2013-087 Aging - NC Department of Health and Human Services for Caregiver Support $25,000

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Contract Number 000285821 Page 9 of 19 SCOPE OF WORK BACKGROUND North Carolina's 65 and older population will almost double in the next 20 years from 1.3 to 2.3 million by 2013. This aging population along with adults who have special needs has increased caregiving among family and friends. Caregivers provide support and ongoing care for an individual with special needs, or who may be at risk of abuse or neglect. Statewide, nearly 20% of respondents to the NC State Ceder for Health Statistics reported providing caregiving services. Caregivers often receive little training to provide services and are not aware of the level of care and the available resources to support their unpaid work. Further, caregiving supports for individuals who transition from facilities to their homes are vital to enable those individuals to remain in their homes. Caregivers have been shown to benefit from a network of support or respite services to provide temporary relief for family caregivers from the ongoing responsibility of caring. NC is currently one of 30 states that received funding to encourage states to focus on caregiver services, strengthen a state's collaboration and infrastructure for respite, and assist where possible in a coordinated system of accessible, community-based respite care services for family caregivers of children or adults of all ages with special needs. The Lifespan Respite Project activities are ongoing and are led by the Division of Aging and Adult Services, in partnership with several divisions and organizations within the public and private sectors. This Family Caregiver-to-Caregiver Peer Support initiative, funded by Money Follows the Person rebalancing dollars, will strenghthen North Carolina's respite and caregiver support system by developing a replicable model of family caregiver to caregiver peer support. Family Caregiver-to-Caregiver Peer Support is provided by a person who has self-identified as a current or past caregiver of a special needs child, adult or elder and who has successfully navigated community-based services to access resources necessary to build resiliency and foster wellbeing in the home, school, and community. This individual must receive training to enhance or support their knowledge of caregiver issues and community resources. Furthermore, they must beltrained in person-centered care and foundational communication principles, including active listening skills, goal setting and crisis intervention. Money follows the Person is a federal and state demonstration project that assists Medicaid-eligible North Carolinians who live in qualified inpatient facilities to move into their own homes and communities with supports. Scope of Work(Rev.4/12)