Covering Caregiving: How-to sheets to connect Wisconsin caregivers with support
There are an estimated 1,000,000 caregivers in Wisconsin providing help and support to family members or friends with illnesses or disabilities. Although there are numerous support services and informational resources targeting caregivers, the majority of caregivers (84%) report that they could use additional information or help on caregiving topics. Furthermore, many caregivers do not utilize existing support services. To meet this need, we have created brief, clear, and visually stimulating educational resources. The first sheet is a county-level resource providing step-by-step instructions on how caregivers can connect with financial resources to support their needs such as respite care, education, and home modification.
Outcomes
Only a minority of caregivers access available support resources such as financial (28%), transportation (23%) or respite services (15%), indicating a clear need for outreach and education materials that are easy to understand and provide concrete, step-by-step guidance. Preliminary feedback from stakeholders and caregivers indicates great enthusiasm for these products. One caregiver said, “I had a really difficult time to know what to ask. This helps.” Stakeholders particularly appreciated the simplicity of the how-to sheets and indicated that they would use the sheets in their work with older adults and their families and caregivers. This work has implications for caregivers' knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and well-being.
Focus Areas
Project Leader
Kristin Litzelman
Assistant Professor
- Department/Unit
- Human Development and Family Studies
- School or College
- School of Human Ecology