organization also provides referrals of people with Parkinson's who need caregiver assistance.

Caregiver Support Group for Men is comprised of experienced men who have learned to help themselves and educate other men successfully manage the lives of those affected by the aging process.

Golden Care Workforce Institute provides high quality, affordable healthcare careers training and job placement assistance to San Diego County residents.

Family Caregiver Alliance is a public voice for caregivers and has developed a wide array of services and publications based on caregiver needs and offers programs at local, state and national levels.

Family Care Navigator provides state specific resources and suggestions for a variety of issues pertinent to challenges of caregiving.

Family Caregiving: If you're caring for a loved one who is ill or disabled here is where you will find assistance, answers, new ideas and helpful advice for you and your loved one.

Home Caregiver Network: Instructional videos to help home caregivers take care of their loved ones and themselves.

National Family Caregivers Association supports, empowers, educates, and speaks up for the more than 50 million Americans who care for the chronically ill, aged, or disabled.

Strength for Caring is a comprehensive website designed to provide family caregivers with a broad range of expert content and information, an emerging on-line community, daily inspiration, and much needed support.

Well Spouse Association is a national, nonprofit membership organization that provides support to wives, husbands, and partners of the chronically ill and disabled.

Please Consider Partnering With PDASD to Improve Quality of Life

Your investment helps support programs and services that improve the quality of life for families affected by Parkinson's, and provides funding for medical research seeking more effective treatments and a cure.

See how your gift gives hope and strength to families facing the daily challenges of Parkinson's. Click on the Many Faces of Parkinson's to see how our programs and services maximize self-sufficiency for Parkinson's patients and provide support for their families.

The Parkinson's Disease Association of San Diego Exists to Improve
the Quality of Life of Those Affected by Parkinson's