In-Home Caregiver Education & Support Program
Division on Disability Services
One Bergen County Plaza, 2nd Floor
Hackensack, NJ 07601-7076
Phone: (201) 336-6504
TTY: (201) 336-6505
(Telecommunication for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing)
Fax: (201) 336-6505
Website: http://www.co.bergen.nj.us

In-Home Caregiver Education and Support Program: a convenient free service for caregivers with no income eligibility requirements.

James R. Thebery, M.A. CSW
Division on Disability Services, Director

Dan Kotkin, Coordinator
(201) 336-6504

Purpose: To provide training and support to caregivers

How the program works: A Register Nurse meets with the caregiver at the home to assess the client’s need for services. The nurse uses this information to plan training or support for the caregiver.

The Teaching Plan and Home Visits: The teaching plan helps caregivers to set goals to learn the skills needed to provide care such as:

*Lifting
*Transferring
*Bathing
*Personal Care
*Dietary Management
*Disease Education
*Accessing Community Resources
*Rehabilitation Exercises

Professional Home Visits:

Caregivers may receive home visits from the following professionals:

*Occupational/Physical Therapists
*Speech Therapists
*Registered Nurse
*Dietician

A Licensed Clinical Social Worker is also available for counseling for stress management.

The Caregiver is:

*An unpaid individual, 18 years of age or older.
*A spouse, adult child, grandchild, another relative or friend.
*A person who lives with the care receiver and/or is actively engaged in the person’s care.

The Care Recipient is:

*Is 18 years of age or older with chronic disease or disability.
*Needs help from a primary caregiver to adequately perform activities of daily living.
*Is a Bergen County Resident

Disclaimer: this is a very good program that I used when I was taking care of my parent and I highly recommend it. Please work with your social worker and sign up for it when you bring your loved one home. The quicker you get signed up, the quicker they come to your house for the evaluation. Please call the above number for more details.