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College of DuPage Library

Care Giving Resource Guide

 

 

There are many excellent resources available for caregivers. This guide contains search tips and suggestions for accessing resources available through: the College of DuPage Library; local community and government resources; and national organizations committed to supporting caregivers and families.

The College of DuPage and the C.O.D. Library do not create or control any of these resources, and they will not be held responsible for misuse of information or any adverse effects of recommendations stated in these resources. Health Information should always be discussed with health care providers, who can interpret the information and apply it to a specific case.

Library Resources

  • Locate caregiver DVDs, VHS videos, books, audiobooks, and periodicals by searching the C.O.D. Library Catalog
    • Subject Searching: There are 36 subjects related to caregivers. Click on the desired subject to review available items
    • Keyword Searching: Try general searches like caregiv* or specify the type of caregiving by including a condition such as caregiv* AND alzheimer* or caregiv* AND parkinson*
    • The C.O.D. Library has an extensive collection of up-to-date materials pertaining to health and medicine. You can perform subject or keyword searches for specific diseases and conditions (e.g. Multiple Sclerosis, stroke, dementia or cancer).
  • Search our Health Science Databases for the latest journal & magazine articles and information on health-related topics. You'll need your library card to access our databases from off campus.
  • Access even more resources (print and electronic) via the C.O.D. Library's Consumer Health Resource Guide

Remember that the C.O.D. Library Reference Staff are available to assist you in finding what you need! You can call (630-942-3364), stop in, email or IM the main reference desk during open hours of operation. You can also contact the Health Sciences Librarian, Debra Smith, for confidential, personalized assistance.

Resources for C.O.D. Employees

  • C.O.D. Caregiver Support Group
    C.O.D. employees currently caring for spouses, parents or elderly relatives are welcome to attend. In addition to employees supporting one another, elder care professionals frequently are invited to educate and inform the group on various care giving topics. The group meets every 4th Thursday of the month (with a few exceptions) from noon to 1:00 pm (feel free to bring your lunch!)  Contact Sue Benton for more information
  • The C.O.D. Employee Assistance Program (EAP) 
    Enlists the assistance of Central DuPage Hospital to provide free, confidential resources for a wide-range of personal concerns including: elder care, legal, and financial issues for all household members. To learn more about this benefit contact the Employee Assistance Program at 630-653-4218.  www.cdh.org/EAP
  • College of DuPage Long Term Care Educational Website
    http://www.mycodeldercare.com
    Provides a variety of helpful information on care giving, elder care resources and support information
  • Elder Care Solutions, Inc.
    http://www.eldercaresolutions.com
    Provides benefited C.O.D. employees to discuss options for care of elderly relatives with registered nurses specializing in assisting the elderly and their families. Contact Elder Care Solutions, Inc. at (630) 416-2140 or email care@eldercaresolutions.com. For more information on this benefit and copays, contact Human Resources

Illinois County & State Government Resources

Caregiver Web Sites

  • Alzheimer's Association
    The Alzheimer's Association is the leading, global voluntary health organization in Alzheimer's care and support, and the largest private, nonprofit funder of Alzheimer's research
  • American Academy of Home Care Physicians
    Offers a directory of home care physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners by State
  • Assisted Living Directory
    Founded in 2005, this free directory is a resource "for assisted living and senior care, with extremely high-quality content, directory listings, and contributions from experts...with a passion for helping seniors, families, and caregivers"
  • The Caregiver's Handbook
    A complete online guide for caregivers of the elderly. It is often recommended for people taking care of Alzheimer's patients but can be useful for all types of caregiving
  • Family Caregiver Alliance
    Represents caregivers, describing their daily challenges, offering assistance, and supporting education, services, research and advocacy
  • Home Safety Council
    A national nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing home-related injuries in all age groups from babies to seniors
  • MEDLINEplus National Library of Medicine: Caregivers
    This page can be accessed by searching the health topic caregivers. Categories on this page include: coping; research, specific conditions/aspects, law and policy, organizations, statistics and specific populations. There are also links to related MEDLINEplus pages as well as a pre-formulated MEDLINE search retrieving recent caregiving article citations from the medical literature
  • National Association of Senior Move Managers
     "A 501(c)(6), not-for-profit, professional association of organizations dedicated to assisting older adults and families with the physical and emotional demands of downsizing, relocating, or modifying their homes."
  • National Family Caregiver Support Program
    Useful information developed by the Administration on Aging (AoA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
  • The National Family Caregivers Association (NFCA)
    A constituency organization that addresses the common needs of all family caregivers
  • Parkinson's Disease Caregiver's Information
    The Foundation supports researchers; physicians; occupational, physical and speech therapists and psychological counseling. It also provides educational and medical information for Parkinson patients, their families and caregivers, neurologists and general medical practitioners
  • Patient Advocate Foundation
    Provides mediation and arbitration services to patients to remove obstacles to healthcare including medical debt crisis, insurance access issues and employment issues for patients with chronic, debilitating and life-threatening illnesses. Offers a Co-Pay Relief Program (www.copays.org)
  • Patterson Medical
    A medical supply online catalog that provides caretakers with visual and written descriptions of helpful devices and equipment available to assist with eating/food preparation, bathing, toileting, getting in and out of bed, transporting, etc.
  • Well Spouse Foundation
    Spouses and partners of the chronically ill or disabled find online support

Resources Recommended by C.O.D. Caregiver Support Group Members

The following resources were shared by members of the C.O.D. Caregiver Support Group during monthly meetings. Members found these providers/services to be useful while caregiving. Please note that the College of DuPage and the C.O.D. Library do not create or control any of these resources, and they will not be held responsible for misuse of information or any adverse effects of recommendations stated in these resources. Health Information should always be discussed with health care providers, who can interpret the information and apply it to a specific case.

  • Visiting Angels Living Assistance Services: Naperville Illinois Office
    http://www.visitingangels.com/SENIOR_HOMECARE_NAPERVILLE_IL_60137-48
    Provides non-medical senior home care within DuPage County. **Visiting Angels Agencies are available in many areas--click the "Contact Us" button to locate services in other regions or call 800-365-4189
  • Kenneth Young Center
    http://www.kennethyoung.org/
    Offers Community Mental Health and Senior Services for the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago
  • Metropolitan Family Services
    http://www.metrofamily.org/
    A multi-service agency that is dedicated to serving the entire family with seven centers in Chicago and the suburbs
  • Voices of Vision Talking Book Center in Geneva, IL
    http://vovtbc.org/
    Provides free library service to persons unable to read or use conventional print material due to a visual or physical disability. There is no cost to eligible readers. Talking books and magazines, braille books and magazines, catalogs, and playback equipment are mailed to registered readers postage free  and may be returned in the same way. Digital formats are also available for download.
  • Spectrios Institute for Low Vision
    http://www.spectrios.org/
    Spectrios Institute for Low Vision, formerly Deicke Center for Visual Rehabilitation, helps individuals with vision loss(from macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and other conditions) lead full and productive lives via vision aiding devices and the latest technologies designed to maximize vision
  • Elder Law Attorney Resources

Do you have additional caregiving resources that you'd like to share? Are you in need of one-on-one, confidential information/research assistance? Contact Debra!

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