If you provide unpaid help to a relative or close friend, you are a caregiver. Some caregivers provide a few hours of assistance each week. There are a growing numbers of resources available to caregivers that give them the support they need to stay involved in their caregiving.
Family and close friends provide the majority of long-term care in the home of the person who needs help. Nearly one million people in Minnesota are caregivers to older adults and people with disabilities.
Minnesota has a wealth of programs that provide services to people who need long-term care. Minnesota receives high scores on the number and quality of its long-term care providers. See Scorecard on Long-Term Services and Supports.
If you don't already know, you should find out what type of long-term care services are offered in your area and their level of quality. MinnesotaHelp.info includes information on long-term care providers throughout Minnesota. See the Nursing Home Report Card for quality information for all nursing facilities in Minnesota.
When the people who support you are unable to provide care, you can turn to local community-based programs, home care agencies, assisted living facilities and nursing homes. You can receive care at home from a combination of family and friends, volunteers and paid caregivers.
