November is National Family Caregiver Month and the 2015 theme is ‘Respite.” Millions of Americans provide unpaid assistance each year to family and friends with disabilities, chronic illness and other special needs. Respite care provides a break for those family caregivers from the constant care required by their loved one with special needs. It reduces stress, strengthens and preserves families and helps individuals remain living at home. In Colorado, there are 843,000 family caregivers providing more than 551 million hours of care annually.

The Colorado Respite Care Program is working to increase services and support for Colorado’s family caregivers. In 2010, Easter Seals Colorado, the Colorado State Unit on Aging, the Colorado Respite Coalition and the Chronic Care Collaborative received a three-year federal grant and formed the Colorado Respite Care Program (CRCP) to improve respite care resources and services across the lifespan and state. The CRCP serves as an agent in spreading awareness on respite care and addresses respite care needs in the state of Colorado helping individuals connect with the resources they need.

Are you looking for information about the resources available for family caregivers in Colorado? Do you know a family caregiver and want to find out how you can better support them?Are you a respite provider interested in connecting with families? The CRCP can help.

Through statewide outreach to families and professionals, the CRCP aims to increase the number of respite providers across the state, support existing services and works to develop new opportunities and increase awareness of the need for family caregiver support. The CRCP facilitates an ongoing dialogue that explores, connects, and supports community organizations and individuals interested in creating a variety of respite programs, while providing respite information to communities in Colorado. You can learn more about the Program and its partners’ efforts by visiting www.coloradorespitecoalition.org.

What resources are available?

• Online Respite Locator to help families find providers
• Information about trainings and educational program for family caregivers and professionals
• Statewide event calendar
• Online training modules about providing care to individuals with special needs
• Information about advocacy efforts and policy impacting Colorado families
• Funding opportunities for agencies providing care

For more information about this work, please contact Meghan Baskett at mbaskett@eastersealscolorado.org or visit www.coloradorespitecoalition.org