National Family Caregivers Month – celebrated each November — is a time to recognize and honor family caregivers across the country. Celebrating Family Caregivers during National Family Caregivers Month enables all of us to:
Dementia Live is a high impact, dementia simulation experience that immerses participants into life with dementia.
Baltimore City
Annual BCHD Family Caregivers Award Ceremony and Recognition Brunch
November 15th l 10:00 am - 12:45 pm l Waxter Senior Center (100 Cathedral St, Baltimore, MD 21201)
Please RSVP by November 7th to Linda Stewart, Family Caregivers Program Manager, BCHD at linda.m.stewart@baltimorecity.gov. Brunch will be served from 11:30 am - 12:45pm.
Baltimore County
Caregiver Resource Session November 5th
l 3:00 pm
l VIRTUAL
November 6th
l 1:00 pm
l Cockeysville Senior Center (10535 York Rd, Cockeysville, MD 21030)
November 19th
l 11:00 am
l Bykota Senior Center (611 Central Ave, Towson, MD 21204)
Annual Caregiver Conference: You Have a Voice, Navigating Difficult Conversations in CaregivingNovember 14th
l 10:00 am - 3:00pm
l Parkville Senior Center (8601 Harford Rd, Parkville, MD 21234)
Vendors will be present to offer services to caregivers. 3 presentations, one on Cognitive Changes, one on Legal issues and one on what questions you should be asking the Health Care team about the person you care for. Beverages, snacks and a lunch will be provided. Keynote speaker will be from The Conversation Project. Conference is free. Registration is required to attend. Limited to 75 persons.
Click here for registration.
Cecil County
Caregivers Support Group (Alzheimer's/Dementia Support Group)
November 12th
l 3:30 - 4:30 pm
l Elkton Senior Center (200 Chesapeake Blvd, Suite 1700, Elkton, MD 21921)
Are you caring for a loved one who is expereiencing Alzheimer's/Dementia? You're not alone. This support group is offered to help provide peer support in a compassionate enviornment with individuals who understand the care-giving journey. Contact Mackenzie Hill at mhill@ccgov.org or 410-996-8168 to RSVP.
Caregivers Month Presentation
November 14th
l 12:30 pm
l Elkton Senior Center (200 Chesapeake Blvd, Suite 1700, Elkton, MD 21921)
Cecil County Caregivers Conference
November 21st
l 9:00 am
l Singerly Fire House (300 Newark Ave, Elkton, MD 21922)
Howard County
Caregivers are Superheroes
November 16th
l 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
l East Columbia 50+ Center (6610 Cradlerock Way, Columbia, MD 21045)
MAC Inc
Relax, Rejuvenate and Reconnect Family Caregiver Event
November 6th l 10:00 am - 1:30 pm
l Holly Center (926 Snow Hill Rd, Salisbury, MD 21804)
Celebrate your dedication as a caregiver with food, fun, and friendship at this event sponsored by MAC, Inc., and supported by AARP Maryland.
RSVP: Register by October 31, 2024, by
emailing shill@macinc.org or calling 410-742-0505, ext. 147.
Montgomery County
Caregiver's Mental Health: Balencing Care for Yourself and Your Loved One
Join Yasaman Alavi, Licensed Professional Counselor from Sante Mental Health Group, for an interactive talk on self-care techniques for caregivers.
Meeting ID: 710 7961 1070
Passcode: 3N3yrk
Queen Anne's County
2024 Caregivers Conference "Laughter is the Best Medicine"
November 15th l 9:00 am - 2:00 pm l Grasonville Senior Center (4802 Main St, Grasonville, MD 21638)
St. Mary's County
Proclamation of National Caregivers Month
November 5th l 9:00 am l Commissioner's Meeting Room (41770 Baldridge St, Lenardtown, MD 20650)
Caregivers Support Group
November 26th
l 6:00 pm
l Garvey Senior Activity Center (23630 Hayden Farm Ln, Leonardtown, MD 20650)
The St. Mary’s County Caregivers’ Support Group is designed to be a safe space for caregivers to share their experiences and learn about resources. This group is open to caregivers of all types, including those caring for loved ones with Alzheimer’s or dementia, diagnosed with Parkinsons, recovering from a stroke, or experiencing other physical, cognitive, or mental challenges. For more information, call 301-475-4200, ext. 1057, or email
Jennette.Beyer@stmaryscountymd.gov.
