Caregiver resources
Care comes with questions.
Start here.
Maybe you’re looking for help at home, preparing for a conversation, or trying to make the day a little easier. These guides and checklists can help you think through your options. Choose a topic below, and if you’d like someone to talk it through with, reach out.
Need help finding or accessing a resource? Call 207.396.6500.
Start with what’s on your mind
You don’t have to figure everything out at once.
Maybe you’re comparing care options, getting ready for a family conversation, or looking for ways to make an everyday routine easier. Open a topic below to find guides, checklists, and practical ideas for the questions you have today. You can return whenever something changes or a new question comes up.
Explore caregiver resources
Taking care of yourself
Planning ahead
Plan Your Lifespan – Plan for possible hospital stays, falls, or memory loss, and share your plans with family and friends.
Guidebook for the Caregiving Journey (PDF) – A workbook to organize information, explore care and living options, and gather legal and financial details.
Shared by MaineHealth’s Partnership for Health Aging.Helpful Resources for Health Care Decisions and Planning (PDF)
The Day After Guide (PDF) – Help the people you leave behind understand and manage your financial affairs after your death.
Courtesy of Smilie Gregg Rogers, Esq., Law Office of Smilie G. Rogers, PLLC.
Finding care and exploring living options
General Information
- Communities for Older Adults (PDF)
- Comparing Costs of Living Options (PDF)
- Comparing Priorities for Living Options (PDF)
Living at Home
- Evaluating Non-Medical Home Care Checklist (PDF)
- Evaluating Home Safety Checklist (PDF)
- Hiring an In-home Care Company (PDF)
- Hiring Help Privately (PDF)
- Hiring Home Care Privately Checklist (PDF)
- Living Together Checklist – For Caregiver (PDF) / For Older Adult (PDF)
- How do I get Home Care Services in southern Maine? (PDF)
Adult Day Programs
Assisted Living
Nursing Facilities
Caring for someone with dementia
Caring for a Person with Alzheimer’s Disease (PDF) – Practical information and advice for families and friends caring for someone with progressive dementia.
From the National Institutes of Health and National Institute on Aging.Family Caregiver Guide (PDF) – A guide to understanding dementia and caring for someone living with it.
From the New York City Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.Handling Holidays and Visits (PDF) – Ideas for spending time together when someone in your family is living with dementia.
Ten Real Life Strategies for Dementia Caregiving (PDF)
Courtesy of the Family Caregiver Alliance.Communication, Behaviors, and Meaningful Engagement Packet (PDF) – Handouts to accompany our Understanding Cognitive Loss training on communication, behaviors, and meaningful engagement. You can also listen to the recorded training.
Everyday caregiving tools
Conversation Starter Guide (PDF) – From the Institute for Healthcare Improvement.
Handbook for Long-Distance Caregivers – From the Family Caregiver Alliance.
HIPAA: Questions and Answers for Family Caregivers – From the United Hospital Fund.
How to Have Conversations with Older Adults About What Matters (PDF) – From the Institute for Healthcare Improvement.
Online Tools for Caregivers (PDF) – Tools for creating a password-protected website to keep family and friends informed.
Starting the Long-Term Care Insurance Search (PDF) – A guide to choosing a policy. Courtesy of Kerry Peabody, CSA, CLTC, Clark Insurance.
Understanding Your Long-Term Care Policy (PDF) – Help making sense of your policy. From The Eldercare Team.
Your Discharge Planning Checklist (PDF) – From the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
From our caregiver support team
Are You a Family Caregiver? – By Lori Campbell.
The Four Most Asked Questions by Caregivers – By Robyn Berry.
Caregivers in Mid-Life: Feeling Isolated and Lonely and Options for Staying Well – By Katlyn Blackstone.
The Reality of Being a Caregiver – A conversation between Marilyn Durgin and a family caregiver.