DSCC Fact Sheets Resources
Caregiver Action Network (CAN) is a national nonprofit organization that aims to improve the quality of life for Americans who care for loved ones with chronic conditions, disabilities, disease or the frailties old age.
CAN provides a Family Caregiver Toolbox on a variety of topics.
CAN also has a “Caring for Rare Disease Caregivers” website that includes helpful information, tips, and resources, including communicating effectively with healthcare professionals, looking for respite care, handling complex emotions and more.Caregiver Stress and Burnout Information
The demands of caregiving can be exhausting and overwhelming. HelpGuide has helpful information and steps you can take to rein in stress and regain a sense of balance, joy and hope in your life.
Information includes the signs and symptoms of caregiver stress and burnout and how to take care of your own health.
Caring Conversations Toolkit for Families and Providers
The Pediatric Palliative Care Coalition (PPCC) offers a Caring Conversations Toolkit to help determine when and how to start a conversation about hospice or palliative care. Separate toolkits targeting the needs of families and providers are available.
Each toolkit offers a series of questions to consider in deciding if it is time to start a conversation about hospice or palliative care for a child with serious illness and how to navigate the discussion.
Caring for a Child with a Gastrostomy Video from St. Louis Children’s Hospital
The “Caring for My Child with a Gastrostomy” video from St. Louis Children’s Hospital provides information on understanding your child’s gastrostomy appliance and how to care for it at home.
This educational video focuses on the gastrostomy tube (g-tube), the gastrostomy button appliance and answering a variety of frequently asked questions.
“Caring for My Child with a Gastrostomy” is broken into segments and available in full. Be sure to select the appropriate video based on whether you want to learn about the gastrostomy tube (g-tube) or the gastrostomy button appliance.
CaringBridge is a no-cost, nonprofit health platform that surrounds family caregivers with support while they are caring for a loved one on a health journey.
CaringBridge offers tools to:
- Share and document a health journey
- Simplify care coordination
- Connect caregivers with a supportive community
CaringInfo, a program of the National Alliance for Care at Home, provides free resources to educate and empower patients and caregivers to make decisions about serious illness and end-of-life care and services.
The site provides guides and resources about topics including advance directives, palliative care, caregiving and hospice care.
Caritas Family Solutions is a non-profit social services agency that works to meet the physical, social and emotional needs of people in southern Illinois.
Services include adoption support, foster care, community integrated living arrangements, counseling, parenting classes, pregnancy care and more.
Catholic Charities Diocese of Joliet
Catholic Charities Diocese of Joliet serves people in need in Will, Grundy, DuPage, Kendall, Kankakee, Ford and Iroquois counties. Its programs and services include:
- Information and assistance
- Caregiver support groups
- Crisis intervention
- Volunteer opportunities
- Programs for the aging and people with disabilities
- Mobile food pantry
Catholic Charities Diocese of Springfield Crisis Assistance
Catholic Charities offers a crisis assistance program to help individuals and families facing short-term, one-time crises that may put them at risk of eviction or utility shut off. The service is free for residents living in the 28-county Springfield diocese.
Catholic Charities Diocese of Springfield, Illinois, serves the following areas:
- Effingham office at (217) 857-1458, Monday through Friday from 8:30 – 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 to 4:30 p.m.
- Granite City office at (618) 877-1184, ext. 201 or 205, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Springfield office at (217) 523-4551, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Catholic Charities of Rockford
Catholic Charities of Rockford serves people in need in Jo Daviess, Stephenson, Winnebago, Boone, McHenry, Carroll, Ogle, DeKalb, Kane, Whiteside and Lee counties. Its programs and services include:
- Counseling and a mental health ministry
- Immigration and refugee services
- Emergency help
- Food pantry and clothing closet
- Project Hire employment training and services
- Volunteer opportunities