Family Caregiving

"There are only four kinds of people in this world:

Those who have been caregivers,

Those who currently are caregivers,

Those who will be caregivers, and

Those who will need caregivers."

-Rosalynn Carter

More than 40 million Americans are helping to care for a sick or elderly loved one. If you are one of them, you should know about the Family Caregiving Program from the American Red Cross, Greater Buffalo Chapter. This program is designed for people who help provide care for an elderly or chronically ill loved one. It's an easy way for you to build caregiving skills and learn how to reduce stress, understand legal, financial and medical issues, and balance work and home responsibilities.

Courses include:

General Caregiving Skills: Prepares individuals who are family caregivers to measure their loved one's vital signs such as pulse, respirations, and body temperature and how to assist with medications.

Home Safety: Informs caregivers how to provide a safe environment for themselves and the loved ones in their care.
Positioning and Helping Your Loved One Move: Prepares individuals who are family caregivers to safely position and help their loved one move.
Assisting with Personal Care: Prepares individuals who are family caregivers to assist their loved one with personal care such as bathing, grooming and using the toilet.
Healthy Eating: Prepares individuals who are family caregivers about good nutritionand how to help their loved one eat.
Caring for the Caregiver: Prepares individuals who are family caregivers to care for their own health while caring for a loved one.
Legal and Financial Issues: Informs caregivers about legal and financial issues that affect them and the loved one for whom they care.

Participants will also be given additional community resources to contact for needed services. For more information please call (716) 878-2395.

You can view our Caregiving schedule in the left margin of this page for upcoming dates through June 2007!

Additionally, the American Red Cross is excited to partner with WNED-TV and Think Bright to produce, "Life Journeys: Solutions for Caregivers" a three part television program aimed at educating and informing caregivers, telling their stories and providing assistance to those in need. Please stay tuned to this site for more information.

Caregiver Resources:

Erie County Caregiver Resource Center Eldercare Locator WNYSeniorcare.org

Produced in Partnership with:

Funding provided by: