Family caregivers are an essential part of the care that is received around the nation by elderly folk in need. Unfortunately, a huge percentage of those that give care to the elderly do so on a volunteer, unpaid, basis to a family member or a friend. But the problem here is that a family caregiver oftentimes does not have the proper training to take care of their loved one. In most scenarios, this is not a huge deal, but if an emergency ever arises, the proper training can be the difference between life and death.

Getting the training to take care of a loved one is sometimes covered by insurance policies. This happens because insurance companies realize that it is much cheaper to pay for training a family caregiver than it is to pay for an ongoing paid caregiver. But if your loved one does not have a long term care insurance policy, or their policy does not allow for paid training, you still have options available. Within Northern California, there are many places that provide training for family caregivers. This is especially true in the Bay Area. Throughout this portion of California, there are often conferences or other training sessions that you can go to for a very low price.

If going to a conference is out of the question, whether because of time constraints or money, there are many resources online that you can utilize. Many of these online training sessions are free or even more modestly priced than going to a physical training session. Sites like the Alzheimer's Association site (www.alz.org), have a list of conferences and training sessions in Northern California and also offer online resources. If you ever have any questions regarding care giving, especially care giving for a relative with Alzheimer's disease, this site can prove to be a very valuable resource.

Alzheimer's disease presents a unique set of requirements for any caregiver, and an unpaid family caregiver can run into a lot of problems and frustrations if they are caught unaware. By giving yourself the proper training, you can provide better care for your loved one and save yourself a lot of problems in the meantime. The Alzheimer's Association is a great resource but they are not the only ones that offer you free or cheap help. Check around with your local government, especially places like Social Services. These places can guide you in the right direction€"even if you are on a tight budget. Just because you are overwhelmed does not mean that you have no options. Reaching out and getting the help that you need might seem like a tough thing to do, but it really will pay off later down the road.