Care Partners

With a new shelter-in-place order issued on March 31, both family caregivers and home health aides need continued guidance and support. These organizations are coming through.

Family Caregiver Alliance

The FCA has prepared (and is continually updating) a great collection of Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources and Articles for Family Caregivers.

The John A. Hartford Foundation

The John A. Hartford Foundation has compiled resources from their partners and grantees in “Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Resources for Older Adults, Family Caregivers and Health Care Providers (Updated 3/31).”

AARP

AARP has produced a one-page handout titled “Preparing Caregivers during COVID-19.” (PDF)

If you’re new to caregiving, check out AARP’s “Prepare to Care” guides, available in English, Spanish, and Chinese.

CareAcademy

CareAcademy has released a free COVID-19 Certification Class to help you”learn how to care for yourself and your care recipients amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.”

San Francisco Department of Public Health

The San Francisco DPH has published “Interim Guidance: Protecting Home Care Providers and Clients from COVID-19” (PDF).

Government of Canada

From the Canadian government comes “Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): How to care for a person with COVID-19 at home – Advice for caregivers.” While the guide is aimed at people caring for someone who has been infected, following their guidelines will also help keep anyone you care for healthy. Also available as a PDF in multiple languages.

Caregiver Action Network

The CAN has a COVID-19: Family Caregiving page, but perhaps more importantly, a free Caregiver Help Desk at (855)-227-3640.

Avenidas Care Partners Manager Paula Wolfson is here to help you and your family! If you are navigating a hospital admission, ER visit, skilled nursing home stay or assisted memory care unit, call (650) 289-5438 and leave a voice mail or email pwolfson@avenidas.org. Paula is coaching families and patients over the phone as they navigate these systems.

Photo of Paula Wolfson in her office by Veronica Weber, taken in 2014. Like the rest of the Avenidas staff, Paula is working from home during the pandemic.

Home Instead is offering a Facebook Live series on Caregiving During COVID-19, now through April 27. The complete schedule is on the Home Instead website.

During the first session, Home Instead’s gerontologist and caregiver advocate Lakelyn Hogan was joined by CEO Jeff Huber to answer questions like

• Why are older adults more vulnerable?
• How can older adults reduce their risk?
• Is it safe to have caregivers in the home while social distancing?
• How can we stay connected?
• How can we manage the stress of caregiving, COVID-19 and working remotely?

Watch the Replay

Addressing Questions Family Caregivers Have During Uncertainty

Get answers to some of the most commonly asked caregiving questions that family caregivers are asking during the uncertainty of COVID-19. Home Instead's Gerontologist and caregiver advocate, Lakelyn Hogan, will be joined by CEO, Jeff Huber to answer questions like: ➡️ Why are older adults more vulnerable & tips for reducing risk?➡️ Is it safe to have caregivers in the home while social distancing?➡️ How can we stay connected?➡️ How can we manage the stress of caregiving, COVID-19 and working remotely?👉Join live Monday at 2:00 p.m. CDT with this post.👈

Posted by Home Instead Senior Care on Saturday, March 28, 2020

See also 7 Questions Family Caregivers Have About the COVID-19 Crisis.

In times like these, we need practical, actionable ways of coping with stress, fear, and anxiety. The articles, meditations, podcasts, and talks on this page will help you build resilience and find some calm amidst the chaos.

If we can name it, we can manage it. World experts on grief and traumatic events offer insight in “That Discomfort You’re Feeling Is Grief” through the Harvard Business Review.

“Both/and” is a therapeutic concept, and it’s especially relevant now if we’re going to bolster our psychological immune systems along with our physical ones. Rather than bingeing on anxiety, this concept can help you to stay grounded in the present.

Journalist Dan Harris is providing sanity tools such as mindfulness meditations, podcast episodes, scientific interviews, and handy guides, and will be hosting live streams every weekday. Add it to your routine to gain even more tips, and if you’re a healthcare professional, you can access their app for free.

It can help to read how others are feeling and responding in this moment as well, at least to find assurance that you’re not alone in what you’re experiencing. Jamie Tworkowski from the mental health organization TWLOHA reminds us that hope is what will get us all through. Yes, better things to come are still on their way. For now, reach out to others and do what you can to receive support.

Crisis Text Line: In the US, you can text TALK to 741741 to be connected to a trained crisis counselor for free, 24/7. (UK: text SHOUT to 85258. Canada: text TWLOHA to 686868.)

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: (800) 273-8255

Coping with Stress During Infectious Disease Outbreaks from Santa Clara County:

• English
• Chinese
• Spanish

If you are in need of a support group for depression, try LiveWell Foundation’s group.

Greater Good’s Guide to Well-being During Coronavirus

The Healing Power of Laughter from National Comedy Center

Psychology Today: “It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.” 

Wellness recommendations in “Self-Care Tips to Get You Through the New Coronavirus Normal” from KQED

In the podcast “Calm Stability in the Crisis of Coronavirus,” Sherry Walling gives some internal stability tools and tips to help turn down our body’s emergency response systems and restore clarity.

“Social distancing comes with social side effects – here’s how to stay connected” covers ways to strengthen bonds while keeping physical distance, and how to flex your capacity for empathy and caring in times of suffering.