According to a survey conducted by the AARP in 2021, 77% of aging adults want to age in a place they can call home. This doesn’t just make things easier and more convenient for them but also makes managing chronic illnesses and other mental health challenges less stressful.

However, aging at home means getting help from a trained and knowledgeable caregiver who can take care of your needs.

It isn’t uncommon for elderly adults to face numerous health challenges like memory issues, mobility problems, and mental health struggles. This is why you need to explore different in-home care options to ensure you’re getting the help that you need to live a healthy life.

Keep reading to learn all about structured family caregiving and how this program can help you improve your quality of life.

What is Structured Family Caregiving?

Family caregivers play a huge role in helping improve the quality of life for Medicaid beneficiaries. This helps aging individuals feel looked after and get the help and assistance they require to perform their everyday activities.

Seven states cover structured family caregiving: Missouri, Indiana, Georgia, Connecticut, Louisiana, South Dakota, and North Carolina. These services are specifically designed and created for older individuals living with physical disabilities.

Structured family caregiving is the perfect program for families who want to provide love and care to their aging loved ones without facing any major financial repercussions. This is because this program offers financial and supportive services for both non-family and family caregivers.

This program isn’t just a standalone program; it is associated with Indiana’s Aged and Disability Medicaid Waiver, which allows families to receive financial compensation for serving as familial caregivers. The primary benefit of structured family caregiving is that aging individuals can get comprehensive in-home care from their loved ones and family members without any financial strains.

What Are the Key Elements of Structured Family Caregiving?

If you have questions about how the structured family caregiving program works, you’re at the right place. Here are the key elements of structured family caregiving.

Comprehensive Care at Home

The number one element of structured family caregiving is that the care has to be provided to the aging loved one at home. The caregiver and the participant will live in the same space so the care can be patient-centered and tailored to meet their unique needs and requirements.

The caregiver must also have a significant relationship with the participant.

A Unique Care Plan

The second element of the structured family caregiving program is that the caregiver must devise a unique and customized care plan for the participant to provide specialized care. The participant must be the primary focus of the caregiver and provide individualized support to meet the participant’s unique needs.

For this purpose, structured family caregiving agencies are required to perform a thorough assessment to ensure that the caregiver is capable of providing the support that the participant requires.

Well-Trained Caregivers

The last element of this program is to find a responsible and attentive caregiver who has been specifically trained to respond appropriately to the participant’s needs. The caregivers must also be able to contact a registered nurse at all times to share progress notes and get any answers to their questions when taking care of the participant.

How Does the Structured Family Caregiving Program Work?

The SFC program works in the following way:

The trained and knowledgeable caregiver will move into the home of the participant.The SFC agency will provide financial compensation to the caregiver for their in-home care services.The in-home caregiver will continue receiving educational support and training from the care team.

What Does an SFC Caregiver Do?

An SFC caregiver will help the aging individual with:

Mobility assistance: The caregiver will ensure the participant can perform their everyday tasks without the risk of falls or injuries if they have mobility issues.Daily living activities: The participant will receive assistance with their everyday activities like grooming, housekeeping, grocery shopping, bathing, eating, meal prepping, etc.Medication management: The caregiver will help the participant manage their symptoms and medication and keep track of their health progress.

 

Now that you’ve learned all about the structured family caregiving program, it’s time to look into different in-home care options to find a caregiver most suited to care for your specific needs.

Get in touch with the team of experts at King’s Grace Homecare today.

They offer comprehensive and holistic nursing care services and in-home care to ensure you’re able to manage your symptoms and improve your quality of life.  

Contact them now to learn more about their professional in-home care services in Marion County, Indianapolis.

About the Author

Marie R. is a trained and licensed caregiver who has been a part of the industry for the last 15 years. With her knowledge and experience, the author likes to write informative and comprehensive blogs to help people understand the different caregiving aspects. In her free time, the author likes to spend time knitting patchwork cardigans and looking after her orchid collection.