Annual Caregiver's Breakfast December 3rd
l Dr. James A. Forrest Career & Technology Center (Leonardtown, MD)
The Caregivers' Breakfast is for anyone who serves as a caregiver either in a clinical setting or as an individual. Caregivers may be a spouse or adult child helping to take care of someone or might be a family member who, while not having any direct role in care, would benefit from information and sharing with others. The Caregivers' Breakfast is an opportunity to come and talk with individuals who share similar issues while enjoying a free breakfast and learning from an inspirational speaker. Registration is required for this event. The registration deadline is Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. To attend or become a sponsor for this breakfast, contact Program Coordinator Lisa Berry at 301-475-4200, ext. 1056, or email
Lisa.Berry@stmaryscountymd.gov.
MDOA Receives Federal Funding to Support Family Caregivers
The Maryland Department of Aging has been awarded $490,000 from the Administration for Community Living to be used over the next two years to continue the collaborative work of our state’s multisector plan for aging, Longevity Ready Maryland, and prepare for the growing need for caregivers as the population ages.
“It’s time to support the valuable contributions of family members, friends, and neighbors who care for loved ones with health needs,” said Maryland Department of Aging Secretary Carmel Roques. “By investing in family caregivers and the increasing resources they receive, we are helping Maryland meet the challenges and opportunities of a growing older population.”
Maryland is one of only four states chosen to receive funding from this grant to help implement the National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers and increase outreach, advance partnerships, and strengthen services and supports for family caregivers.
Click here for full press release.
Family Caregiver Support Program
The Maryland Family Caregiver Support Program is administered by the Maryland Department of Aging and is part of a national network of caregiver programs funded by the federal Administration for Community Living. The program helps family and informal caregivers care for their loved ones at home for as long as possible. Family caregivers are the major source of unpaid help for older and disabled adults living in communities across the state. These caregivers typically include spouses, adult children, relatives, and friends.
Maryland's Family Caregiver Support Program works in conjunction with a host of State and community-based services to create a coordinated array of supports for individuals who need them. Studies show that these services can reduce caregiver depression, anxiety, and stress and enable them to provide care longer, thereby avoiding or delaying the need for costly institutional care.
The program offers five types of Caregiver Services:
A service that provides the individuals with current information on opportunities and services available to the individuals within their communities.
Information
- A public and media activity that conveys information to caregivers about available services, including in-person interactive presentations, booth/exhibits, or radio, TV, or Web site events.
- This service is not tailored to the needs of the individual.
Counseling
- A service designed to support caregivers and assist them in decision- making and problem solving.
- Provided by a qualified counselor
- Includes counseling to individuals or group sessions
Case Management
- A service provided to a caregiver, at the direction of the caregiver by an individual who is trained or experienced in the case management skills that are required to deliver services and coordination.
Training
- A service that provides caregivers with instruction to improve knowledge and performance of specific skills relating to caregiving.
- Skills may include activities related to health, nutrition, and financial management; providing personal care; and communicating with health care providers and other family members.
Support Groups
- A service led by an individual who meets state/territory policy requirements to facilitate caregiver discussion of their experiences and concerns and develop a mutual support system.
- For the purposes of Title III-E funding, caregiver support groups would not include “caregiver education groups," “peer-to-peer support groups," or other groups primarily which teach skills or meet without a qualified facilitator.
A service which offers temporary, substitute supports or living arrangements for care recipients. It provides a brief period of relief or rest for caregivers.
Supplemental services on a limited basis
- Goods and services provided on a limited basis to complement the care provided by caregivers.
- A category of service that describes the state-defined service, which does not fall into the previously defined service categories.
- Assistive Technology/Durable Equipment/Emergency Response
- Consumable Supplies
- Home Modifications/Repairs
- Legal and/or Financial Consultation
- Homemaker/Chore/Personal Care
- Transportation
- Nutrition Services
- Other
Eligible Caregivers
- Adult family members or other informal caregivers age 18 and older providing care to individuals 60 years of age and older;
- Adult family members or other informal caregivers age 18 and older providing care to individuals of any age with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders;
- Grandparents and other relatives (not parents) 55 years of age and older providing care to children under the age of 18; and
- Grandparents and other relatives (not parents) 55 years of age and older providing care to adults age 18-59 with disabilities.
- An adult family member, or another individual
- Informal
provider of in-home and community care
- Older
individual
- Individual
with Alzheimer’s disease or a related disorder
- Caregiver who is age 55 or older
- Provides
support to a child under 18 and is not a parent
- Provides
support to an adult ages 18-59 with disability (may be a parent)
ACL Resources
ACL's 2024 Progress Report on the Federal Implementation of the 2022 National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers is available. You can download it here.
