Caregiving Is A Family Affair

Question: I am taking care of my mother who is 94 and needs significant help around her home. I work a part-time job in addition to helping my mother. Sometimes I am overwhelmed. Am I alone?

Answer: No, you are not alone. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Aging, families—not social service agencies, nursing homes, or government programs—are the mainstay of long-term care for older persons in the United States.

More than 22.4 million U.S. households are serving in family caregiving roles for persons over the age of 50. The fiscal contribution of America’s caregivers to our health care system is valued at $257 billion annually. And the National Alliance for Caregiving estimates that by 2007, the total number of active caregivers in the United States could increase to nearly 15.6 million working Americans, roughly one in ten employed workers.

But help for caregivers like you is available. For example, adult day care centers offer care and companionship for older persons who need assistance or supervision during the day. Such programs offer relief to family members or caregivers and allow them the freedom to go to work, handle personal business, or just relax while knowing their loved one is well cared for and safe. Approximately 150,000 older Americans use the more than 3,500 adult care programs, according to the National Adult Day Services Association.

Additionally, through the Older Americans Act, administered by the Administration on Aging (AoA), services such as transportation, case management, information and referral, home health assistance, legal and financial assistance, meal preparation, and disease prevention are available to help older people and their caregivers. Through these programs, over seven million older Americans are assisted in daily lives.

To address the unique needs of caregivers like you, the National Family Caregiver Support Program was enacted in 2000 as a part of the Older Americans Act. This program provides funding to the National Aging Services Network of federal, state, and local agencies for informational services, assistance in obtaining services, counseling and training, respite care, and supplemental services.

There is help available for you and your mother through various programs. Please contact Mystic Valley Elder Services at 781-324-7705 to see how we can help.

Source: AoA