Programs and Services Overview
FCA’s work intersects three key areas: caregiver services, policy, and research. But across all agency programs, the services and products developed and delivered are based on real needs of real caregivers — those families we hear from and work with every day. Specific business lines include:
Caregiver Services on the regional and national levels include
Bay Area Caregiver Resource Center
FCA works most closely with family caregivers in the San Francisco Bay Area counties of: San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa and Marin. We offer comprehensive consultation services that result in an action plan for families with ongoing follow up from clinically trained staff. Understanding current and future needs of the family and the relative needing care, coupled with expert information and interventions that improve family functioning are hallmarks of FCA service delivery. Often home visits are arranged that combine an assessment of family needs and the home environment for possible modification to cover safety and ease of care concerns. For those families who need more assistance or who are long-distance caregivers, services can be provided through a new fee-based model provided by FCA.
In addition, based on meeting eligibility requirements, family caregivers in the San Francisco Bay Area may be provided with short-term respite and counseling, legal consultation with a qualified elder law attorney as well as high quality education programs that build direct care skills, teach stress-reduction and wellness techniques and provide wide range of up to date topics needed by caregivers. We select from our extensive catalogue of consumer fact sheets, articles and checklists as well as from our regional community services database to prepare a plan that is tailored to the needs of individual families. Our Connections e-newsletter combines the latest news in research, treatment, policy and a round-up of educational opportunities for family caregivers.
For families who live outside the San Francisco Bay Area region, we offer the Services by State, the first-of-its-kind, comprehensive, online guide to help families locate caregiver support programs and services in all 50 states. Caregivers and professionals find the Services by State page an invaluable tool to locate information and specific services in an easy-to-read chart format. And all family caregivers can use our extensive library of fact sheets, articles and checklists as well as participate in our numerous webinars and videos on caregiving issues catalogued on our site. Service staff also talk to family caregivers from across the country on our 800 number to quickly assess their needs and tailor the right information and service referral that meets their need.
Policy and Research Activities on the state and national level include
National Center on Caregiving (NCC)
FCA’s Policy and Research activities include tracking emerging policy trends and legislation at the state and federal levels through our expanded 50 State Profiles. The National Center on Caregiving also engages in research on policy and program areas that recently have focused on the integration of family caregivers in health and social service systems. In 2012 and 2013, four publications related to various aspects of identification and assessment of family caregivers were disseminated. The NCC continually updates our facts-at-a-glance Selected Caregiver Characteristics that reflect the latest findings in survey and program research. Policy makers, media, program adminstrators, health providers and families can keep current with our Caregiver Policy Digest e-newsletter and our webinars on key policy topics. Technical assistance is available to policy makers and program administrators on system and program development.
FCA engages in advocacy for policies and programs of direct benefit to family caregivers. Working across broad coalitions, FCA has been involved in the passage of noteworthy bills such as the statewide system of Caregiver Resource Centers and Paid Family Leave in California as well as advocated for changes in rules governing assessment of family caregivers for Medicaid waiver programs. Agency staff are represented on key state (CA) and national coalitions, advisory and workgroups that work on a diverse set of issues: quality measures in home and community based services, universal assessment in Medicaid waiver programs, elder justice, Olmstead compliance, workforce development and numerous other topics. FCA is often asked to participate on expert panels relating to caregiving topics for use in policy formulation, product development and system improvements in the private and public sectors.
FCA programs are funded by corporate and foundation grants, contracts with government agencies, corporate partnerships and licensing agreements, fees for service and private donations. You can make a donation right now so FCA can help families in need and to continue our work to improve the quality of life for family caregivers and their loved ones where ever they live.