THOUSAND
THOUSAND PEOPLE IN IDAHO... ARE PROVIDING CRITICAL
DAILY IN-HOME HEALTH
CARE TO THEIR LOVED
ONES.
THOSE CARETAKERS ARE
NOW THE FOCUS OF A
PROJECT...
FOCUSED ON THEIR
MENTAL HEALTH.
TAMI TREMBLAY HAS THE
STORY.
THERE ARE THOUSANDS
AND THOUSAND OF
PEOPLE...
TAKING CARE OF THEIR
LOVED ONES AT HOME.
"WELL THE FIGURE WE
HEAR MOST IS ONE IN
FOUR. BUT WE HAVE DONE
SOME WORK WITH AARP
AND ROUGHLY 300,000
IDAHOANS
IDAHOANS A YEAR IN IDAHO ARE UNPAID FAMILY CAREGIVERS. BUT
IT'S A DIFFICULT NUMBER
TO PIN DOWN BECAUSE
IT'S INVISIBLE. PEOPLE DO
NOT IDENTIFY AS
CAREGIVERS. I'M A MOM,
I'M A SISTER, I'M A
DAUGHTER, THEY DON'T
WEAR THAT HAT. AND SO
IT'S DIFFICULT TO FIND AN
ACCURATE NUMBER."
MARILYN SWORD IS THE
COORDINATOR FOR THE
IDAHO CAREGIVER
ALLIANCE...
A NON-PROFIT... FOCUSED
ON PROVIDING ESSENTIAL
SUPPORT TO CAREGIVERS.
IN FACT, A PROJECT WAS
RECENTLY LAUNCHED....
"WE PROVIDE A FREE
NAVIGATOR , THEY CAN BE
ACCESSED THROUGH A
PHONE, OR ONLINE, AND
IT'S AVAILABLE TO
CAREGIVERS ACROSS
LIFESPAN, SO IF YOU'RE AN
ADULT AND YOU'RE
CARING FOR YOUR CHILD
WITH A DEVELOPMENTAL
DELAY, OR YOUR A SENIOR
CARING FOR YOUR
SPOUSE, OR ANYTHING IN
BETWEEN, AND YOU'RE
FEELING THE PRESSURES
OF CAREGIVING, YOU CAN
CALL THIS NUMBER OR GO
ONLINE, AND TAKE A
SHORT SCREENER, AND
ONE OF OUR NAGIVATORS
WILL CONTACT YOU, AND
DO A COMPLETE
ACCESSMENT, DEVELOP A
PLAN, TO KEEP YOUR
RESILIENCE AS A
CAREGIVER. THAT'S
WONDERFUL."
THE PROJECT IS FUNDED
BY MEDICAID...
AND IT'S FREE FOR
CAREGIVERS.
HUNDREDS HAVE BEEN
HELPED SO FAR.
"MOST SERVICES FOCUS
ON THE PATIENT OR
CLIENT, THIS FOCUSES ON
THE INDIVISIBLE
CARETAKER IN THE
BACKGROUND. AND SO
OFTEN THE CAREGIVERS
IS... OH, YOU WANT TO
KNOW WHAT'S IMPACTING
ME? THEY'RE NOT USED
TO SOMEONE ASKING
HOW THEY'RE DOING.
AND WITH THIS PROGRAM
AFTER THEY'RE DONE
WITH THEIR PLAN, THEY
CAN CALL BACK AT ANY
TIME.... AND THEN SIX
MONTHS AND 12
MONTHS."
"WELL, MARILYN, YOU
MUST HAVE HEARD FROM
CAREGIVERS THAT
SOMETHING LIKE THIS
WAS NEEDED. WELL WE
HAVE. AND IT'S BEEN
INTERESTING, PEOPLE
HAVE SAID BOY I WISH I
HAD KNOWN ABOUT YOU
EARLIER. SO EVEN
THOUGH IT'S A TWO YEAR
PILOT, IT'S A TEST. WE'RE
TRYING TO SEE WHAT THE
NEED IS, IF WE'RE
MEETING THAT NEED,AND
SO FAR WE THINK WE ARE.
PEOPLE HAVE SAID
NOBODY HAS EVER ASKED
THIS OF ME BEFORE.
THANK YOU FOR THE
SUPPORT YOUR
PROVIDING."
"SO CAN ANYBODY
REACH OUT TO BE A PART
OF THIS? ABSOLUTLY. IF
ANYBODY IS A CAREGIVER,
AND WE'RE FOCUSING ON
SOUTHWEST IDAHO, BUT
THAT DOESNT' MEAN
THAT IF YOU LIVE IN
ONTARIO AND YOUR'E
TAKING CARE OF YOUR
MOM IN BOISE, GIVE US A
CALL. WE MIGHT NOT
KNOW ABOUT THE
OREGON SERVICES AS
MUCH BUT WE'LL TRY TO
CONNECT YOU. AND
WHAT WE TRY TO DO IS A
REALLY WARM HANDOFF.
AND SO ANYONE WHO IS
AN ADULT WHO IS CARING
FOR ANYONE AT ANY AGE,
IT DOESN'T REQUIRE
INSURANCE YOU DON'T
HAVE TO BE ON MEDICAID,
WE;LL JUST DO OUR BEST
TO CONNECT YOU, TO
HELP IDENTIFY THE
SUPPORT YOU NEED AND
THEN CONNECT YOU
WITH THE RESOURCES
THAT WILL HELP YOU.
IN BOISE... TAMI
TREMBLAY...
"IT'S VERY HIGH TOUCH
AND VERY PERSONAL"
"IT'S VERY HIGH TOUCH
AND VERY PERSONAL"
IDAHO'S NEWSCHANNEL
7.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO
7.
7. IF
7. IF YOU
7. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO
IT
IT DOESN'T REQUIRE INSURANCE YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE ON MEDICAID,
WE;LL JUST DO OUR BEST
TO CONNECT YOU, TO
HELP IDENTIFY THE
SUPPORT YOU NEED AND
THEN CONNECT YOU
WITH THE RESOURCES
THAT WILL HELP YOU.
IN BOISE... TAMI
TREMBLAY...
"IT'S VERY HIGH TOUCH
AND VERY PERSONAL"
IDAHO'S NEWSCHANNEL
7.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO
CONNECT WITH THE
IDAHO CAREGIVER
ALLIANCE...
YOU CAN CALL 208-426-
5899 OR GO TO THE
NON-PROFITS WEBSITE...
NON-PROFITS WEBSITE...
CAREGIVER
CAREGIVER NAVIGATOR DOT ORG. WE ALSO HAVE THAT INFORMATION IN
THIS STORY ON OUR
WEBSITE...
KTVB.COM.
WEBSITE... KTVB.COM.