Caregiver Cooperative Respite Program

The Caregiver Cooperative Respite Program is an innovative cooperative approach to expanded respite services for caregivers of older adults.

Organization:

Asian Community Center of Sacramento Valley Inc. (ACC)

ACC is a non profit organization providing culturally sensitive health and social services for older adults.

Location:

Sacramento, CA

How does it work?

The program allows caregivers to “buy” caregiving time for their family member in the cooperative through volunteering once a month. With minimal supervision from ACC staff, caregiver volunteers plan and lead activities for the program which operates once a week and provides up to five hours of recreation, socialization, physical exercise, and mental stimulation to older adults with dementia and physical limitations.

ACC is available to provide technical assistance to help communities get their own program started and has developed a factsheet to help organizations replicate the service.

Why is it successful?

In four years after its inception, the cooperative has provided over 9,000 respite hours to more than 150 caregiver co-op members. At least six family caregivers volunteer at the co-op every Friday.

Through several feed back mechanisms (evaluations, face-to-face interviews, meetings) caregiver input is incorporated back into the program.

For more information: www.accsv.org