A new funding opportunity is available from the Veterans, Seniors, and Human Services Levy (VSHSL) to decrease family caregivers’ isolation, burden, and stress by increasing access to services, improving their skills and understanding, and promoting community connections and wellbeing. This investment intends to support caregivers so they can sustain their caregiver roles and support Seniors and Adults with Disabilities to live healthy and independent lives.
The recent report, Community Count, indicated that nearly 19% of Adults in King County are living with one or more disabilities. The Area Plan for Seattle and King County (2024-2027) projects that the number of older adults with disabilities, cognitive impairments, and dementia will increase steadily relative to the growth of the older adult population in King County. Estimates indicate that by 2030 older adults with disabilities and cognitive impairments will increase over 36 percent and adults aged 65 and older with dementia will increase 50 percent.
Family Caregivers—often spouses, partners, parents, or adult children—provide the bulk of support for both Seniors and Adults with Disabilities who want to remain in their own home but need assistance in their daily activities. Studies show that there are nearly 820,000 Family Caregivers in Washington state. These supportive relationships are essential but require difficult work that often comes at a high cost, with adverse economic, physical, mental, and emotional effects.
The availability of supportive services and resources helps Family Caregivers maintain their health and remain in their caregiving role over a longer duration. Services for Family Caregivers help by reducing caregiver burden and educational services can lead to greater Caregiver confidence, allowing them to continue in their role for longer periods, which are important factors in delaying or preventing the Care Recipient’s need for institutionalized care.
Funding overview
This opportunity will fund organizations proposing services in one or more of the following three service areas:
- Information, Resources, & Outreach to Support Family Caregivers: Support services and outreach activities that provide information and assistance, tailored resource navigation, and other methods that empower Family Caregivers to navigate complex social service systems and reduce or remove cultural, literacy and language barriers that prohibit system engagement.
- Group activities to Increase Family Caregiver Social Engagement and improve skills: Culturally and linguistically appropriate support groups, workshops, and/or trainings for Family Caregivers that promote social engagement and reduce isolation and stress, and improve skills. Groups may be held in-person or virtually and may be offered in tandem with services for the Care Receiver, so long as the primary service recipient is the Family Caregiver.
- Respite Options: Respite gives the Family Caregiver a short-term break for self-care and other personal needs by offering care and supervision for the Care Receiver for a few hours a day or a few days a week. Respite programming options vary under this funding, but may include paid in-home care, Adult Day Care or any other community defined respite options that offer a break for the Family Caregiver.
In addition to the three service areas above, organizations may propose supplemental services to purchase Durable Medical Equipment (DME), Adaptive Devices and/or offer Flexible Financial Assistance to reduce a Family Caregivers’ burden and stress by improving their Care Receivers’ safety and independence.
Application details
Available funding: Up to $3,859,016 in Veterans, Seniors, and Human Services Levy funds
Investment period: January 1, 2025 – December 31, 2029 (subject to change)
Questions: Contact Wendosen Gebremichael at wgebremi@kingcounty.gov or 206-477-5160
Applications due: September 24, 2024 by 2:00pm Pacific Time
Join the information session to learn more about the funding opportunity
A virtual information session to discuss questions related to this RFP will be held on August 20, 2024, 3:00 – 4:30pm.
Join by Zoom :
Meeting URL: https://kingcounty.zoom.us/j/86373002997
Meeting ID: 863 7300 2997
Passcode: 245686
Join by Phone:
253-215-8782
The information session will be recorded and posted here.
This will be a remote session with speech to text captioning provided. For accommodations to participate, please contact Wendosen Gebremichael by August 15, 2024.
About the VSHSL
The Veterans, Seniors, and Human Services Levy (VSHSL), administered by the King County Department of Community and Human Services Adult Services Division, promotes healthy living, financial stability, social engagement, housing stability and service system access for veterans, seniors, and resilient communities.