Caregiver Support Services

FCA: The Family Caregiver Alliance seeks to improve the quality of life for family caregivers and the people who receive their care. They offer tips on caregiving, resources for caregiver self-care, and research articles for best practice caregiving for healthcare providers. They provide a tool to search for service organizations by state to support caregivers looking for resources. Their personalized service is called CareNav, which is a free online dashboard stocked with personalized resources to match individual caregivers’ needs. When you register, a staff member will contact you to help you find relevant resources. Their website includes articles and resources directly related to use of, acquiring and funding assistive technology.

Website: https://www.caregiver.org/
211 Virginia: A program of the Virginia Department of Social Services. It is a free service that helps you find a variety of local resources. The website allows you to search multiple resources in your zip code by category, which includes healthcare; individual, family, and community support; mental health and addictions; and more.

Website: https://211virginia.org/consite/index.php
Phone: Dial 2-1-1
Text: CONNECT to 247211

Virginia Navigator: A non-profit organization that helps Virginians access information and services near them. They have a family of websites that includes disAbilityNavigator, SeniorNavigator, and VeteransNavigator. All of these websites allow individuals and their caregivers to search for resources in their area to provide knowledge and support. Their SeniorNavigator website includes a specific Caregiving Resources page that provides resources related to caregiver health, how to have caregiver conversations in your family, and long-term care. Additionally, they have a page dedicated to caregiving and technology, which includes resources and organizations related to assistive technology, communication, home modifications, and useful gadgets and tools.

Website: https://virginianavigator.org/

DARS: The Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services seeks to improve the employment, quality of life, security, and independence of older Virginians, Virginians with disabilities, and their families. They provide a wide range of services and information for caregivers who are assisting an individual with disabilities and/or an aging individual. Some of these services are outlined in the following three sections.

Website: https://www.vadars.org/#gsc.tab=0

VATS: The Virginia Assistive Technology System provides information and services for individuals who require assistive technology in their home. They can help individuals with disabilities and their caregivers to learn about the range of available technology, select the most appropriate device, receive training on how to use the selected device, and find resources to pay for the device. Additionally, they have a Learn About AT page on their website that provides explanations of many kinds of devices and how these can help with specific impairments, as well as how-to-use videos for available devices.

Website: https://www.vats.org/
Virginia Lifespan Respite Voucher Program: Provides reimbursement vouchers to Virginia caregivers for the cost of temporary, short-term respite care provided to individuals of any age, with a documented disability or medical condition. Respite care provides temporary relief to a caregiver from the continuous support and care of a loved one who has a disability or medical condition. The goal of the program is to increase access and reduce barriers to this respite care, as well as enhance education and awareness about respite care. Respite funding is limited to $595 per family through June 30, 2026. Submitting an application is required for receipt of any funds.

Website: https://vda.virginia.gov/
Virginia Caregiver Coalition: A group composed of family caregivers, disability and aging community agency staff, state agency employees, and university and independent researchers. Members meet every other month for networking, training, education, project brainstorming, and resource sharing. Some of their recent educational presentations have included advance directives, managing other people’s money, tai chi, and falls prevention. Membership is free, and only requires sending in a membership form (found on their website). Additionally, on their page, they have included a VCC Caregiver Resource Guide. This guide is a comprehensive packet for caregivers who are looking for information on a variety of topics including taking care of yourself, taking care of someone with a disability, taking care of someone with dementia, and more.

Website: https://vda.virginia.gov/
AARP: The American Association of Retired Persons provides a Resources for Caregivers page with a variety of articles, tips, tools, and guides for providing care to older adults. Areas of interest for these resources include dementia, end of life, financial, in-home care, legal documents, life balance, long-term care, medical, mobility, and veteran-specific resources.

Website: https://www.aarp.org/caregiving/
Carelike: A joint venture between the Alzheimer’s Association and AARP to provide easy access to resources, community programs, and services. The main categories include Alzheimer’s Association programs and events, AARP programs and events, care at home, community services, housing options, and medical services. When you click on one of these main categories, you are prompted to choose a category and enter your zip code. When you select Search, a list of a variety of relevant resources in your area populates. You can navigate to the information regarding any of these organizations by clicking on the hyperlinked title.

Website: https://www.communityresourcefinder.org/