Resources for Integrated Care

Over 34 million family caregivers in the United States provide physical, emotional, and financial support for an adult age 50 or older,  including many individuals dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. Caregiving is a physically and emotionally demanding role, which can take a toll on the caregiver’s health and well-being. Support services, such as respite care, counseling, training, support groups, and education, can improve caregivers’ wellbeing and ability to manage their caregiving responsibilities. These services are most effective when they meet the cultural and linguistic needs and preferences of family caregivers. 

Resources for Integrated Care (RIC) has developed a series of resources highlighting organizations across the country who are providing supports and services for family caregivers tailored to the unique communities they serve. Providers and health plans seeking to support caregivers from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds may explore these resources to learn more about successful innovations and strategies.

Spotlight on Alzheimer’s Los Angeles  
Alzheimer’s Los Angeles provides care counseling, trainings, and classes for family caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia in the Los Angeles area. Click here to learn more about these programs; discover their 15 Alzheimer’s tip sheets for family caregivers, available in four languages; and explore their telenovela series tailored to the Latino community.

First Person Story: Meet Rosa, a Caregiver Participating in Alzheimer’s Los Angeles’ programs
Read Rosa’s story here to hear firsthand about the impact training and care counseling can have on family caregivers from diverse backgrounds—and to hear strategies from Rosa’s care counselor for supporting caregivers of individuals with dementia from diverse backgrounds.

Spotlight on AgeOptions
Partnering with faith-based organizations is one successful strategy AgeOptions uses to reach diverse family caregivers. Read more here to learn about their Caring Together, Living Better program developed through partnerships with faith-based organizations, and their Paths to Faithful Caregiving training program.

Spotlight on Volunteers of America Minnesota-Wisconsin

Volunteers of America Minnesota-Wisconsin’s tailors their culturally responsive caregiver support services to the African American, East African, and Hmong communities in the Twin Cities area. Their services include support groups, caregiver monthly breakfasts, respite services, and one-on-one coaching. Read more about their programs—including how they trained community health workers as Caregiver Consultants—here.

Additional Resources for Supporting Family Caregivers

Explore the following RIC resources to learn more about supporting family caregivers:

• Involving and Supporting Family Caregivers In Care Planning and Delivery Webinar: This webinar provides concrete recommendations for plans and providers on how to best identify, assess, support and engage family caregivers while respecting diverse cultural views.
• Managing Behaviors Associated with Dementia Resource Guides: These resource guides—one for caregivers and one for healthcare professionals—provide recommended trainings, toolkits, fact sheets, publications, and newsletters.