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Free support is now available for Tri-Valley caregivers of patients living with dementia through a respite care program offered by the Dublin-based nonprofit organization Hope Hospice.
Providing temporary relief for low- and middle-income family caregivers, the recently launched Family Caregiver Respite Program gives recipients up to 16 hours of complimentary care in their home each month from a participating agency. Patients are not required to be receiving Hope’s hospice service to qualify for the respite program.
Used to describe short-term relief in the form of a substitute caregiver, respite care can help lower stress levels for a family caregiver by allowing time for personal appointments and self-care, according to Gia Barsell, manager of dementia services and community education at Hope Hospice.
“The stress that family caregivers experience as their loved one declines can be staggering,” Barsell said in a statement. “Whether you have help from other family members and friends, or you’re forging alone, you likely feel overwhelmed and exhausted most of the time. It’s imperative for your own well-being to carve out time for self-care.”
Hope Hospice communications director Kendra Strey told the Weekly that the program “is created for people who fall between the cracks.”
“A lot of families, even if they make a substantial income, they don’t necessarily have extra money to pay for services like this,” Strey said. “We have such a high cost of living in the Bay Area and in California in general, so regardless of someone’s high income, they may not have extra money for respite care.”
Strey added, “We had some funds that somewhat fell into our lap through a new grant, so this is the way we decided to use the grant money to create this program.”
The respite care program’s initial funding came from the now-dissolved organization Tri-Valley Adult Care, which was seeking to redistribute its assets, and will carry the program through the next several years. It’s also possible the program may expand at some point.
“When this first set of money runs out … if we decide to continue the program and seek replenishment funds, we would broaden that to our entire service area,” Strey said, including Concord, Hayward and San Leandro. “Our organization is deep-rooted in the Tri-Valley … but over time our geographic imprint has grown, so certainly we’d want all our programs to serve our entire service area.”
Families may reapply for the program every month, though new applicants will receive priority consideration.
In order to qualify, applicants must be a primary family caregiver for a loved one who has been diagnosed with dementia, reside in San Ramon, Dublin, Pleasanton or Livermore, and have an income not exceeding 400% of the current federal poverty guidelines for their household size.
Questions about the program may be directed to Hope Hospice’s Dementia Services Department at 829-8770 or respitecare@hopehospice.com. Hard-copy applications can be requested by calling the number listed. For more information or to apply, visit HopeHospice.com/respite.
