Guide for informal caregivers

GUIDE

For residents of Charente supporting and caring for a loved one on a daily basis

Advice and tips to identify yourself as an informal caregiver and discover local resources available

For more information: www.lacharente.fr Follow us on social media

EDITORIAL

Supporting a loved one on a daily basis is an act of love. It is also a constant commitment—often silent, sometimes exhausting, but always essential. In Charente, thousands of women and men take on the role of informal caregiver every day for an aging parent, a child with a disability, a sick spouse, or a loved one losing their autonomy. They do so with discretion, courage, and dignity.

To those who watch tirelessly, organize, carry, reassure, care for, and support: the Department of Charente wants to express its deepest gratitude. And above all, its concrete support.

The Department of Charente is fully committed to better supporting these life journeys. This includes strong actions: revaluing care professions, supporting medical and social professionals, developing local services, and creating useful and accessible tools.

This guide, designed for you, is part of this dynamic. Developed in collaboration with the Autonomy and Citizenship Scheme 2020-2024 and the "Autonomy - Disability" Roadmap 2021-2028, it aims to provide practical answers, simple reference points, and useful contacts.

It does not replace human connection—it complements it. It does not claim to solve everything, but it can, we hope, relieve, enlighten, and guide you.

We know that every situation is unique. That is why the Department’s services remain at your disposal, ready to provide tailored support for your reality.

Because, at its core, this is not just a social or health issue. It is about dignity, solidarity, and fraternity.

We wish you a useful read. And on behalf of our entire community, we want to remind you: you are not alone.

Jérôme SOURISSEAU President of the Departmental Council of Charente

SELF-QUIZ: AM I AN INFORMAL CAREGIVER?

Do you support a loved one who needs you daily? Are you an informal caregiver? Take a moment to answer these questions...

I. What is your relationship to the person you support?

• Spouse/Partner

• Family member (parent, child, sibling, in-law, etc.)

• Friend/Neighbor

II. How often do you assist your loved one?

• Several times a day

• Every day

• Several times a week

III. What is the cause of your loved one’s loss of autonomy?

• Illness

• Disability

• Life accident

• Aging

IV. What kind of support do you provide?

• Daily care (bathing, dressing, meal assistance, etc.)

• Technical care (injections, dressings, pill organizers, suction, etc.)

• Social support (leisure, outings, etc.)

• Administrative tasks

• Coordinating home care

• Safety (constant vigilance, etc.)

• Psychological support (reassurance, listening, etc.)

• Medical follow-up (doctor visits, prescription management, appointments, etc.)

• Household activities (cleaning, shopping, cooking, etc.)

If you checked at least one box in each of the four question, you are classified as an informal caregiver—and this guide is for you.

1. DOES THIS SITUATION IMPACT YOUR DAILY LIFE?

For families and loved ones, becoming an informal caregiver is not an easy task. This role can have repercussions on family life, health, and social relationships. It is therefore essential to seek support.

1.1. Impacts within the Family Unit

The loss of autonomy of a loved one disrupts the family dynamic, questioning its functioning and the role of each member.

Supporting a loved one with reduced autonomy affects the relationship with them and how you interact (helping with administrative tasks, technical care, providing moral support, etc.).

A new role emerges: that of the informal caregiver.

This role can be destabilizing for both the informal caregiver and the person being cared for:

• A child managing their parent’s finances,

• A spouse assisting their partner with intimate hygiene,

• A young girl listening to her frequently hospitalized brother’s fears...

Each person reacts to the situation based on their own resources and abilities. Within the family, one person may consciously or unconsciously be designated as "THE" primary informal caregiver due to emotional or geographical proximity, family history, or professional skills.

To meet this challenge, dialogue and support within the family are essential.

1.2. Impacts on Health

Daily commitment to a loved one affects physical health:

• Increased fatigue,

• Physical exhaustion,

• Weakened immune system,

• Higher cardiovascular risks.

While informal caregivers should pay more attention to their own health, daily worries often lead them to neglect themselves—they don’t allow themselves or no longer have time to think about their own needs. The role of a caregiver can also be emotionally taxing. Many emotions may arise: anger, a sense of injustice, sadness, confusion, helplessness, discouragement, fear...

Some emotions stem from the loved one’s loss of autonomy, while others arise from the tasks that disrupt daily life:

• The relationship with the loved one no longer has the same meaning,

• The inability to plan (personal appointments, outings, visits from friends...),

• Loss of peace of mind,

• Sometimes having to think and act on behalf of the other person,

• Redistribution of tasks, roles, and new responsibilities,

• Changes in interactions with the cared-for person, whose behavior or thinking may be altered,

• The contrast between reality (availability, recognition, organization, financial means...) and the desired situation.

Informal caregivers may experience psychological distress at different times. The risk of depression is higher among those who find caregiving tasks stressful, but lower for those who find their role satisfying or meaningful.

To care for others, it is essential to care for yourself.

