Alabama Cares

Alabama Cares, part of the National Family Caregiver Support Program, is a program designed to support Family caregivers by providing information, assistance and resources to help them take care of their aging loved ones and themselves. Alabama Cares will help to keep families together and will allow seniors to age at home instead of in long term care facilities. The caregiver is the primary client.

Eligibility Requirements

· Must have a caregiver (family member, friend, church member) who provides care two or three times per week for the care recipient.

· The care recipient (person who needs help) must be 60 years or older and need help with at least three activities of daily living such as bathing, cooking, household chores, transportation, taking medicines, transferring or walking.
· There is no income limit, but there is a cost share based on the care recipient’s income.

Services Provided

· Temporary Respite Care to provide brief periods of relief or rest for caregivers to help prevent stress and burnout. Respite is provided two to four times per month. Respite care includes personal care, sitter/companion, and light housework.
· Supplemental Services are other services to support the needs of caregivers such as building wheelchair ramps.
· Assistance to link caregivers to services and opportunities that are available. Case Management to assess needs and authorize services.
· Information provided in a group setting such as health fairs and public education. Outreach to encourage caregivers to use existing services and benefits.
· Training, Support Groups and Counseling provides provisions for advice, guidance and instruction about options and methods for providing support to caregivers in an individual or group setting.

Questions and Answers

1. What is Respite?
Respite is temporary relief for caregivers. It means taking a break from the responsibilities of caring for a senior adult with special care needs. Respite support can be used by the caregiver to:
    · Go to a doctor appointment
    · Provide a bath for your loved one
    · Go buy groceries or go shopping
    · Remain at home and relax
    · Get some sleep
    · Go to church
    · Visit family and friends
Or any other activity that enables the caregiver to take care of their needs.

2. What kind of help does Respite provide?
Respite provides a worker to come to your home to help with personal care such as bathing, shaving, dressing; light housework such as dusting, vacuuming, mopping, cleaning the bathroom, laundry; cooking meals and companion/sitter. Respite provides a break for the caregiver two to four times per month. It is not daily care for the care recipient.

3. Can I decide who the worker will be?
Once you are approved for services by the Alabama Cares Program, you will be provided with a list of Providers (companies) who have a contract with the program. You may decide which Provider you wish to use from the list provided. You will receive vouchers to pay the worker/Provider.

4. What do I need to do to get help from the Alabama Cares Program?
You need to call 1-800-243-5463 and ask to speak to Gloria Goldman, Alabama Cares Coordinator. A referral will be completed and your name will go on a waiting list. When your name reaches the top of the waiting list, the Alabama Cares Coordinator will call you and set up an appointment to complete an assessment in your home. Call now and get your name on the waiting list since there can be a wait of several months.