{"id":852,"date":"2016-01-04T05:43:16","date_gmt":"2016-01-04T05:43:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.firstlighthomecare.com\/home-healthcare-olympia\/?p=852"},"modified":"2016-01-04T05:43:16","modified_gmt":"2016-01-04T05:43:16","slug":"852","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.firstlighthomecare.com\/home-healthcare-olympia\/2016\/01\/04\/852\/","title":{"rendered":"A Valuable Resource for Family Caregivers"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Thriving at Home<\/strong><\/em> (January\u00a02016)<\/p>\n

by Sarah Lane<\/p>\n

The challenge of \u201cfamily caregiving\u201d \u2013 providing care for a spouse, parent, child or friend with a chronic, disabling or serious health condition \u2013 is becoming nearly universal. \u00a0A report<\/a> issued last year by the Public Policy Institute of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) estimated that there are now 40 million family caregivers in the United States who provide 37 billion hours of care to aging loved ones with limitations in daily activities.<\/p>\n

Being a family caregiver for a loved one takes time, effort and work, and is both rewarding and demanding. In fact, the AARP report observed that \u201cfamily caregiving today is more complex, costly, stressful, and demanding than at any time in human history.\u201d\u00a0 The biggest source of stress? \u201cMillions of people who take on this caregiving role have no idea what to do, how to do it, or where to get help.\u201d<\/p>\n

As a family caregiver, you will face many challenges and have many questions. And you may not always have the answers, know what to expect or how to react. \u00a0That\u2019s why FirstLight Home Care \u2013 South Sound, the premiere provider of in-home care in Thurston, Mason and Lewis counties, is delighted to offer training and support resources for family caregivers, to help you better care for the needs of your loved one\u2026and yourself.<\/p>\n

\"FamilyThe FirstLight Home Care Family Learning Center<\/em><\/a> is free for family caregivers who provide home care for friends or loved ones who are homebound, suffer from a debilitating disease or who are simply aging and need companion care. Available online<\/a>, the site includes over 50 training topics created just for family caregivers that cover everything from basic caregiver training to Alzheimer\u2019s disease and memory care.\u00a0 You\u2019ll find interactive and engaging courses, videos and tip sheets that will help you understand the multiple perspectives and challenges that go along with providing care.<\/p>\n

By taking caregivers step-by-step through a specific topic with engaging and interactive video, the courses are narrated, but can also be read onscreen, allowing caregivers to learn through the method most comfortable to them. \u00a0Just some of the topics family caregivers can learn about in the Family Learning Center<\/em><\/a> include:<\/p>\n