Have you ever been in a situation where you had to help someone when they were sick or after a hospitalization? Maybe you need to help a family member at home. They may have formalized care services like home care agencies that can help but you are the informal care provider and you may have questions on how to do certain things that are part of ongoing caregiving for your loved one. The desire to help is there but sometimes the knowledge and skill level are more than you think you can manage. There is a special program available in New York State to help and provide training and information in these situations. Trualta is an online platform that is free to you. The New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) and Association on Aging in New York (AgingNY) has partnered with Trualta to offer Trualta’s web-based caregiver education and support platform at no cost to any unpaid caregiver in New York state.

There are an estimated 4.1 million caregivers in New York State who provide 2.68 billion hours of unpaid care. Sixty-one percent worry about caring for a loved one and 70 percent reported at least one mental health symptom during the pandemic. Trualta teaches critical skills to reduce caregiver stress levels and increase confidence in one’s caregiving abilities.

The Trualta learning portal offers on-demand, personalized skills-based training to help caregivers keep their loved ones at home for longer. It is an online website where you can create an account and have access to many topics in/around providing care to someone. The videos are short, usually 5 minutes or less. Trualta’s evidence-based caregiver training and support platform helps families build skills to manage care at home for loved ones of any age. New Yorkers can access the service at https://newyork-caregivers.com. Once registered, caregivers can select personalized training and track their progress on topics like self-care, stroke recovery, dementia care, medication management, and more. Users can log in from any computer, tablet, or smartphone.

To obtain more information about the Trualta program call NY Connects Helpline at (716) 753-4582 or e-mail us at CCNYC@chqgov.com NY Connects is the place to call to get the help you need. NY Connects assists people of all ages who have long-term needs and want to stay in the community. NY Connects offers information and assistance services. It is confidential and free and focused on the consumer’s needs and resources available to them. NY Connects is brought to you by the Chautauqua County Office for the Aging and the Chautauqua County Department of Social Services.