If you are currently struggling to hold a full time job while also taking care of an aged or ill relative, you should know that you are not alone. Being a primary caregiver is a full time job on top of the career you already have and it can certainly be wearying. This is why the Family Caregiver Alliance (FCA) was formed. You can make use of the unique resources that this organization extends to all caregivers who are in need of assistance.
What is the Family Caregiver Alliance?
This alliance was founded in the 1980s by a group of families and community leaders in the San Francisco area. The purpose of this alliance was to create a network of special care and support for patients who suffered from conditions that did not fit into the normal health care system of the time. These included patients who were suffering from such conditions as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and other traumatic injuries and disorders.
The Formation of the Alliance Has Had Lasting Results
The formation of the Family Caregiver Alliance has created lasting results. Not only did the 1980s see the foundation of this alliance, but the same circumstances also gave birth to an entire California-wide network of Caregiver Resource Centers. Since that time, a national alliance of caregivers has grown up in order to address the needs of both patients and the people who give them the care they need.
What is the Mission of the Family Caregiver Alliance?
The Family Caregiver Alliance mission is clear and simple. It aims to use all of its available resources to improve the quality of life for caregivers and the people that they are caring for. This mission is accomplished through the dissemination of info, special services, and tireless advocacy.
What are the Values of the FCA?
The values of the Family Caregiver Alliance are to provide the best possible info, assistance, and guidance to caregivers and their families so that they can make the best decisions for the people they are caring for. This means that the FCA is fully committed to ongoing research and innovation in order to improve conditions for both patients and the people that care for them.
This innovation occurs through tireless research on new care techniques, medication, and countless other areas. The ultimate goal is to allow caregivers to have the last word on the level and quality of care that they are able to provide for their loved ones who require special attention.
What is the Bay Area Caregiver Resource Center?
The FCA works very closely in conjunction with the Bay Area Caregiver Resource Center. This is an organization that provides caregivers with special consultation services in order to enable them to devise a plan of action for the long-term care and treatment of the relatives they are caring for. The organization has been developed to serve families in San Francisco and its immediate metro area, including San Mateo, Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa and Marin counties.
What is the National Center on Caregiving?
The National Center on Caregiving (NCC) is the arm of the FCA that engages in special research and advocacy with the goal of integrating caregivers into the national health and social services system. The NCC also provides info and resources to policy makers in order to help them craft programs and initiatives that give family members the assistance they need to transition into the role of full time caregivers.
The NCC has a special Caregiver Policy Digest e-publication and webinars that provide further info concerning its activities and future goals. This is a resource that present and future caregivers should take advantage of as much as possible. If you are employed, there are employee benefits that could be provided to employees to assist them. Contact us for more information on eldercare employee benefits. 