Are you caring for a loved one with memory loss, mental illness or a child with a serious illness? Or, are you looking for ways to start a conversation in order to prevent falls? Check out the guidebooks and conversation guides developed by the National Alliance on Caregiving (NAC) in collaboration with organizations like the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, National Council on Aging, Mental Health America and the National Alliance on Mental Illness in order to improve the caregiving experience.

The “Circle of Care” Guidebooks are designed to guide unpaid friends, family, and neighbors who care for someone with a “chronic or other health condition, disability, or functional limitation (RAISE Family Caregivers Act of 2018). The guidebooks and conversation guides are available free to download from the NAC website.

There are a wide variety of university, governmental and other research-based resources included in the guides. Look for conversation starters, assessments, information about health conditions, communication tools, steps for action planning with your loved one and other family members, community resources and much more.

If you have any questions about how to connect with a local Family Caregiver group, contact your UW-Madison Division of Extension office, or your County or Tribal Aging Unit or your County Aging and Disability Resource Center. For additional questions, contact Life Span Educator, Jane Jensen, UW-Madison Division of Extension Sheboygan County.