Alabama Cares

Alabama Cares

ALABAMA CARES is a program designed to support family caregivers by providing training, assistance and resources to help them take care of their aging loved ones and themselves.

Caregivers play a vital role in helping seniors maintain their health and independence. However, even though caregiving is rewarding, it can have a negative impact on the health and well being of the caregiver. Caregiving has its greatest impact on the emotional health of caregivers, particularly the caregivers of persons with dementia and stroke who are at the highest risk for depression and anxiety disorders. Alabama Cares Program offers support for caregivers across the state by providing services through 5 basic areas:

  1. Information: provides public education, caregiver and provider training, health fairs, newsletters, brochures, and audio visual/written caregiver information.

  2. Assistance: provides outreach, case management, assessment, and information regarding resources.

  3. Caregiver Education: Counseling/education to caregivers to assist them in making decisions and solving problems relating to their caregiver roles. This includes counseling to individuals, support groups, and caregiver training of individual caregivers and families.

  4. Respite: provides temporary, substitute support of the care recipient to provide a brief period of relief/rest to the caregiver, help with personal care, homemaker services, adult day care, and skilled or unskilled services in the home.

  5. Supplemental Services: provides through a limited basis, incontinence supplies, nutritional supplements, and assistive technology.

Eligibility Requirements:

  • Primary Caregivers of frail, older adults age 60 and older, or of any age if caring for those suffering with Alzheimer's or other types of dementia.

  • Grandparents/relative caregiver, age 55+, caring for children ages 18 and under or caring for children any age with a severe disability.

Priority consideration is given to:

  • Caregivers caring for those in greatest social and/or economic need

  • Older caregivers (age 60+)

  • Caregivers providing for those living in rural areas

  • Caregiver and care recipient with critical health needs

Department Contacts:

Amy Woodis – Cares Coordinator
avwoodis@nacolg.org
256-389-0554