Any unpaid caregiver in New York can use a web-based caregiver education and support platform at no cost. The New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) and Association on Aging in New York (AgingNY) have partnered with Ottawa, Ontario–based Trualta to offer the service, NYSOFA said in a May 29 announcement. Funding for this initiative […]
Any unpaid caregiver in New York can use a web-based caregiver education and support platform at no cost.
The New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) and Association on Aging in New York (AgingNY) have partnered with Ottawa, Ontario–based Trualta to offer the service, NYSOFA said in a May 29 announcement.
Funding for this initiative is supported in the state budget through NYSOFA programs to address social isolation and expand caregiver supports.
Trualta’s evidence-based caregiver training and support platform helps families build skills to manage care at home for loved ones of any age. It also connects to local resources and support services by delivering personalized education, training, and information links, NYSOFA said.
New Yorkers can access the service at https://newyork-caregivers.com. Once registered, caregivers can select personalized training and track their progress on topics like self-care, stroke recovery, dementia care, and medication management. Users can log in from any computer, tablet, or smartphone.
An estimated 4.1 million caregivers in New York State provide 2.68 billion hours of unpaid care, NYSOFA said. Sixty-one percent worry about caring for a loved one and 70 percent reported at least one mental-health symptom during the pandemic. Trualta teaches “critical skills to reduce caregiver stress levels and increase confidence in one’s caregiving abilities,” per the announcement.
“We’re proud of our track record supporting caregivers across the country, and in partnership with New York’s robust and innovative aging network, we will make sure that every caregiver in New York has access to valuable training and support resources to reduce stress, build confidence and feel less alone,” Jonathan Davis, founder and CEO of Trualta, said.
A 2021 study in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease Reports found a high rate of “retention and engagement” among caregivers who used the Trualta platform to support their care for loved ones with dementia.
The survey found 84 percent of participants reported using at least one skill they learned from Trualta. More than half of the caregivers (56 percent) reported allocating more time for self-care after using Trualta, NYSOFA said. Caregiver burden scores also appeared to decrease after using Trualta for 30 days, the office added.