At some point in their lives, most residents will seek care from informal caregivers. These include family, friends, and neighbors. Likewise, many will also have the privilege and responsibility of caring for an older loved one. For some members of the disability community, full-time personal care is a requirement of surviving and thriving, regardless of age. Supporting caregiving for adults and people with disabilities is essential for well-being, family life, and the economy. Immigrant households and households of color are more likely to be multi-generational, meaning they may be more likely to provide unpaid care across generations. Women of color provide a disproportionately large share of this care.
A new county-wide Village program will make connections to volunteers possible. It will be easier for residents to get help with non-medical household tasks, services, programs, and transportation. The Village will help fill gaps in the existing formal and informal caregiving systems through social and educational programs, health and wellness activities, and technology assistance.
While local, county and state caregiving models, such as the Medi-Cal program In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS), help provide affordable care for low-income older adults and people with disabilities, many Sacramento County residents rely on informal caregivers to defray the costs of long-term care services.
Community-based caregiving organizations, such as Del Oro Caregiver Resource Center, or the three Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) centers, offer services to caregivers and those in need of care. Meals on Wheels delivers nutritious home delivered or congregate dining meals.
From our community needs assessment, we heard from county residents that informal caregivers, such as family and friends, need more education, training, and respite opportunities.
There is also a need for:
Greater access to affordable meals and food, clothing, housing, and transportation for vulnerable residents.
Sufficient resources to help older adults living alone and people in general to age in place, including informal caregiving, home and yard maintenance, meal prep and delivery, and reading and writing assistance.
Sufficient support for new immigrants and refugees, including help reuniting with family members overseas.
A new community-based Sacramento County Village program(s) — of and for older adults and people with disabilities — will have at least 2,000 members and 200 active community volunteers, with 85% of members satisfied with the program, as indicated through an annual survey.
A new Village program(s) will connect intergenerational volunteers with older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers to share their skills. Volunteers will provide transportation, gardening, minor home maintenance, light caregiving, help with technology, shopping, friendly visiting, and more.
Implement a county-wide Village program that connects volunteers with older adults and people with disabilities in need of assistance.
Currently, there are no Village programs in Sacramento County. Villages are community-based, nonprofit, sometimes grassroots organizations of and for older adults and people with disabilities. They are oftentimes formed through a cadre of caring, volunteer neighbors who want to change the paradigm of aging. Similar to the Better Together Sac outreach and engagement program recommendation, a Village program should include staff, volunteers and recipients of assistance who are non-English native speakers, persons with disabilities, and cultural liaisons.
The Village model of care helps fill the gaps in existing formal and informal caregiving systems and resources. While no two Villages are the same, many offer their members social and educational programs, health and wellness activities and volunteer assistance with transportation, light home maintenance, and computers and other technology. Older adult members and members with disabilities may pay annual membership dues to help offset the cost of administrative staff and overhead expenses; to be more equitable, some villages offer membership on a sliding scale based on ability to pay.
Starting a Village would require a review of the gaps in existing caregiving systems, including the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) model, and new funding to pay for administrative start-up costs and to maintain paid staff. Organizations interested in collaborating with the County to implement the Village program(s) could benefit from guidance and resources offered by Village Movement California, an organization dedicated to launching and sustaining villages across the state.
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