Expanding and Sustaining Iowa’s Lifespan Respite Program, March 15, 2017

(2017) Expanding and Sustaining Iowa’s Lifespan Respite Program, March 15, 2017. Aging, Department of (Elder Affairs, Department of)

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Abstract

During this reporting period, there have been strides made in the enhancement and expansion of the statewide coordination of respite service with education, advocacy and outreach. Along with the continued work by the initial partners, there have been a number of new members added to the coalition. The expanded reach of the coalition provided the impetus to begin defining the mission and future of the organization. With the limited respite funds available, there were a number of lives impacted. To ensure that respite funds had a positive impact, the implemented a statistically valid tool to collect data and other information to improve the program. The Care for Caregivers conference is in its initial stages of planning to provide education and training opportunities for caregivers and other professionals. The lack of qualified direct care workers has been identified as a focus area and several steps have been implemented by the interested parties. A significant advancement for caregiver’s ability to obtain service occurred when the LifeLong Links system went live.