Getting together with family and friends is a tradition around the holidays. But family gatherings can also lead to major worries over the well-being of older or disabled family members and those caring for them. At the same time, the stress of the holidays can take an added toll on a caregiver who is already experiencing caregiver fatigue. Adult children who don't live near their parents are often startled to see that dad's health has declined, and may be even more shocked to see that mom is struggling to take care of him. That makes the holidays and the days and weeks afterward a prime time for people to be looking for care giving resources.

We know that help isn't always easy to find especially when family members don't live in the same community or even the same state as their loved one who needs care. Anyone directly caring for or concerned about the well-being of someone over 60 or someone with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder can find their county Family Caregiver Support Program by calling the toll-free number 866-843-9810 or going to the Wisconsin Caregiver website. The program also serves grandparents or relative caregivers 55 years of age and older who are caring for children under 19 or who are caring for a relative with a disability who is 19-59 years of age.

One of the barriers to caregivers getting help is that many do not identify themselves as caregivers. More than 25% of the population is, or will be, a caregiver at some point in their lives. Family caregivers can be one spouse directly caring for another; an adult son or daughter caring for a parent, sometimes arranging care from another city or state; a grandmother raising her grandson; a friend or neighbor bringing meals or giving rides to someone who cannot cook or drive, there are countless ways for people to be caregivers. The challenge is to find them and let them know that there is help if they need it.

The kinds of help that caregivers want or need can be diverse. The son of an ailing elder might be able to grocery shop for his father, but may need to find a personal care attendant to help with bathing, eating or taking medications. The husband of a woman with Alzheimer's disease may benefit from the emotional support of a local caregiver support group or from respite (someone coming to stay with his wife while he takes a break). A woman caring for a disabled grandchild may need transportation assistance. County Family Caregiver Support Programs work to create helpful solutions to these and other care giving dilemmas. The program can provide information and assistance on services such as adult day care, case management, home health and personal care, respite care, financial and legal matters related to care giving, home delivered meals, transportation and more.

Because caregiver stress can be particularly pronounced around the holidays, it is important that families find the help they need in their own county. When a caregiver is struggling, it can feel like there is no light at the end of the tunnel, the Wisconsin's Family Caregiver Support Programs exist to make the journey a little bit brighter. For more information please contact the Oconto County Commission on Aging at 920-834-7707 or 800-649-6568. We hope that more caregivers will take advantage of this program.