CARE OPTIONS

Figuring out what care you loved one needs can be confusing. To help sort through the options, consider which of the following are needed, then match you level of need with the care options described below.

____Social activities for elders
____Transportation
____Housework, chores or shopping
____Companionship at home
____Money management, paying bills
____Assistive equipment or devices
____Home modifications to improve accessibility
____Personal care services at home (bathing, for example)
____A safe place to be outside the home during weekdays
____Overnight care at home
____Rehabilitative therapy
____Nursing care (e.g. injections, wound care)
____Medication management
____Alternative housing or residential care
____Home delivered or congregate meals

Your Area Agency on Aging can provide help you scout out local resources and services to match your needs.

Respite Care
Respite programs provide volunteers who give full time caregivers some needed time away to relieve the stress of caring for an incapacitated family member. Information is available from your Area Agency on Aging. Respite for caregivers is also an important and integral part of all hospice programs.

Home Care Services
Special assistance to help seniors live independently is available for many situations. From bathing, to healthcare, social workers work to coordinate services for homebound seniors experiencing difficulties, thus preventing small problems from escalating into situations that put seniors at greater risk of institutionalization. Home care provides individuals with a wide variety of supportive services that enable them to remain in their own home.

Services may be medical or non-medical and may include:

Nursing care

Personal care (e.g., assistance with bathing, toileting, and dressing)

Monitoring of medications

Physical, speech, respiratory, therapies

Strategies to compensate for physical limitations

Assistance with meals

Housekeeping

Companionship and supervision

Adult Day Care Services
Designed to meet the needs of frail elders or cognitively impaired adults (e.g., Alzheimer's disease or stroke), adult day care centers provide a safe and caring setting for individuals who can no longer be left at home alone.

Services may include:

Meals

Social interaction with others

Social activities

Therapeutic recreation

Emotional support

Transportation to and from home

Health monitoring or rehabilitative therapies

CAREGIVERS SUPPORT GROUPS
Support groups are generally educational and supportive in nature, lead by a health care professional. Caregiver's stress, practical advice and ideas regarding nutrition, safety and relationships are usually addressed. Contact your Area Agency on Aging for a group near you or to start a group.

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
Long term care can be ruinously expensive, but research and planning will help relieve the stress of paying for your care, or a loved one's care, and make difficult situations more manageable.
Retired and on a fixed income?
Find out what coverage Medicare provides, or how to find the right Medigap policy.
Still working, but thinking about the future?
Learn how long term care could affect your retirement.
Are you assisting a parent?
Learn what costs are involved.
Visit Careguide - Elder Care Services for a wealth of resources.

INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE
Telephone or walk-in service is available to inform elders and family members regarding community programs and services and provide assistance with emergencies and other critical situations. Call your Area Agency on Aging for information.

MEALS ON WHEELS
Meals on Wheels typically provide regular lunch time meals at a senior meal site. They also deliver prepared meals to homebound seniors in need of nutrition services.

MEDICAL EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM
Free, confidential, personal help for seniors and caregivers, helps interpret Medicare bills and insurance forms and reconcile errors and misunderstandings. Call SHIBA (Senior Health Insurance Benefits Advisors) toll free at 1-800-247-4422.

LEGAL ASSISTANCE
Legal Assistance provides legal advice, counseling or representation for older persons, or caregiver issues for older persons who have economic or social needs.

SENIOR SERVICES
Senior citizens and their families can get comprehensive information on services and resources available in their town or county by contacting your Area Agency on Aging.

TELEPHONE REASSURANCE
Volunteers call homebound and/or disabled elderly each weekday morning to assure their safety and well being. Other programs check on seniors who fail to call in each day on a pre-determined schedule.

TRANSPORTATION
Whether for a medical appointment, to shop for groceries or to a Senior Center, transportation is available to seniors. Contact your Area Agency on Aging.

VOLUNTEERS
Frequently, volunteers who assist seniors in their homes are available by contacting your Area Agency on Aging or an RSVP program. The Retired Senior Volunteer Program provides an opportunity for those seniors interested in volunteering their time to improve the lives of others in their community. Senior volunteers may deliver meals on wheels, volunteer as part of hospice programs, or perform a myriad of other important community services. If you are interested in being a volunteer, many worthwhile and fulfilling opportunities exist.