The Tennessee Respite Coalition provides resources that empower caregivers to reclaim a little piece of themselves and restore balance to their lives and relationships.
The Respite Voucher Program empowers caregivers to be in control of using respite services and helps to defray some of the cost. Caregivers choose their own providers, schedule, and cost of respite. The TRC provides them reimbursement for the individual or service chosen by the caregiver. The overall average of the cost of an hour of respite is $5!
A husband is the caregiver for his wife with Alzheimer's, and he desperately needs time for a break. He is unable to go to his own doctor appointments because he needs to stay with his wife so she doesn't wander out of the house. He can have a friend come to the house and pay them for their time, and the TRC will reimburse the caregiver.
A mother caring for her son with severe autism needs a break during summer vacation but also wants her son to have meaningful activities. She can find a summer camp opportunity for her son and use her voucher funds for registration.
I used my TRC respite funds to pay for my neighbor to take care of Mom for a weekend so I could go visit my brother. We went fishing and enjoyed the outdoors. This time helped me relax and we made some great memories! After I came home from the fishing trip, I went to a doctor's appointment and they found a tumor on my liver. I'm going to need someone to take care of Mom while I go to my treatments and rest.
I used my TRC respite funds last year to pay for a friend from church to take care of my son in the evenings so I could have some uninterrupted study time. I got my GED in April 2016. My friend took care of my son while I went out for a celebration dinner with some classmates. This past fall, I started working on my associate degree.
Help shepherd the TRC into the future and positively change the lives of family caregivers across the state. The Tennessee Respite Coalition (TRC) is looking for volunteers for its committees and board of directors to support our mission. This is a great time to lend your energy and expertise to the TRC as it is growing and positively changing the lives of family caregivers. We need your skills to steer the organization into its next phase.
Committee members are needed for the following areas: Marketing/PR, Fundraising, Finance, and Program Review. Committee members typically spend 2-4 hours per month volunteering. Board members can expect to volunteer 2-5 hours per month, attend events, and donate financially in a meaningful way (personally defined). Our ideal volunteer has a genuine interest in supporting families caring for loved ones with special needs.
The Tennessee Respite Coalition has been operating the Respite Voucher Program since 2003. Some voucher funds restrict services by diagnosis or age of the care recipient or the geographic area of the state where the caregiver lives. We need more unrestricted funds to catch the caregivers who fall through the cracks. Your donation here can help a caregiver that has nowhere else to turn for support!