Tampa Bay Cares for Caregivers
AARP is dedicated to easing the burdens on family caregivers. With over 34.2 million helping family members in the U.S, AARP Tampa Bay makes efforts every day to support caregivers. Through various programs, support and guidance- caregiving is made just a little easier for residents in the community.
In 2016, AARP launched “AARP CAREversations” for cities around the nation for caregivers. This program gives caregivers the opportunity to discover key steps to aid you in your caregiving journey, connect and exchange tips and ideas with fellow caregivers, and explore local caregiving resources available in the community.
Caregiving expert and Reunion Care CEO Monica Stynchula has facilitated CAREversations to guide others as part of her mission to help caregivers.
“It was a great way to talk to other people and share experiences as a result,” Stynchula said who has been a caregiver to her parents.
Another program that Stynchula has co-led with AARP Tampa Bay is the Caregiver Accelerator sponsored by AARP’s Innovation Labs. TBCA is a preparedness accelerator to help caregivers and innovators explore their caregiving ideas and determine if viability of their caregiving business idea. Many of the entrepreneur students later square off in a pitch competition to increase awareness and to further advance their business product or service.
John Webb, an AARP caregiving ambassador, is an example of a successful accelerator graduate who launched his caregiving business that reminds people to take their medication.
“At the end of the program, it better defined my message for caregivers and marketing. My interactions with AARP caregiving programming stirred my interest in becoming an AARP volunteer,” Webb said. “By helping others in ways to be involved in the [different] caregiving styles, it’s a way to give back and share knowledge.”
Locally, AARP Tampa Bay has also partnered with Great Explorations for “Memory Mondays,” which hosts a program that occurs the first Monday of every month for adults with memory loss. Participants take part in activities that focus on art, music, and movement and enjoy quality time with others, to include with their caregivers
People new to caregiving seeking guidance and support can download the free “Caregiver Planning Guide for Families,” that comes in three languages-English, Spanish and Chinese. The guide is also tailored for the military caregiver.
AARP also offers a caregiving webinar that sheds light on navigating insurance for caregivers and gives tips for working caregivers. As well as, the AARP caregiving site that has a comprehensive library of resources in the basics of caregiving, caring at home, medical and financial services, life balance, and personal caregiving stories.
