If you are reading this at 2 a.m., that is information. Caregiver exhaustion is not a character flaw, and there is more free support in most metros than families ever find.
Short answer
Respite, adult day care, and the free local support most families never hear about.
What to do, in order
- Take the exhaustion seriously as a clinical fact. Caregiver strain predicts poor outcomes for both people.
- Use respite before you are desperate. Ohio's 2024 CareScout adult day health care median is roughly $21,580 a year, and PASSPORT can help cover it for eligible seniors.
- Take the free support that exists here. The Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio offers caregiver support programs, respite funding, and an Aging and Disability Resource Center at no cost.
- Get a second opinion on the plan. Your county's Area Agency on Aging will review options at no cost.
- Name the thing you are avoiding. Most caregivers know what the next step is months before they take it.
