Raise awareness and funds for family caregivers this November

November is a time to celebrate family caregivers, also referred to as care partners or carers, who provide unpaid care for loved ones of any age who are ill, have disabilities or whose parents are no longer able to fill that role. According to American Association of Retired Persons and the National Council on Aging, there were 53 million adult family caregivers in the U.S. in 2020 (an increase of 21.8% from 2015).

To support family caregivers in Idaho, the Idaho Caregiver Alliance - which is housed in the School of Public and Population Health at Boise State - is a coalition of individuals and organizations focused on expanding opportunities for caregiver support. Considering that the community of family caregivers is growing, the alliance created the Family Caregiver Navigator program, a free, low-barrier, telephonically delivered service that provides individualized care plans and resource referral services for Idaho caregivers.

The Idaho Caregiver Alliance capitalizes on the skills and talents of Boise State students and resources available through the university to expand support for family caregivers.

Boise State students give back to the community

Edwina French, a graduate of the Master of Public Health program, assisted in the creation of "Resource Needs of Caregivers and Parents as Students in University Settings," which was published in the Harvard Public Health Review Journal last summer. The article reported findings from a survey conducted at Boise State indicating that 393 (26.1%) of respondents identified as a parent or caregiver with almost two-thirds indicating they worried about their academic success during the semester and expressed a need for additional resources.

Tracey Hinkley, a Master of Social Work student, used her internship to engage with family caregivers and expanded the social media presence of the alliance and navigator program. She produced several videos like the "Empowering Hispanic Family Caregivers" video in partnership with Las Senoras, Inc.

Adrián Rodríguez, a Master of Public Health student, is a Family Caregiver Navigator health educator who leads efforts to engage with members of the Spanish-speaking community through the alliance's Hispanic Advisory Group and participation in initiatives sponsored by the Idaho Hispanic Commission, Las Senoras, Inc. and PODER of Idaho.

Master of Public Health graduate student Adrián Rodríguez is also a health educator for the Family Caregiver Navigator program.

Rodríguez collaborated with faculty Taylor Neher and Sarah Toevs to publish "Successes and Barriers Identified by Public Health Professionals Engaging Hispanic Communities" in the Journal of Latinx Psychology. He's presented findings from this work at local and statewide conferences while coordinating the alliance's "Amplify the Power of Family Caregiver Voices" national project funded by Community Catalyst.

Jennifer Nguyen, another Master of Public Health student and Idaho Caregiver Alliance graduate research assistant, researched the impact of Family Caregiver Navigator on caregiver health and well-being. She's also coordinated the statewide Annual Caregiver Conference that hosts over 300 caregivers and is scheduled for Feb. 2025.

Raising awareness of family caregiver needs

Every November, the Idaho Caregiver Alliance encourages the community to celebrate family caregivers across the state. On Nov. 14, Idaho Governor Brad Little will sign the Idaho Caregivers Month Proclamation to raise awareness and support for caregivers by promoting policies that address their needs and those they care for.

Members of the Idaho Caregiver Alliance at the Idaho State Capitol.

In honor of the 10th anniversary of the alliance and Family Caregiver Month, every dollar donated in November will be matched up to $10,000 as part of the "Help Idaho's Family Caregivers Thrive" PonyUp campaign. Resources will help the alliance continue to provide opportunities for student learning and university engagement.

To connect with a navigator or refer a family caregiver, call (208) 426-5899, email [email protected] or visit the Idaho Caregiver Alliance or Family Caregiver Navigator websites.

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