Statements
Mission
The mission of Tennessee Respite Coalition is to ensure the quality of life for family caregivers through respite.
What is Respite? Respite is a period of rest and relief. It's an opportunity for caregivers to have a break and take some time off for themselves.
Why Respite? Being a caregiver can be a very taxing and intensive job. Respite gives caregivers a chance to take some time for themselves, resulting in an enhanced quality of life.
Whether a person is taking care of their child with autism or their parent with Alzheimer's, caregiving for a family member is a tiring, hard, thankless, isolating and emotionally draining job. Respite = time for a caregiver to rest.
Background
The TRC has historically been a grassroots volunteer advocacy group for family caregivers that rarely receive relief from their ongoing and stressful responsibility. The original group and was comprised mainly of professionals who were interested in gaining Respite for families that had children with special needs. Based on many other state models, the TRC was built with assistance from an award to the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities through the CISS/Community Organizational Grant. From the founding membership to the completion of the grant, over one thousand members within seven regional groups became part of the TRC. The regional community groups came together for monthly meetings regarding availability and gaps in Respite services. They networked with one another, advocated, and recognized family caregivers. At the completion of the Community Organization Grant, the membership wanted to continue their efforts, and expand to provide services. In November of 2003, the TRC became a freestanding 501c3 non-profit organization with over 1000 partnering members across the state. Nine professionals with a range of expertise lead the agency as the Board of Directors. Within the board, committees are assigned to take a close look at the structure and operation. These committees consist of Finance, Fundraising, Program Review, Public Relations and Executive. Subcommittees are formed when needed to support a specific project or event. In July of 2019, the TRC hired a new Executive Director with 20 years of program, advocacy, and organizational management experience. She brings two decades of experience in the areas of caregiving, families, marketing and fundraising to the organization. The program staff is strong and experienced, personally and professionally, in caregiving. The TRC focuses on gaining funds and starting programs for family directed respite. We hold the philosophy that we can best assist caregiving families with guidance and funding (or a volunteer), but ultimately giving them control over their Respite services.
Impact
According to the American Psychological Association, caregivers are 94% more likely to report experiencing physical symptoms of stress.
By providing respite vouchers, volunteers and information, the TRC works to empower caregivers to reclaim a little piece of themselves and restore balance to their lives and relationships.
Key accomplishments FY2022:
(1) Served 852 families with 40,624 hours of respite
(2) Responded to 2,378 Helpline calls
(3) The market cost of the 40,624 hours of respite provided through vouchers last fiscal year is $866,103.68.
The TRC reimbursed caregivers $294,446.92 for those hours. A savings of $571,656.76.
Goals for FY2023-24: (1) Increase the number of families served (2) Present at the International Respite Conference about the programs of the TRC, (3) To promote respite during National Family Caregiver Month
Needs
The number of caregivers in Tennessee is growing and we need to be ready to answer the call. There are 1.6 million caregivers across the state. We want to have the infrastructure and ability to reach and help as many as we can. Much of our funding is restricted to serve caregivers of people with a specific disability or of a specific age. We need more funds to serve the caregivers falling through the cracks.
CEO Statement
Respite is one of the least understood, but most important services for families providing care for a family member. There are 1,650,000 caregivers in Tennessee providing 1,080,000,000 hours of care per year. These families deal with disabilities across the lifespan. Respite is a necessity for full-time caregivers. It's difficult to comprehend the amount of time and energy that goes into being a full-time caregiver. Caregivers who receive respite have time to take care of themselves so they can continue caring for a loved one. Respite has been shown to improve family functioning, improve satisfaction with life, enhance the capacity to cope with stress, and improve attitudes toward the family member with a disability. According to a national Human Services Research Institute survey of families of a child with a disability, 74% reported that respite had made a significant difference in their ability to provide care at home. Additionally, 35% of the respite users indicated that without respite services they would have considered out-of-home-placement for their family member. The National Respite Coalition reports that sixty-four percent of caregivers of the elderly receiving four hours of respite per week reported improved physical health after one year. Seventy-eight percent cited improved their emotional health, and 50% cited improvement in the care recipient as well. Forty percent said they were less likely to institutionalize the care recipient because of respite. Study after study shows that Respite results in better physical and emotional health in both the caregiver and the care recipient. Respite also saves society money. But most importantly Respite keeps families together and that has a value that goes far beyond dollars and cents. -Dr. Megan Schwalm
Board Chair Statement
The Tennessee Respite Coalition is very important to the families in Tennessee. Without the TRC, many families would go without the relief needed to get the break, self care, and clarity it takes to continue caring for their loved ones (and keep them at home). The largest challenge the TRC faces is recognition and understanding of what we do. Many don't know or understand the word 'respite.' We are constantly educating about what respite is, its value, and the critical need for caring families to have it available. We are proud to have grown from a grass roots advocacy group to a service oriented nonprofit (2003) and hold our largest success is that we have survived and thrived in these difficult economic times as a fairly young organization. Our success is a true testament to the need families have for our service.
Service Categories |
|
| Primary Category: | Human Services - Family Services |
| Secondary Category: | Civil Rights, Social Action, Advocacy - Alliances & Advocacy |
| Tertiary Category: | - |
Areas Served
The TRC serves the entire state of Tennessee.
| TN |
| TN - Cannon |
| TN - Cheatham |
| TN - Clay |
| TN - Coffee |
| TN - Cumberland |
| TN - Davidson |
| TN - DeKalb |
| TN - Dickson |
| TN - Fentress |
| TN - Franklin |
| TN - Giles |
| TN - Hickman |
| TN - Houston |
| TN - Humphreys |
| TN - Jackson |
| TN - Lawrence |
| TN - Lewis |
| TN - Lincoln |
| TN - Macon |
| TN - Marshall |
| TN - Maury |
| TN - Montgomery |
| TN - Moore |
| TN - Overton |
| TN - Perry |
| TN - Pickett |
| TN - Putnam |
| TN - Robertson |
| TN - Rutherford |
| TN - Smith |
| TN - Stewart |
| TN - Sumner |
| TN - Trousdale |
| TN - Van Buren |
| TN - Warren |
| TN - Wayne |
| TN - White |
| TN - Williamson |
| TN - Wilson |
| TN - Bedford |
