It’s not uncommon for someone to find themselves needing to provide caregiving for a family member or loved one with little notice. Most of us are understandably not prepared, either with the skills we think we need or with a Rolodex of people who are qualified to help us.
Our first instinct might be to turn to a search engine and type in the first words that come to mind, like in-home caregiving, caregiver tasks, hospice, or similar phrases. But this may quickly become frustrating as the search results that are returned are often generic, for services far away from where we’re located, or the same large conglomerates already on our lists. These tips are designed to help you find reliable local caregiving providers and resources near you.
Using Search Engines to Find Local Providers
When using a search engine like Google, Bing, or DuckDuckGo, most results will automatically be localized to your location based on geographic signals from your web browser. For example, if you live in Arlington, VA and conduct a keyword search for “in-home carers,” most of your results will be from websites that the search engine knows to be near Arlington, or that have content that indicates that they provide services in Arlington, VA.
If you want a wider area than your specific city or neighborhood, you can use the modifier “near me.” For example, a search phrase could be “home care services near me.” This will return service providers that have business information, like a Google Business Profile, set to a geographic location close to where your computer or phone appears to be located.
However, if you are looking for care for someone who doesn’t live with you, search results localized to your area may not be relevant.
To find service providers for a specific area, try conducting your search with a variety of local modifiers, including the neighborhood, city, county, and even state to get more results.
A general way to accomplish this is instead of just searching for “elderly care services,” try “elderly care services in [Specific City]” or “home care services near [Specific Neighborhood].” Replace [Specific City] or [Specific Neighborhood] with the area you are looking to get care support in.
Keep in mind that this will still only surface a tiny fraction of real, local results. This happens because independent providers may not have the marketing know-how or budget to optimize for good placement in local search results.
Looking at local online groups in Nextdoor, Facebook, or other social media communities may find you good word-of-mouth recommendations [link down to the Social Media section].
Using Search Engines to Find Information for Government and Not-for-Profit Websites
Finding relevant information from government entities and not-for-profit organizations can be difficult due to the size and breadth of their websites. They are trying meet the needs of a lot of different people and you are likely looking for something very specific.
Search engines can help you find pages hidden deep within a large website. If you use Google or Duck Duck Go search bar, type (without the quotes) “site:.gov” and then your search term to find information just from government websites.
Examples:
For not-for-profit organizations, type into your search bar (without quotes) “site:.org” and then your search term.
Be sure to note if a result has the label “Sponsored” above it, as that means it’s an ad and indicates that the result may not be from the type of organization you’re looking for.
Searching for Help from Local Supportive Agencies
Until we need it, we often don’t realize the depth and breadth of services available from the local agencies around us. In addition to the “.gov” search trick above, you can also look for specific local organizations. These local websites are often not advertised heavily but can lead to official programs or grant-funded services tailored to your community.
A good place to start your search is for an Area Agency on Aging. Area Agencies on Aging are public or private non-profit agencies designated by the state to address the needs and concerns of all older persons at the regional and local levels. “Area Agency on Aging” is a generic term for this type of agency, so the one that serves you may have a different name. You can search for “Area Agency on Aging [Your City Name]” — replacing [your city name] with your location — or consult the Administration for Community Living website.
Your community might have other local agencies and services for care. Including words like “county program” or “city services” in your searches can help you uncover them.
Don’t just look through their websites; a phone call may connect you to knowledgeable staff who can help you navigate unique or complicated circumstances with tailored advice. Because these organizations are local, they are often able to point you in a direction to get help tailored to your needs even if they can’t directly do it. Think of them like a real-life directory of support!
Turning to Forums and Social Media Groups
Certain types of social media can be invaluable sources for support and local insider information, lesser-known resources, and references for individual providers.
Facebook groups with a lot of activity can give you access to individuals with real-world, personal, and recent experience with the same issues you may be facing. Nextdoor can serve as a similar resource and sounding board if you need recommendations for local service providers.
When using social media groups, you want to be sure you look for groups that are moderated. This means that there are dedicated individuals reviewing the discussions and making sure conversations are polite, on topic, and helpful. Some groups require review before membership is granted so you don’t waste your time in groups filled with spam or, worse, scammers (link to financial scams content.)
Forums are digital communities that are often quicker to respond with personalized, actionable advice rather than generic resources. Nextdoor could be considered a forum in some ways. Try adding the words “forum,” “discussion group,” or “support group” to your search terms – for example “eldercare forum near me” – and then see if that forum has bulletin boards specific to your city.
Again, you will need to be aware of scammers and other individuals that won’t hesitate to take advantage of someone in a stressful, vulnerable situation. Real-world due diligence is always required, no matter how you find a possible support service.
Search engines, social media, and forums can help you find wonderful resources for support near you. At the Alliance, we’ve put together a directory of care providers that can help with your search for support.
For more information on finding care to support you in different settings, read Finding Care Outside of the Home.
