The Caregiver

The most common type of caregiver is the family caregiver---someone who takes care of a family member without pay. Caregiving involves understanding many topics, such as everyday care; health care; safety issues; assistive technologies; finances; legal issues; support groups; respite programs; handling care at a distance; and knowing how to access government benefit programs and community resources.

Especially designed for those with limited income and resources, BenefitsCheckUp is a good place to start learning about all the programs that you or someone you care about may qualify for, especially if you have avoided finding caregiving resources because of cost.

Caregiver Checklist

Checklist for Family Caregivers: A Guide to Making It Manageable, prepared by the American Bar Association and the AARP, offers easy to personalize to-do lists to record and update the myriad details for the family caregiving team. It answers the question about what services caregivers can offer you when you have a chronic medical condition or need help with daily activities such as bathing and showering, personal hygiene, dressing, toileting, mobility or operating a personal device.

County Support

Fairfax County Family Support Services offers webinars and podcasts on topics such as technology and caregiving/devices and apps; joint accounts; powers of attorney; advance directives; representative payeeships, and guardianships; grief and loss; preparing for increased costs of caregiving; and self-care for care managers. All past programs are archived for easy access. (703) 324-7948 TTY 711

State Support

No Wrong Door Virginia. This is a state-wide network of partners supporting older adults, their caregivers for those seeking long-term care services and supports.

Virginia Navigator. The navigator not only includes caregiving resources, but also other services such as housing and transportation help. 

Respite Care

Respite care allows family caregivers to take a well-deserved break. Call Fairfax County 703-324-7948, TTY 711 to discuss two county programs that provide up to six hours of respite monthly. See more at Virginia Lifespan Respite Voucher Program or call 800-552-3402.

Financial Caregiving

If your loved one is having trouble managing money because of health or memory issues, it may be time to seek a financial caregivers. There are informal and formal financial caregivers. To learn more, read the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Considering a Financial Caregiver? Know Your Options.

Long-Distance Caregiving

Eleven percent of family caregivers live an hour or more away from their aging or ailing loved one according to a 2020 study by the AARP and the National Alliance of Caregiving.  Long-Distance Caregiving: 5 Key Steps to Providing Care addresses a range of issues from establishing information channels and determining emergency fundamentals to making best use of technology. Sometimes you may want expert advice on how to figure out what’s needed and when. A certified senior advisor may help and their professional organization provides a directory.

Fairfax County’s Aging, Disability and Caregiver Resource (ADCR) line can also help navigate the issues and connect you with appropriate resources. (703) 324-7948 TTY 711

Care Managers

A geriatric care manager, usually a licensed nurse or social worker who specializes in geriatrics, is a sort of "professional relative" who can help you and your family to identify needs and find ways to meet your needs.

The Aging Life Care Association provides  listings of geriatric care managers across the country. Managers can be invaluable in finding needed resources in an unfamiliar geographic area or in your local community.

Technology

Technology tools, sometimes referred to as assistive technology, can offer assistance to caregivers and families and enhance their lives through caregiver apps, tech products, telemedicine, and software. AgeSpace provides good information on assistive technology such as medication reminders and communication aids for home safety and security. To read more and find ways to get what you need, visit our technology section.

Other Resources

To learn more about family caregiving issues, visit the National Alliance for Caregiving. The alliance is a national advocacy organization that also provides unbiased information on a variety of related topics.

Jewish Social Services Agency of Northern Virginia. The agency helps neighbors of every religious background, race and ethnicity in navigating aging in place, managing chronic illness and some other caregiving-related issues. 240-800-5772