Caring for those who first cared for us

Caregiver Homes in Indiana, Seniorlink’s intensive care model, was featured in the Indianapolis Recorder this week in an opinion piece written by Indiana State Representative, Robin Shackleford. Shackleford reflected on Indiana’s first-ever Senior Day at the Statehouse and the important role Caregiver Homes and AARP play in supporting minorities in the state. 

Via Indianapolis Recorder: 

According to the AARP and National Alliance for Caregiving, in 2013, nearly a million Hoosiers served as a caregiver for an adult with limited abilities. A quarter of those family caregivers said they felt “burdened” by that duty physically, emotionally or financially. Further research by the American Geriatrics Society tells us that minority families more often take on the generational task of family caregiving than Caucasian families and that minority caregivers suffer greater stress from the added work. 

That is why we in Indiana must continue to innovate and find solutions for Hoosier families. Five years ago, Caregiver Homes of Indiana became the first company to offer the model of Structured Family Caregiving to Hoosier families. The service provides a full care team, including a registered nurse, to support family caregivers looking after aging and disabled loved ones. The service also pays a stipend to the caregiver. Indiana needs more options like Structured Family Caregiving to address the needs of minority communities, who see negative disparities in life expectancy, infant mortality, and maternity health. 

To read the full article, click here!