If you are reading this at 2 a.m., that is information. Caregiver exhaustion is not a character flaw, and there is more free support in most metros than families ever find.
Short answer
Respite, adult day care, and the free local support most families never hear about.
What to do, in order
- Take the exhaustion seriously as a clinical fact. Caregiver strain predicts poor outcomes for both people.
- Use respite before you are desperate. Indiana's PathWays Waiver can help cover adult day services and respite for eligible families -- ask CICOA what current out-of-pocket adult day rates run locally.
- Take the free support that exists here. CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions runs caregiver support programs, equipment lending, and information and referral services, all free of charge.
- Get a second opinion on the plan. Your county's Area Agency on Aging will review options at no cost.
- Name the thing you are avoiding. Most caregivers know what the next step is months before they take it.
