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| I Am a Caregiver or Am Concerned About A Senior. What Do I Do? | |||||||
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I Care For or Am Concerned About: |
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| 1. | A Senior I don't
know well, such a neighbor or someone I've seen in town Our Outreach Services exist to help seniors in town who may be "falling between the cracks". To best serve you, when you call the COA to report a concern, please give us as much information on the senior as you can, including: |
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The Senior's name, if known | ||||||
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The Senior's address, if known | ||||||
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Where You Have Seen The Senior, particularly most recently (walking on a street, driving a car, in the post office or other public place, etc.) | ||||||
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What Behavior Was Witnessed That Has You Concerned (confusion, unkempt appearance, inappropriate actions or speech, etc.) | ||||||
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Any other information you have
heard or know about the individual Your call can always be confidential and you may leave information on our voice mail at 508-841-8640 24 hours a day or fill out our "Request Help for a Senior" form online. |
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| 2. |
Elder Abuse and Neglect is a serious and growing problem. If you suspect that an elder is being abused or is neglecting themselves. a special state agency can help. You may call the COA or fill out our "Request Help for a Senior" form online, or you may call the Shrewsbury Police at 508-845-1212. You may also call the Commonwealth's Elder Abuse Hotline at 1-800-AGE-INFO. |
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A Loved One Who is Over 60 or a Senior I Know: | ||||
| If you are a Caregiver, there are many supports to help you in this challenging role. | |||||
| 1. | Especially for Caregivers….How to Get Respite Care Services: | ||||
| Respite services are important for anyone who is caring for someone else. "Respite" is a word which means "to breathe". Therefore, Respite Services allow a caregiver "to take a breather" from the stressful demands of caregiving. Taking care of yourself is often the most important thing you can do for the person you care for, but it is often the most difficult thing to do. Respite services come in many forms. |
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| A. | Getting Help At Home: Try to go through a typical day of caregiving and determine what types of relief you would find most beneficial. Bathing someone may be a real chore for one caregiver, housekeeping may be one for someone else. There are many options to getting the help you need. Below are some common terms for the types of workers that perform various tasks in the home: | ||||
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Homemaker (HM): Does basic cleaning, runs errands or helps with household tasks | ||||
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Home Health Aide, (HHA) Personal Care Attendant (PCA): Can assist with bathing and other personal hygiene tasks as well as any homemaker tasks | ||||
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Chore Worker: Can do heavy cleaning or a special household project | ||||
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Respite Worker: Can provide supervision and companionship for people who shouldn't be left alone for long periods of time due to dementia or illness | ||||
| Where to get a worker: | |||||
| 1. | Elder Services of Worcester, Inc. (ESW, Inc.) 508-756-1545: Elder Services of Worcester, Inc. is the state home care agency that covers Shrewsbury. Call and ask for Intake and Referral. Tell them you would like more information on the Respite Program. The Respite Program is designed for providing relief to a caregiver. There are income and physical requirements, which they will tell you more about. If you qualify, you will receive case management and will have access to a variety of programs and services on a sliding fee scale. If the elder you assist does not actually live in your home, they may qualify for regular Home Care Services. Be sure to inquire about which would be more appropriate in your own situation with the Intake worker. | ||||
| 2. | Private Home Health Services: If you are found or know that you are ineligible for care through ESW, Inc., you may purchase services privately through the same agencies that ESW, Inc. and the Visiting Nurse Associations use. Additional brochures and information on all the agencies are available through our office or by contacting the agency. | ||||
| 3. | Hiring An Independent Housecleaner or Health Care Worker: Lastly, you may choose to privately hire an individual who can work on a scheduled or as needed basis. You can find out about such individuals by checking the "jobs wanted" section of the paper, particularly the Community Advocate, Senior Advocate, or Shrewsbury Chronicle. You may want to place your own "Help Wanted" ad. Checking bulletin boards in churches or stores throughout the community may also give you some options. Here at the Senior Center, we also have a list available of women in the community who have notified the COA that they are interested in assisting seniors on a private pay basis. | ||||
