ESCANABA — Caregiving for a loved one with chronic health conditions can feel like a second job.

Family caregivers can get overwhelmed, particularly if they are also dealing with the demands of work, family, and other areas of their lives. Many caregivers feel uncertain, alone and isolated, or even depressed while trying to navigate and coordinate all of the services, tasks and information necessary to care for another.

BRI Care Consultation was created to help caregivers address these challenges. The evidence-based program, developed by the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging, helps caregivers by providing guidance, coaching, and information about how to deal with challenges of caregiving.

Upper Peninsula Commission for Area Progress (UPCAP) offers BRI Care Consultation to caregivers throughout the Upper Peninsula. Through regular telephone calls, trained Care Consultants at UPCAP offer personalized coaching, and helps the caregiver identify areas of concern or problems. The Care Consultant can provide quality information or resources, and help guide the caregiver toward simple and practical solutions.

Caregivers may experience many ups and downs throughout the caregiving journey. Care Consultants keep in touch with the caregiver and check in with them regularly, offering support and empowering caregivers.

For more information or to enroll in Care Consultation, call 2-1-1 from anywhere in the U.P., or visit the Upper Peninsula Caregiver Resource Center at www.upcap.org and click on Programs.