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Shelley Osterloh ReportingCaring for a loved on who is aging, chronically ill or has a disability or mental illness can be very difficult. But Utah leads the way in developing new training and help for Utah's 173,000 caregivers.
Sometimes caregivers feel alone and may not know where to turn for information and help.
Donna Russell, UCare Program Manager: "It's tough to ask for help when you are a caregiver. And if you are an informal caregiver, it's a very challenging, draining experience, and we want to connect those caregivers with resources."
The Utah Department of Human Services launched the statewide UCare Caregiver Guide Classes. Fifty trainers from communities across the state are now prepared to teach care giving techniques to others in their communities.
Rebecca Mason, UCare Trainer from Price: "These classes really give caregivers a large amount of resources to draw from, so it helps them in every aspect of care giving."
Donna Russell, UCare Program Manager: "This campaign will bring small group classes to people all across the state, to help them learn about care giving, hands on ideas how to make the home more accessible, how to use adaptive technology and how to take a break for yourself as a caregiver."
For example, Sharon Ross says there lots of simple adaptive tools for people like her, who struggle with dexterity. They have things like a device to turn pages, pull a button through a shirt or attach to a key so it's easier to turn.
Sharon Ross, UCare Advisory Board: "This is a bowl for people who have hard time scraping things off the plate. It's curved so you don't lose it."
Public Service Announcements will help spread the word. You can download information from the Internet, or you can call 211. The free classes are offered statewide and will start in June.
