After she became a caregiver for her grandmother, Nicole Lopez learned firsthand how overwhelming and isolating caregiving can be, especially without training.
The challenge inspired her to start a for-profit senior care agency. However, over time, Lopez quickly realized that sometimes, people are thrown into the demanding role of a caregiver without proper training and support.
To meet that need, Lopez launched a nonprofit organization, Caregiver OneCall, which aims to provide caregivers with reliable, 24/7 support, resources, and guidance.
Lopez spoke with this news organization about the service. Her responses have been edited for brevity and clarity.
Q: What inspired you to start Caregiver OneCall?
A: One of the important things was that I wanted to really make it known that all caregivers deserve to have care training and support. We have to train, provide workshops, and support. And of course, we want to, with funding, move into getting respite centers.
TreVista Senior Living (in Antioch) is one of the facilities we would partner with, so caregivers get a break. Their family member gets to stay here for a couple of hours, and they get to go do whatever. Some just need a chance to go for a walk, to go to brunch. Social isolation is critical in caregiving because you’re stuck at home with a loved one.
Q: When did you start? Tell us about your team and the calls you receive.
A: We started officially in February. Right now, we’re all volunteer-led, including the board members and volunteers from the community. In terms of whom we’ve served, the spectrum of calls has been pretty interesting. We’ve gotten those with dementia, where the family members are calling in, wanting to know what’s the progression. Like, “My mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. What should we expect?” And it’s not that you can’t find answers on Google. You can. It’s just a lot of research. Caregiver OneCall, as the name suggests, we are that one stop. You call us, and we will give you the resources.
Sometimes we just have folks who want to vent. We’ve had someone call who tried to find the right support group. The majority of the support groups are dementia related; her husband had a stroke. What we do is we really listen. Our executive director is a caregiver for her mom, her husband, who’s a vet with PTSD, and her son, who has autism. We have 14 board members, 12 of whom have real, lived experience with caregiving, and the other two are in the medical space.
Q: What form of support or funding do you have?
A: We have a grant we got through Caring Haven LLC, my parent company, which is helping Caregiver OneCall. It’s through the Alzheimer’s Association, so naturally, it’s focused on persons with dementia. From July 1 to Dec. 31, we’re able to provide free respite care, as long as a person is diagnosed with dementia for a certain period of time. I will say the board, we have a little anxiety around what happens after December, because the family members would have been used to getting that help, and so we’re trying to really see, how do we get the word out there and get more funding and awareness, so we don’t leave these families stranded come January.
Q: Tell us more about the grant you received.
A: I lead the dementia support group here (TreVista). I’m a certified dementia practitioner. TreVista tapped me to lead their monthly group. The Alzheimer’s Association had a grant out — $50,000 for an organization. They’re looking for innovative ways to care for the caregivers who handle persons with dementia. I applied (on behalf of) Caring Haven, and then they replied with $250,000. They wanted me to partner with five sites.
Q: How would you define caregiver burnout, and what can people expect by calling Caregiver OneCall?
A: We are now positioned to do follow-up calls, so we can check in and see how they’re doing. We’ve sent out surveys to see what truly matters to caregivers. Social isolation is always going to be important. But what else do you need, self-care? It sounds easy, but it’s not when you’re covered with guilt and resentment, thinking about yourself when caring for someone. So, we’re leading workshops around all the different topics, such as the importance of a will, power of attorney, etc.
Our website also has a ton of resources. We are going to the communities and speaking at different events. We’re going to partner with the Alzheimer’s Association, focusing on seniors. We want to focus on the parallels because chances are, you could be a daughter with a sick mom, but you could also have a child. With Alzheimer’s, the conversation is tailored just to your mom, and you’re kind of on your own with your child. So, we’re going to be doing some joint workshops where those parallels exist.
I serve on the Economic Opportunity Council with Contra Costa County, so we’re talking about what that looks like for the subcontractors we work with, like the homeless shelters, because people are caregivers everywhere, so who sees them? You know, you have the daily issues of maybe homelessness or possibly close to homelessness. You have food insecurity, and you’re still a caregiver.
We’re so focused on just the practical thing that we’re not remembering the other pieces of that person’s life. So, we’re trying to really meet people and have these conversations. According to the Census Bureau, in 2023, there were almost 4.5 million family caregivers in California, and some are juggling that with a full-time job and parenting. It’s just a lot, and support is needed.
Q: What’s your advice for caregivers?
A: Seek help. That’s the first step. Just don’t keep it in. There is somebody out there willing to listen, I promise.
Nicola Lopez Bio
Name: Nicola Lopez – Nikki preferred
Age: 45
Birthplace: St. Elizabeth, Jamaica
Residence: Antioch, California
Education:
MBA
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration
Certified dementia practitioner
Life coach certification
Certified DEI practitioner
Five Interesting Things About Nicola Lopez
1. I’m Jamaican-born and deeply rooted in my Caribbean heritage, which shows up in everything from my work ethic and love for family to my dancing.
2. I was a teenage mom and a single mom at 19; those early life experiences shaped how I lead, care for others, and advocate today.
3. I am the founder of two impactful organizations: Caring Haven, a senior care agency, and Caregiver OneCall.
4. Supervisor Shanelle Scales-Preston honored me with a Women’s History Month Award by Contra Costa County District 5 for my service and advocacy, a recognition that still means so much to me.
5. I am a published author; my latest book, “When The Strong Get Tired,” offers an unfiltered look at the emotional toll of caregiving. I also serve as a proud Rotarian and hold advisory roles on several county boards, working to advance equity for caregivers, seniors, and families.
