A new resource guide is out for folks feeling overwhelmed by their responsibilities as family caregivers.
AARP Idaho's guide can help people with things such as finding medical equipment, respite care, and financial aid - as well as training to provide better at-home care and managing stress.
Cathy McDougall, associate state director for community outreach with AARP Idaho, said providers were hearing from folks about their concerns as caregivers.
"That's how we came up with it," said McDougall. "We know that caregivers have lots of questions and that we knew if our community partners came together, they could help provide the answers."
The guide provides information for local resources such as the Idaho Caregivers Alliance, Idaho Commission on Aging and 211 Idaho CareLine. About 200,000 Idahoans care for family members who are elderly or have serious medical issues.
McDougall said many times, people become caregivers because of a crisis. She said the guide will go out to providers and is available on AARP Idaho's website.
"We also want to have it publicly available so people can start thinking about it before it does happen to their household," said McDougall. "So that they can get an idea of what the future might look like."
McDougall noted the resource guide also is available in Spanish and could be the first caregiver guide in that language for the state.
