Resource Organizations and Websites

2-1-1-WA for Traumatic Brain Injury Resources (TBI). 2-1-1-WA is the Information & Referral Services organization for Washington residents of any age impacted by a traumatic brain injury (including concussion). This is the place to begin to get information and be referred to services. They have a new and extensive TBI resource page.

American Indian/Alaskan Native: Lifespan Respite WA is working to increase respite options for American Indian and Alaskan Native caregivers with input from the Tribes themselves as they have the knowledge and awareness of how to meet this need. The Lifespan Respite WA Voucher Program is open to all eligible American Indian and Alaskan Native caregivers.

ARCH National Respite Network (organization, website): ARCH assists and promotes the development of quality respite and crisis care programs; to help families locate respite and crisis care services in their communities; and to serve as a strong voice for respite in all forums. Information, training, connections for families and the professionals who serve them.

Family Caregiver Alliance (organization, website): FCA has an extensive set of information for caregivers, with topics ranging from Advanced Illness through Out of Home Care and including Intimacy and Working with Siblings. Note: their website focuses on caring for adults. Many of their resources are available in several languages.

Caring.com’s Caregiver Resource Center. Interesting caregiver resources/topics, many not found elsewhere. Caring.com is a company in the senior care industry. They say about themselves: “Caring.com is a leading online destination for caregivers seeking information and support as they care for aging parents, spouses, and other loved ones. We offer thousands of original articles, helpful tools, advice from more than 50 leading experts, a community of caregivers, and a comprehensive directory of caregiving services.”

Children with Special Health Care Needs: Accepting help to provide care to your child can be challenging; however, parents and other caregivers deserve a break and time to recharge themselves. The Lifespan Respite WA Voucher Program serves unpaid, unserved family caregivers caring for individuals of any age. These sites offer other types of help and resources:

• WA Department of Health – Children with Special Health Care Needs
• Family Voices of WA (Family to Family Health Information Center)

Community Living Connections WA State: Use this site to find all sorts of services and get answers to your questions about being a caregiver for an adult or elder. For example, on the home page is a search tool where you can put in your county and a keyword, such as “Adult Day Services”. The search will return a list of programs and companies in that county that offer adult day services.

This is also the site to find respite options available through publicly funded organizations such as Aging and Disability Resource Centers. Options may include expanded Medicaid options such as Tailored Support for Older Adults/Medicaid Alternative Care (for those not qualifying for Medicaid based on income) and COPES (Community Options Program Entry System); the Family Caregiver Support Program respite funding (may be based on sliding income scale), and other potential options for families who are not able to self-pay.

Informing Families (website) is a resource provided by the Washington State Developmental Disabilities Council, in partnership with the Developmental Disabilities Administration.

ONEcaregiver Resource Center: (website) “A centralized platform to support caregivers and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities who may be at risk of, or are living with, Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias”.

SAGE, Advocacy & Services for LGBTQ+ Elders, (organization, website) says “We’re a national advocacy and services organization that’s been looking out for LGBTQ+ [their acronym] elders since 1978. We build welcoming communities and keep our issues in the national conversation to ensure a fulfilling future for all LGBTQ+ people”.

Among their many resources and program areas is the National Resource Center on LGBTQ+ Aging, covering:

The WA State SAGE Affiliate is SAGE Olympia. Contact them through their website at http://sageolympia.org/contact-us/.