Feds fund $2M in relief for home caregivers

PROVIDENCE—The federal government will pay $2.3 million to give people providing constant care to family members or friends a break so they can shop, run errands or rest, Rep. Jim Langevin said Friday.

The first-of-their kind grants, funded by Congress in January, are being distributing to organizations in 11 states and the District of Columbia. Langevin, the first quadriplegic to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives, pushed for the money shortly after arriving in Congress in 2001.

Langevin’s family cared for him after an accidental shooting at a police station left him paralyzed at age 16. He credits assistance from his current caregivers with helping him live a more full life.

“There are many more family caregivers out there who are providing uncompensated care for a family member, for a friend,“ said Langevin, a Democrat. “It puts a tremendous burden on the individual or family providing the care.“

In Rhode Island, a $200,000 grant will be used to hire a coordinator to expand an existing bartering network that allows caregivers to swap their talents with others in the network and earn credits they can apply toward respite care, said Kathleen McKeon, coordinator for community services and Catholic Charities at the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence, which will collaborate on the new effort.

McKeon said some caregivers provide just basic help for an elderly parent or relative, a role that specially trained volunteers in the bartering network could fill for a few hours. For example, a plumber caring for an elderly mother could fix a sink, accumulate credits and apply them toward respite care.

Even small breaks can be extremely helpful, McKeon said.

“You cannot do caregiving 24-7 without ruining your own health and getting yourself to a point where you’re not going to be effective anymore, especially when it’s a spouse caring for a spouse,“ McKeon said.

The grant was given to the state Department of Elderly Affairs, which will partner with other groups and study whether respite care should be offered by the state’s Medicaid program.

Gov. Don Carcieri reached a deal with the Bush administration last year allowing Rhode Island to redesign its Medicaid program and potentially offer new services, such as respite care. In return, Rhode Island must adhere to a $12 billion, five-year cap on Medicaid spending.

Besides Rhode Island, states including Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut, Illinois, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas will receive funding.