WE❤CARE is an eight-week curriculum that aims to empower mutual caregivers with developmental disabilities nationwide, fostering the capacity to provide essential care and maintain home safety while aging in place.
Why It’s Important
Nationwide, there is a lack of information, support, and resources available to guide caregivers with developmental disabilities in a mutual caregiving arrangement.
Mutual caregiving refers to situations in which two parties are caring for one another. WE❤CARE was developed in response to the growing number of mutual caregivers throughout the country, specifically, to support scenarios in which at least one party has a developmental disability.
The Solution
WE❤CARE is a curriculum created for individuals with developmental disabilities who are in a mutual caregiving arrangement with an aging loved one. This curriculum focuses on instilling confidence as a caregiver through skill development, connecting with the community, accessing resources, and learning to identify the needs of oneself and others. The goal of WE❤CARE is to increase the capacity of both family members to support each other and prolong their ability to age in place.
The program covers:
Wellness
Education
Confidence
Assessment
Recognizing Emergencies
Who Delivers the Program
Developed for implementation within organizations that serve individuals with developmental disabilities, WE❤CARE can be facilitated by a variety of personnel, including direct support professionals, organizational staff, social workers, and volunteers. The curriculum was crafted to provide facilitators with all the tools necessary for delivery and requires no prior training.
Curriculum Materials
All WE❤CARE materials are available for download at no cost. Below, you will find the complete curriculum package, including the Facilitator Guide and all eight modules with the corresponding handouts and supportive materials in English and Spanish, which can be customized to fit the needs of the individuals you serve.
This training is to be offered free of charge to participants.
Thank you for your interest in the WE❤CARE Curriculum! We hope that this curriculum proves to be a valuable resource for the individuals you serve. Please provide feedback or share your experience with us at info@agingwithdd.com.
For information about the WE❤CARE Curriculum, contact the Association on Aging with Developmental Disabilities at 314-647-8100, info@agingwithdd.com.
Created in partnership with:
Funded by:
Acknowledgments
A special thank you to all involved in the development, implementation, and evaluation of WE❤CARE, including the pilot participants, our partners and funder, the WE❤CARE Advisory Committee, AADD and their support staff, and all other collaborators.
Funding for WE❤CARE, an Innovation in Supporting Aging Adults with Developmental Disabilities project in Missouri provided by the Missouri Developmental Disabilities County, was supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $1,361,416 with 100 percent funding by ACL/HHS.
The contents are those of the author (s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACL/HHS, or the U.S. Government.
