Read more from the Administration for Community Living about the importance of boosters for everyone, but especially for older adults and people with disabilities and their caregivers.  

Download the flyer.

COVID-19 Resources for Self-Direction from Applied Self-Direction -

• Self-Direction of Home and Community-Based Services in the Time of COVID-19,  Kevin J. Mahoney, Journal of Gerontological Social Work, Published online: 05 Jun 2020

• Why States Should Expand Self-Direction in Response to COVID-19

• “Essential Worker” Identification Badge and Letter

• Measures And Strategies for Self-Direction in Response To COVID-19

National Caregiving Organization Resources for Caregivers and Providers

• Family Caregiver Alliance - Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources and Articles for Family Caregivers 

• National Alliance for Caregiving - Tips for Sandwich Generation Caregivers in the Era of COVID-19

• Elizabeth Dole Foundation – Hidden Heroes 10 Things You Need to Know About Coronavirus and COVID-19 – Tips for Military and Veteran Caregivers
  

• Caregiver Action Network – Caregiver Help Desk - Call 855-227-3640 or visit caregiveraction.org and Tips for Family Caregivers and COVID-19 

• National Association for Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) -  Innovations from the Field

• Child Care Aware of America - Emergency Child Care & Technical Assistance Center™, Child Care Aware of America (CAoA) recently launched this new initiative to support the entire child care community, including child care providers, families and employers

Medicaid and Medicare Policy Changes that Affect Caregivers

• COVID-19 State Resource Guide: Leveraging Federal and State Authorities to Ensure Access to Long-Term Services and Supports for High-Risk Individuals,  Manatt and the Scan Foundation, Updated February 2021

• States Use Appendix K Waivers to Support Home- and Community-Based Services in Response to COVID-19 - State Map that links to Appendix K waivers. Many states use the waivers to modify their home- and community-based services for older adults and their family caregivers during the crisis.  National Academy for State Health Policy.

• Meeting Medicare beneficiary needs during COVID-19 - Using Medicare Advantage Supplemental Benefits to Respond to the Pandemic. New analysis from ATI Advisory and the Long-Term Quality Alliance shows how new non-medical supplemental benefits, including respite, can play an important role in meeting the evolving and dynamic needs of Medicare Advantage beneficiaries during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic

• CMS 1115, 1135 and Appendix K Medicaid Waiver Approvals from ADvancing States (for emergency home and comunity-based services)

• COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for State Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Agencies -- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.  See in particular, questions related to flexibilities for home- and community-based services, family caregivers, and home health and nursing facility providers and Q2. How can Appendix K support a state’s response to COVID-19 for 1915(c) Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Waivers?

• Emergency Preparedness and Response for Home and Community Based (HCBS) 1915(c) Waivers - CMS approved Appendix K documents by state

• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services - Index of Coronavirus Emergency Resources

Government Resources

• COVID Resources in Spanish

• ADvancing States -  Federal Guidance on COVID-19 and  State Health Departments and Agencies - Materials on COVID-19

• National Alzheimer's Project Act - Resources on Covid-19 For Caregivers and Older Adults

• Administration for Community Living (ACL) - Webinar slides - Living with COVID-19: Guide for Volunteer Programs

• Administration for Community Living (ACL) – COVID 19 - What do Older Adults and People with Disabilities Need to Know? 

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Mental Health, Substance Use, and Suicidal Ideation During the COVID-19 Pandemic— United States, June 24–30,2020, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, August 14,2020 69(32);1049–1057

• CDC - Frequently Asked Questions and Answers on topic such as Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and Children 
  

• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) - Coronavirus (COVID-19) Partner Toolkit

• Department of Veterans Affairs, Caregiver Support Program,  Fact Sheet - Information for Caregivers During COVID-19

• Department of Veterans Affairs – Building Better Caregivers Online Course  and Caregiver Support Line at 855-260-3274

• Substance Abuse and Mental Heatlh Services Administration - Training and Technical Assistance Related to COVID-19 (Updated 8-2021)

National Disability and Aging Organization Resources

• ADvancing States - Addressing Social Isolation for Older Adults During the COVID-19 Crisis, Updated March 2021

• Alliance for Aging Research and the Eldercare Locator - Staying Safe at Home During the Coronavirus Crisis (also available in Spanish)

• The Arc of the US - COVID-19 Resources for People With Disabilities, Families, and Service Providers

• Family Voices – Coronavirus Information and Resources

• Generations United -  COVID-19 Fact Sheet for Grandfamilies and Multigenerational Families

• National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services (NASDDDS) and Human Services Research Institute (HSRI) - Strategies to help address social isolation and life disruption among people with IDD during the COVID-19 pandemic, National Core Indicators Data on Life Activities

