Caregiving is a rewarding, yet challenging journey. There may be days when caregiving becomes so intense or so isolating, coming up for a breathe of air can seem impossible. The ARCHANGELS web site calls those days “being in the red.” Alternatively, some caregivers do not even define the extra help they are providing to a neighbor, parent, sibling, or friend as “caregiving.” These caregivers may be managing their level of support enough today to be “in the green;” however, what happens when an unexpected crisis hits or there is “caregiving creep” and suddenly it’s all too much to manage?
ARCHANGELS is a movement shining a light on caregivers so they feel seen, honored, and supported. They are asking individuals, organizations, and communities to come together to build a strong network of caregiver support across the country. For caregivers specifically, ARCHANGELS is focused on measuring the impact of caregiving on individual lives and providing resources to address the real stress inherent to the role of the caregiver.
The ARCHANGELS Caregiver Intensity Score tool is free to access and available to all types of caregivers, including those caring for a loved one with dementia. On the ARCHANGELS web site caregivers are invited to get their score: “What’s your Caregiver Intensity Score? Take a minute to check in on yourself and find out – you’ll see you’re not alone in this and get connected to things that can help.” This tool can be accessed here.
Following a free assessment, caregivers are then connected to resources tailored to individual needs. Among the resources available to caregivers in New York State are those offered through the New York State Office of Aging in partnership with Trualta and accessible here.
Data collected from caregivers across the country are strengthening advocacy efforts and securing funding for this most important cause.