1.3. Impacts on Social Relationships

Due to lack of time, fear of the cared-for person’s behavior, or shame about others’ perceptions, informal caregivers may reduce their social life and gradually withdraw from society.

Social relationships evolve throughout life, its ups and downs, and encounters. As much as possible, it is important to maintain and nurture these connections.

HOW DO I VIEW MY ROLE AS A CAREGIVER?

Do these statements reflect your situation?

• Being an informal caregiver allows me to develop new skills and knowledge,

• It brings me closer to the person I care for,

• It gives me a challenge to overcome,

• It leaves me time to see my own doctor for my health,

• It feels good to help my loved one face their difficulties,

• Because I know my loved one well, I can help them effectively,

• I manage to maintain my hobbies,

• Caring for my loved one has helped me flourish,

• The help I provide is accepted by my loved one,

• Helping strengthens family bonds and relationships,

• I sleep well and feel rested,

• I have expanded my interests and social circle thanks to this role,

• I contribute to maintaining my loved one’s dignity,

• I feel useful; I am needed,

• I share good moments with my loved one.

If you relate to few of these statements, your role as an informal caregiver may be difficult to bear. Many resources can provide support, regardless of the challenges you face. This guide will offer some guidance.

If you relate to most of these statements, you may have found the resources to live this role as best as possible. Don’t hesitate to share your experience with other informal caregivers. Many services remain available to you.

2. HOW CAN I TAKE CARE OF MYSELF TOO?

2.1. Taking Care of Your Health

• See your doctor regularly for check-ups. You can also get a health screening at your local Caisse Primaire d’Assurance Maladie (CPAM) health center.

• Maintain a balanced diet tailored to your needs.

• Participate in health prevention programs offered by the Department (as part of the Conference of Funders for Preventing Loss of Autonomy), complementary health insurance, retirement funds, or local associations.

• Make time for yourself and maintain physical activity.

2.2. Taking Care of Your Mental Well-being

To preserve your mental health, it is important to express the difficulties linked to your loved one’s loss of autonomy. Your surroundings (family, friends, and professionals) can listen and provide comfort.

• Reach out to patient and informal caregiver associations in your area.

• Attend collective informal caregiver meetings to share experiences, tips, and moments of conviviality.

• Take caregiver training courses: These help you better understand the illness and its impacts, as well as your situation, thereby increasing your ability to act.

• Seek individual support from a professional. This can sometimes take place at home.

2.3. Maintaining Social Relationships and Leisure Activities

Having a social life prevents both the informal caregiver and the cared-for person from becoming isolated.

• Make an effort to maintain friendships and family relationships outside the caregiver/cared-for dynamic.

• Continue social, leisure, or cultural activities that are important to you.

3. WHAT RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE?

3.1. Access to Rights

• Information about your social support,

• Information about available local assistance,

• Information about aids related to loss of autonomy, disability, or your loved one’s condition.

Conseil Départemental de la Charente (Charente Departmental Council)

Direction de l’Autonomie (Autonomy Department): They provide information and support to:

• Promote staying at home (access to APA - Allocation Personnalisée d’Autonomie, home adaptations, informal caregiver support, combating isolation, preventing loss of autonomy...),

• Access suitable accommodation, whether in a nursing home (EHPAD), family accommodation, or shared housing,

• Learn about various social aids and collective actions offered in Charente for seniors and people with disabilities.

📞 05 16 09 50 72 | 🌐 www.lacharente.fr

Territoires d’Action Sociale (TAS) & Maisons Départementales des Solidarités (MDS)

The MDS centers welcome, listen, inform, and support you in all areas of solidarity: access to healthcare, education, parental support, social and professional integration, access to rights, etc.

🌐 www.lacharente.fr

20 MDS centers grouped into 5 TAS regions:

• Ouest Charente: Cognac, Jarnac, Châteauneuf-sur-Charente, Rouillac

• Ruffécois: Ruffec, Mansle-les-Fontaines

• Charente Limousine: Confolens, Chasseneuil-sur-Bonnieure

• Angoumois: Angoulême (Ma Campagne, Les Garennes, Victor Hugo), Soyaux, La Couronne, La Rochefoucauld-en-Angoumois, Gond-Pontouvre, Ruelle-sur-Touvre, Montbron

• Sud Charente: Barbezieux-Saint-Hilaire, Chalais

(A map of Charente with the locations of these centers is included in the original document.)

Maison Départementale des Personnes Handicapées (MDPH)

This is a one-stop shop for welcoming and supporting people with disabilities and their loved ones. It handles all procedures related to disability benefits.

📞 0 800 00 16 00 | 🌐 www.mdph16.fr

Town Hall / CCAS (Centre Communal d’Action Sociale)

These are local information and support centers. They manage the allocation of extra-legal aids and organize social prevention activities.

Retirement Funds

Most basic and supplementary retirement funds have a social action service for insured individuals facing loss of autonomy. They offer collective information and support actions, as well as individual financial aid.

