The Caregiver Renewal Institute is Here.
Caregiving is one of the most critical roles in modern society. Caregiving is not defined by specific tasks, nor the amount of time spent providing care. Caregivers perform a wide variety of duties including monitoring their loved one’s health, communicating with healthcare professionals, providing hands-on assistance, managing legal and financial matters, and advocating for their care recipient.
According to a May 2020 report from the AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving, 53.0 million adults in the United States, or 21.3% of the population, provide care for an adult or a child with special needs. A 2016 AARP report found that 78% of family caregivers have out-of-pocket costs related to caregiving, spending on average 20% of their personal income. Caregivers often find they have minimal time for self-care and personal wellness.
Many family caregivers worry about making mistakes. Almost half of the caregivers responding to a 2019 survey of family caregivers from the AARP Public Policy Institute reported that they perform complex medical or nursing tasks and often receive no prior preparation or training for this work.
In April of 2023, Big Bend Hospice sought to provide better caregiver support by launching The Caregiver Renewal Institute. The Institute is a web-based online education and resource hub available to anyone in the community who is a caregiver for a person with a serious or chronic illness. The Institute provides a wide variety of educational and personal wellness resources to support caregivers and ensure they can provide quality care.