Family Caregivers Center
Need help?
Call (319) 221-8866 or email us.
The Family Caregivers Center of Mercy is Eastern Iowa’s only comprehensive resource serving family caregivers caring for adults. Services are available for caregivers regardless of their hospital or physician affiliation.
Who is a family caregiver?
If you answer "yes" to any of the following questions, we call you a family caregiver.
Are you:
- Calling regularly to check in?
- Providing companionship?
- Buying groceries? Cooking meals?
- Setting up or giving medications?
- Attending medical appointments?
- Handling finances or other legal matters?
- Cleaning? Doing laundry?
- Providing transportation?
- Assisting with dressing, showering or mobility?
- Spending time handling crises and arranging assistance?
- Being responsible or on call 24/7?
- Providing hours of unpaid assistance?
Caregiving can be rewarding but also overwhelming. Answering ‘Yes’ qualifies you to receive support at the Family Caregivers Center.
What does the Center provide?
- One-on-one meetings where caregivers can talk to a trained volunteer or staff about their specific caregiving situation
- Educational events
- Support groups for all genders, one specific for men
- A multi-week book study using the book, The Mindful Caregiver, followed by an on-going support group
- A four-week series for caregivers whose loved-one has died, followed by an on-going support group
- Art, music, and chair yoga (for caregivers and person for whom they care)
- Scheduled Q&A sessions with representatives from Veteran Affairs and the Department of Human Services
- Access to respite options so caregivers can have a break
- Resource lending library with trusted information
How do I access Center services?
There are many ways to engage with the Center. Please call us at (319) 221-8866 or email fcgc@mercycare.org to:
- receive a schedule of events and group participation activities
- schedule a one-on-one meeting with a trained volunteer or staff member
- receive assistance in locating resources, including respite
The Caregivers Center is primarily led and run by volunteers. As such, it is funded solely by contributions from generous donors. If you'd like to support the Center, please donate now and/or apply to become a volunteer.
Virtual Tour of the Center
Family caregivers often don’t know what help they need, where to find it, how to access services or determine eligibility, and what to do if what they thought would work, doesn’t.
Because so much of their time and energy is spent caring for their loved one and trying to access community resources, unsupported family caregivers are less likely to take care of their own physical, mental and emotional needs.
That’s where we can help. Start by looking through some frequently asked questions in our Caregivers Guide (PDF).
The Family Caregivers Center of Mercy provides services and financial need-based aid to caregivers regardless of the identity of a caregiver's or care receiver 's health care provider or insurance status. No purchase or use of items or services from Mercy is necessary to receive services and financial need-based aid provided by the Family Caregivers Center.
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