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FCA is delighted to announce that Link2Care, an Internet resource to support family caregivers, will be expanded to serve residents of every county in California. The State Department of Mental Health has granted funding to help expand Link2Care beyond the current demonstration grant area. Additional funding for this effort is also under consideration by a private foundation.
"Over the last year and a half we have learned a lot about how to use the Internet to best serve family caregivers," said Kathy Kelly, FCA Executive Director. "We appreciate the pioneering spirit of the family caregivers and CRCs who are participating in this groundbreaking effort. We receive calls on a regular basis from other organizations and states interested in replicating Link2Care for their respective communities."
Link2Care is designed to complement and enrich services currently delivered by local Caregiver Resource Centers. Family caregivers enrolled in Link2Care have 24-hour access to:
- A secure website with caregiving decision-making tools, developed in partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Madison;
- Consultation with experts in medicine, law and caregiving;
- A moderated caregiver discussion group;
- An interactive journal;
- A personal profile and action plan;
- A comprehensive dementia care information library;
- A caregiver information library;
- A database of local community resources; and
- Other specialized information resources.
Link2Care is designed for caregivers of cognitively impaired individuals (those with Alzheimer's disease, Lewy body disease, stroke, Parkinson's-related dementia and similar conditions). Often isolated and faced with 24-hour caregiver responsibilities, families find it difficult to take advantage of support resources available only during typical business hours. Link2Care is designed to be there for caregivers, day or night, and access is not limited by geographic barriers or time constraints due to employment or exhaustion from overwhelming caregiving demands.
Are you interested in using Link2Care? Do you live in areas served by Del Oro (Sacramento), Mountain (Chico), Valley (Fresno), Bay Area or Del Mar (Santa Cruz/Salinas) Caregiver Resource Centers? Register on-line at link2care. For caregivers who live in other areas of California, Link2Care is scheduled to be available to you this Winter.
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