| B. | Day Care: Day Care is an excellent option for both caregivers and the person they care for. It gives caregivers and entire day to be alone, work or do errands. It gives the person important social stimulation and can help alleviate some of the agitation that is unfortunately so common with dementia. ESW, Inc., mentioned in (A), can sometimes subsidize Day Care costs. They have a complete listing of Day Cares available. Three specialized day cares to consider: | ||||
| 1. | AGE CENTER for The Gathering Tree (508-755-4388): This is social day care is just for people with dementia. | ||||
| 2. | The Elder Service Plan at Fallon (508-852-2026): This innovative day care is the only one of its kind in the area, and you need not be a member of Fallon to participate. This Adult Day Health program is more involved that Social Day care and is all inclusive. Even the most frail people are able to attend, as they can handle nursing home eligible participants. | ||||
| 3. | The Westborough Connection (508-836-3378): Formerly run by the Assabet Valley VNA, this Adult Day Health provides a variety of social and health services to its participants, and offers special support to caregivers who need help. | ||||
| Brochures for these programs are available through the Senior Center or by calling the Day Care directly. | |||||
| C. | Arranging Care if You are Away: Don't deprive yourself if you want to go away or need to attend to other loved ones. There are three options if you need to have someone else take care of the person temporarily: | ||||
| 1. | A Respite Bed: This essentially places the person in a Nursing Home temporarily. It is usually private pay only. Not all Nursing Homes provide this service. Check with a Nursing Home you are interested in, or call the COA for more information. | ||||
| 2. | Adult Foster Care: This program places your loved one in a private home in the area to be cared for by a paid caregiver, in their home while you are away or otherwise unable to give care. | ||||
| 3. | Temporary Live-In Help: By calling the Home Health Agencies agencies, you can find out more about workers who can stay with your loved one around the clock. You may opt for one or two live-in workers, or you may wish to set up a series of "shifts" that can work around other family members or friends who will be helping you out. | ||||
| Other Suggestions to Consider If You Are A Caregiver: | |||||
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Meet with a lawyer, if you haven't already. We have a free legal clinic once a month at the Senior Center if this interests you. You should discuss how care can be provided long-term in the future. Your house should not be affected. Mention if the person is a veteran. You should also make "worse case scenario" plans just in case, you should get sick or anything happens to you. | ||||
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Attend a support group to familiarize yourself with the challenges that lie ahead, to learn caregiving tips and gain strength from others in your situation. It is usually most helpful to attend a specific type of group (such as caregiver's for Alzheimer's, stroke victims, Parkinson's, etc.) but groups also exist for caregivers in general. A comprehensive listing is published each Sunday in the Telegram and Gazette "Datebook" insert. Additional information can also be sought through the COA. | ||||
| Additional Suggestions For Caregivers of Alzheimer/ Dementia Patients: | |||||
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Call the Alzhiemer's Association at 1-800-548-2111 and ask to be put on their mailing list. If the person wanders at all, inquire about getting an ID bracelet. You should also take a recent picture of the person and notify the Shrewsbury Police if you are worried the person may get out accidentally. | ||||
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Buy the book "the 36 Hour Day" by Nancy L. Mace, M.A. and Peter V. Rabins, MD, published by Warner Books. You should be able to buy this at any book store for well under $20. It is one of the best resources for helping you cope with whatever problems the disease may throw your way, large or small. | ||||
| Caregiver Link (www.SeniorConnection.org) | |||||
| Our Outreach Services exist to help seniors and/or their caregivers get connected to the help they need. To best serve you, when you call the COA to get help, please give us as much information as you can, including: | |||||
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The Senior's name and address | ||||
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Next of kin or caregiver, if it's not you | ||||
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What Problems Have You Most Concerned (confusion, acting suspicious or uncooperative, etc.) or what kind of help you feel is needed | ||||
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Any other information you can share about the individual and their situation | ||||
| Your call can always be confidential and you may leave information on our voice mail at 508-841-8640 24 hours a day. | |||||
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