Colorado Caregiving Awareness

Your care may be super, but you're only human.

Caregiving can be really stressful.

Mary says that her dad didn't let on how bad her mom's dementia really was. Since her father passed away, Mary has struggled to care for her mom as the condition progresses. "I am anxious about leaving mom alone, but I also need to be there for my own kids", Mary worries.

John's son has special needs, and as he gets older his care needs are evolving. While John and his wife are very close to their son, they admit that sometimes they need help when it comes to expecting and preparing for his growing needs. "We are the experts on our son, but not his condition", John explains.

Lisa has cared for her brother since they were both in their 20s, and loves the time they spend together. Sometimes, though, caregiving can feel isolating. "I spend so much time with him I forget to look after myself. I would love to be able to talk to someone else who really understand caregiving", Lisa muses.

Find respite providers near you

What is Caregiving?

These people come from different walks of life and different situations. But they’re all caregivers - someone who provides any type of unpaid or paid physical and/or emotional care for a person with special needs. In Colorado alone, there are 584,000 people caring for a loved one in some capacity.

Caregiving is Personal

Caring for someone can be a joyful experience of building relationships and learning about yourself and your loved one. Caregiving can also be a tough, often second full time job. Above all, caregiving is personal. Each caregiving situation is unique, and different caregivers have different needs. Deciding what kind of support fits best is up to the caregiver, from education programs on caregiver resiliency to financial assistance to respite care services.

Call your local Aging and Disability Resources for Colorado center. 1-844-265-2372

Am I Caregiving?

You are if you answer “yes” to any of the following.

Parent of a child with special needs
Adult child of a parent with aging concerns
Friend of someone with a disability
Partner or spouse of a loved one with chronic conditions
Foster or adoptive parent, or kinship relation of any child

Resources for Caregiving

Are you or someone you know providing care to a loved one?

Remember: There are many caregiver resources that can provide much-needed support, including:

Discover tools to support your wellbeing.
Find professional caregiver resources for respite care.
Tap into stress management techniques.
Connect with other caregivers through support groups.
Learn about getting paid as a family caregiver.
Explore educational and training programs that train other family members and friends to become a respite care provider.

Find support, education and respite care

Join the Colorado Caregiver Awareness Campaign.

Join us and help to broaden the conversation about caregiving in Colorado, and help family caregivers connect to vital resources. The Colorado Respite Coalition will send you electronic and/or printed campaign materials to share with your community and clients, at no cost. The printed toolkit includes posters, postcards and bookmarks, and will be mailed to your address or a centralized location nearby for pickup. The electronic toolkit includes all digital campaign images plus sample social media and e-newsletter text, and will be shared via email. To receive either or both campaign toolkits, please sign up using this form.

This campaign is a collaboration of the Colorado Respite Coalition, Easterseals Colorado and the Colorado Department of Human Services.