RESOURCES
CARING FOR THE CAREGIVER
NATIONAL RESOURCES
AARP
AARP’s Caregiver Resource Center provides information on a variety of useful topics for family caregivers and offers a toll-free family caregiving line for people taking care of a loved one (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET at 1-877-333-5885. Iin Spanish, at 1-888-971-2013.) . Agents can’t provide specific advice to callers, but they can suggest resources on a variety of topics. The resource center also provides an online community where caregivers can join, for free, to talk with other caregivers and get answers from experts in the community. Facebook users can visit the AARP Family Caregivers discussion group to connect, share stories and get answers to caregiving questions. You don’t have to be an AARP member to call the support line or join the online communities.
AgingCare
Designed to help caregivers find information on a wide range of
topics, this website also includes an online forum where they can share
experiences, ask questions and participate in confidential group discussions.
Caregiver Action Network
Formerly the National Family Caregivers Association, the Caregiver Action Network website offers a caregiver forum and peer network, a family caregiver toolbox, lists of agencies and organizations, and special information and support for Alzheimer’s caregivers.
Lotsa Helping Hands
Lotsa Helping Hands is a free web service where people can create private groups to coordinate and post tasks needed by a caregiver. Family members and friends may sign up online for a task, and the site tracks each task, generating a summary report showing who has volunteered for various tasks and which tasks remain unassigned.
National Alliance for Caregiving
The website’s Resources section includes Caregiver’s Health, which provides a downloadable booklet, Care for the Family Caregiver: A Place to Start, and “You Are Not Alone” caregiver videos.
Share the Care
212-991-9688
Share the Care is a nationwide model designed to organize groups of family members, friends, and/or co-workers to help someone in critical need of caregiving support. Operating under the nonprofit National Center for Civic Innovation, STC offers a guidebook ($17.99) in a step-by-step format so caregivers can pool their time and resources to assist a loved one facing an aging or health crisis – and maintain the group’s efforts over time.
Well Spouse Association
This not-for-profit organization oversees a network of support groups around the country, including a chapter on Long Island. It offers emotional support for spousal caregivers and advocates for programs that help families deal with chronic illness. Annual dues for Well Spouse members are $30, although they may be waived for hardship cases.
LOCAL SUPPORT SERVICES
2-1-1 Long Island
888-774-7633
This free information and referral service connects Long Island residents to a wide array of health and human services, including dozens of caregiver support groups (search for caregiving), respite services and adult day care programs.
Caring for the Caregiver
516-333-0081
This nonprofit group offers weekly “Caring Circle” support groups at Church of the Advent in Westbury. The group also sponsors free educational presentations and events covering a variety of topics of interest to caregivers.
Nassau County Office for the Aging
Help Line: 516-227-8900
The office coordinates monthly support groups for caregivers of the frail elderly in Long Beach and Elmont.
Northwell Health Peconic Bay Medical Center Caregiver Program
631-548-6259
Managed by Northwell’s Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead, the program offers help from social workers and trained volunteer “coaches” who support families providing care for loved ones faced with a serious condition.
Caregiver Centers at Northwell Hospitals, open 24/7, designed to give caregivers respite. Calming atmosphere with calming music and white noise in the rooms, with privacy; place to sleep overnight if a patient is critical.
Parker Jewish Institute for Healthcare and Rehabilitation
Willing Hearts, Helpful Hands
www.parkerinstitute.org (Click "Services", then "Community Health Services")
516-586-1507
This caregiver support initiative provides free in-home consultations for family caregivers of those with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, as well as in-person and telephone support groups; education and training programs at public libraries across Long Island, respite care; access to volunteer caregiver companions; and memory cafes, which bring together caregivers and people facing memory loss. The program is supported in part by a grant from the New York State Department of Health.
Family Service League
516 406-1085
Funded by the Suffolk County Office for the Aging, caregivers of those over 60 receive free counseling, linkages, support groups and educational programs. Support groups are held in-person and on Zoom.