Program Bio
The National Family Caregiver Support Program was first signed into law by former President Clinton in the year 2000. The Cheyenne Community Caregiver Program was started in the year of 2003. Our former Director Dee Martin took over the program in September of 2003 and took the program from just a few clients to eighteen clients by January of 2004. The program has continued to grow and we now have about forty clients who use our services. We hope to reach out to more caregivers in the community in the future. Caregivers need our help for various reasons. The stress that accumulates can be hard to handle for the caregiver and can lead to burnout, abuse, and neglect. It is our job to ensure that the caregiver is getting the support and care they need.
Since 2003 the Cheyenne Community Caregiver Program has been offering housekeeping, PERS, respite services, transportation, and supplemental services to caregivers in our community. The cost of these services is provided by our program. Without the help of donations we are limited in the amount of services we can provide to our caregivers.
The Administration on Aging conducted caregiver surveys to see how NFCSP services help the caregiver. Here are some of the results, according to aoa.gov:
- AOA services, including those provided through the National Family Caregiver Support Program, are effective in helping caregivers keep their loved ones at home;
- 77 percent of caregivers of program clients report that services definitely enabled them to provide care longer than otherwise would have been possible, and 77 percent reported that the services have “helped a lot”;
- 89 percent of caregivers reported that services helped them to be a better caregiver;
- Nearly half the caregivers of nursing home eligible care recipients indicated that the care recipient would be unable to remain at home without the support services.