3.2. Access to Support, Listening, and Personal Assistance

Plateforme des Aidants (Caregiver Platform)

A team that welcomes, listens, informs, advises, orients, supports, and assesses the needs of caregivers. They offer personalized support, developed in collaboration with caregivers.

📞 05 45 21 31 31

La Maison de Léa

A resource and listening center for informal caregivers.

📞 06 22 61 80 62

Patient and Caregiver Associations

Organizations such as France Parkinson, France Alzheimer, UNFAM (Union Nationale de Familles et Amis de Personnes Malades et/ou Handicapées), CASA (Collectif Inter-Associatif de Soutien aux Aidants), and Association Française des Aidants advocate for people with illnesses or disabilities and their loved ones. They organize actions, support research, raise public awareness, and engage with public authorities.

Caregiver Training

These courses help you better understand the mechanisms of an illness and develop practical skills based on your loved one’s symptoms. They also encourage reflection and analysis of situations experienced in the relationship with the sick, disabled, or dependent person, helping you find appropriate responses.

🌐 www.aidants.fr

Exchange Groups

These collective devices, available throughout the region, take the form of sharing sessions, information groups, discussion groups, and convivial moments.

🌐 www.lacharente.fr (Café des Aidants...)

MONALISA

Volunteers, organized in citizen teams, make home visits across Charente. These visits provide social interaction and conviviality, reducing the risk of isolation and ensuring a watchful eye.

📞 05 45 37 33 33

Family Mediation in Aging Situations

As a loved one ages and loses autonomy, it can lead to difficult life reorganizations, both materially and emotionally. The ability to dialogue is fundamental to creating a climate of safety and "good treatment" around the aging loved one.

🌐 www.UDAF16.org

3.3. Access to Support for the Cared-For Person

Need to Assess Your Loved One’s Health?

• General Practitioner / Geriatrician: A healthcare professional who plays a key role in the medical follow-up of the person. They coordinate care, guide the patient through the healthcare system (referring to specialists if needed), manage the medical file, and provide personalized prevention. Geriatricians specialize in age-related pathologies, aiming to maintain or improve the functional autonomy of the elderly. They can also perform cognitive and physical exams.

Need Support Managing Your Loved One’s Situation?

• Coordination Support Teams: Their goal is to coordinate the interventions of various professionals at home. They can inform, guide, and support people who wish to continue living at home. Their proposals are tailored to needs while ensuring coordination and complementarity between the different professionals and services.

Questions About Available Structures?

• Home Care Services or Direct Employees: They assist people with daily activities (bathing, shopping, housekeeping, meals, etc.). Home care can also intervene to provide respite for the informal caregiver.

🌐 www.lacharente.fr

3.4. Access to Leisure and Prevention Workshops

• Leisure: Maintain and make time for your activities and passions. Contact cultural centers, local associations, and don’t forget your network of friends and family, who can suggest activities.

• Health Prevention Workshops: These are information and awareness actions designed to promote behaviors that benefit health, with the goal of maintaining and improving overall physical, psychological, and social well-being. Many actions are implemented with the support of the Conference of Funders (e.g., yoga, sophrology, gentle gym, tablet workshops...). A map of these activities is available at: 🌐 www.lacharente.fr

3.5. Access to Respite for the Informal Caregiver Through Temporary Care for the Cared-For Person

Are you looking for respite solutions that allow you to take time for yourself, focus on your health, while ensuring your loved one is safe with adapted support?

Day Care Centers

These centers welcome elderly people with neurodegenerative diseases or physical dependency for a full or half day. They offer cognitive, physical, and sensory stimulation activities to maintain the person’s abilities.

Temporary Accommodation

This involves short-term stays in medicalized nursing homes (EHPAD). In Charente, temporary accommodation can be continuous or punctual (e.g., a few days per month, up to 90 days of temporary accommodation per year). Rates vary depending on the facility, but financial aid is available to cover these stays.

Approved Host Families

These provide an alternative accommodation for elderly and disabled individuals who can no longer live at home. Host families are approved by the Departmental Council to welcome 1 to 3 people in their home. They provide accommodation and meals, allowing the person free access to common areas.

Vacation Stays

Various local and national organizations offer vacation stays in France or abroad, specifically designed for seniors. These organized stays allow the person to go on vacation while maintaining daily care and support at their destination.

Village Répit Famille (Family Respite Village)

🌐 www.vrf.fr/home.html

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The Department of Charente thanks the partner working group (MAIA, Gerontological Network, UNA, ADMR, CH La Rochefoucauld, Mutualité Française Charente and Nouvelle-Aquitaine, and CASA) for their collaboration in producing this valuable tool.

USEFUL LINKS

• 🌐 www.pour-les-personnes-agees.gouv.fr

• 🌐 www.pourbienvieillir.fr

For more information on financial aid, lists of home care services, prevention workshops, establishments & accommodations (including host families), contact:

CHARENTE DEPARTMENT PÔLE SOLIDARITÉS 15 boulevard Jean Moulin 16000 Angoulême 📞 05 16 09 50 70