• National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services (NASDDDS) - Day Program and Employment Services: Re-opening Support, Guidelines, and Resources for States

• National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health - Resources for parents and caregivers include videos, toolkits, activities to use at home during the COVID-19 pandemic

Respite Provider and Workforce Issues

• Institute on Community Integration, University of Minnesota and the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals - Results of The Direct Support Workforce and COVID-19 National Survey 2020

• Community Living Policy Center - An Emergency Direct Care Conservation Corps Proposal  by Henry Claypool, Mary Lou Breslin, Julia Bascom, Silvia Yee, Sarah Triano, Dennis Heaphy, Mike Oxford, John Tschida, Joe Caldwell,  April 2020

• National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) - COVID-19 Toolkit For DSPs: Resources to help DSPs take care of themselves during the crisis

Lifespan Respite Network and State Coalition Resources

• State Respite Coalitions or State Lifespan Respite Programs  During the pandemic, Lifespan Respite grantees and their partners have been a lifeline to family caregivers. They continue to provide respite services when possible through flexible vouchers and reimbursement programs and use creative and meaningful approaches to support and continuously connect to family caregivers. They rapidly adapted innovative respite services and supports to meet isolated family caregiver needs during COVID-19, including regular check-in phone calls, connections to food and basic supports, live Facebook events, online activities to keep care recipients engaged, home-delivered or mailed care packages with activities for caregivers and care recipients, online support groups, stress reduction and self-care webinars, and other virtual respite strategies.

• Case Studies of Respite Services operating safely during the pandemic.

• Agape Respite Re-opening Policies and Procedures 

• Respite Care Association of Wisconsin - Finding Your New Normal during COVID-19, Resources, Tips and Tricks - online training for caregivers and providers. 

• The North Dakota Lifespan Respite Care Program revised its Lifespan Respite Care Service Standards to include changes in eligibility for its planned, unplanned and emergency respite voucher program due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Changes include waiving the requirement that the provider cannot reside in the same household as the care recipient to eliminate concerns about having an individual from outside come into the home; permission to use virtual respite if the health and safety of the care recipient can be assured; making funding available regardless of how much respite the caregiver is receiving from other public funding sources; and increased flexibility in the application process.

• Illinois Respite Coalition Quarantine Questions - Presentation from the 2020 Lifespan Respite Grantee and Parnter Learning Symposium

• The Effect of COVID-19 on the NV Rx Lifespan Respite Voucher Program - Presentation from the 2020 Lifespan Respite Grantee and Parnter Learning Symposium. In addition to Nevada, the Colorado Respite Coalition and Virginia's Lifespan Respite Care Program have extended time limits for voucher use to maximize flexibility in meeting family caregiver needs.

• New Jersey Family Resource Network Guide for Use of PPE

• New York - Loneliness Scale tool was added to the NY State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) Statewide Client Data System on April 3, 2020 as part of the comprehensive assessment and in the NY Connects and NY Connects Independent Living Centers (ADRC) workflow paths as additional screening.

• New York State Office for the Aging and PeerPlace - COVID-19 Form

• Oklahoma's Lifespan Respite Voucher Program - Presentation from the 2020 Lifespan Respite Grantee and Parnter Learning Symposium; see last slide for changes to OK's Lifespan Voucher Program to ease eligibility restrictions in the time of COVID-19. OK increased the voucher amount; expanded provider eligibility to include someone who lives with the caregiver and care recipient; and lifted the household income requirement.

• Tennessee's Respite During the Pandemic- Presentation from the 2020 Lifespan Respite Grantee and Partner Learning Symposium

• Many grantee states, including AL, IL, MD, ND and NE, offer support for emergency respite services.

• Virginia Navigator

• • COVID-19 Resources for People with Disabilities

  • Important COVID-19 Information for Older Adults, Caregivers, People with Disabilities, and Families

  • How Tech Tools Can Help Caregivers During COVID-19 and Social Distancing

Exploring Respite Opportunities and Options  from ARCH

Please find in the ARCH document below, resources that include informal community, relationship or technology supports that might provide respite opportunities or respite enhancements outside the formal respite services system.  While many of the suggestions are for respite in the community, there are also resources, such as links to online support groups and e-learning, virtual museum trips, technology supports, mindfulness, stress reduction and relaxation apps, and more that family caregivers can access from home to get a much needed break.  If you think of more ideas, send them to ARCH and we will add them to the list!

Case Studies of Reopening Respite 

Back to Business: Re-starting Short Break Services, Case Studies from Shared Care Scotland

U.S. Case Studies  See also changes to lifespan respite voucher programs above.