A Message from the Executive Board
Hello and welcome to the Florida Respite Coalition's (FRC) new Web site. We hope you enjoy discovering the site's new information on caregivers, caregiving and respite. Our goal is provide a vehicle for caregivers throughout the state to access community resources and support.
You will find a plethora of information on health and caregiving. There are tips on recognizing stress, activities to reduce stress, along with snippets of information on healthy eating as well as meditations for the soul.
Everyday, across the planet, millions of people are providing care to a loved one. For most, it is a true labor of love. Caregivers typically never define their jobs as caregiving and it's not unusual to hear caregivers say, "This is something that as a parent, mother, sibling, daughter, husband, wife, etc... I do." In fact, a vast segment of this population never even recognize themselves as a caregiver, much less acknowledge it. On average, most caregivers will tell you, "It's my responsibility and so many others have it much harder than I do."
When it comes to stress and caregiving, we will never be able to measure how much is too much. What is stressful for some may not make others break a sweat and visa versa. Our hopes for this new site is that it will help caregivers recognize they are not alone. We hope caregivers will find a home at FRC to locate resources, comfort and hope. To accomplish this, we have designed several informative areas. On the Home page, you will find specific areas of focus. Focus on Caregiving, What is Respite, and Breaking News. These areas feature stories on caregivers, provide information on respite programs and services and offer updates on respite education for caregivers and providers. The Ask the Expert section on our Home page will be updated monthly with a question and answer section that deals with healthcare, insurance, legal and financial matters. Readers have the opportunity to ask the expert a question in the Blog area as well as view and respond to other readers' questions. We hope you will take time to view the Blogs and respond to those who are experiencing situations that you can relate to or provide encouragement or insight.
To interact with the Blog, users must first register. Additionally, on the Home page is an RSS feed for our Top Stories. In this section, viewers can read about respite programming, caregivers and other pertinent information as well as register to receive email notices advising when new information is posted. Our new site also houses additional resources such as What is Respite, Why is Respite Needed, How is Respite Provided, What are the Benefits of Respite, Who is Florida Respite Coalition, What is Crisis and Emergency Care, as well as a range of information within the Resource Area. There are Caregiver Links to local and national agencies, articles and information on the cost of caregiving, how to recognize caregiver burnout and much more. We will be activating our Caregiver Locator during the next phase of operations. This section has required us to update the Locator’s functions in order to meet changes in technology and hosting. The final phase of our new site will feature an e-commerce section. In this area, FRC hopes to provide shopping opportunities to send gifts to caregivers as well as an outlet for caregiving aids. We hope to have this area completed by the end of the year.
Once again, welcome to our new Web site. We hope you enjoy your visit and return often. If you have any questions or suggestions on how to improve our site, please send us an email through our Contact Us area. We value and encourage your thoughts.
And finally, many thanks to those who are caring for a loved one - your dedication continues to inspire us each and every day. May you receive an abundance of blessings for all that you do.
The Florida Respite Coalition Board