Managing the needs of an elderly relative: Friends in Care
Seems like there's never enough time to get everything done: preparing meals, packing the kids off to school and hurrying to work for a day of meetings, paperwork and deadlines. Or, it could mean racing to keep up with grandchildren while running the day's errands and staying on top of the laundry. Whatever the case, taking care of family needs is a full-time job in itself.
A stressful situation
Help for caregivers
A variety of services
A stressful situation
Now add managing bills, insurance and Medicare paperwork, doctor's visits and tests and housekeeping for an elderly parent or relative. With all these responsibilities, it's easy to see why it's common for caregivers to get overwhelmed and depressed. In fact, the emotional strain and physical exhaustion can lead to stress-related health problems that make the demands even more overwhelming.
"When adult children or elderly spouses assume the responsibility of caring for a relative who is mentally or physically fragile, they're seldom prepared for the level of stress they encounter," says Carl Tarbell, vice president of senior services and the rehabilitation network at Virtua Health. "They find themselves trying to juggle their existing responsibilities and their new ones as caregivers." That means learning about medical conditions and treatment options, making important financial decisions and taking care of necessities like meals and shopping.
Help for caregivers
Fortunately, caring for the elderly just got more manageable. Virtua Health's new geriatric care management service, Friends in Care, helps families coordinate their elderly relatives' care. "Our geriatric care managers are specially trained to assess the needs of the elderly and their family. After discussing the situation with the family and the client, the care manager develops a plan and coordinates appropriate services. The goal is to keep loved ones at home as long as it's safe," explains Tarbell. Services range from monitoring medications and arranging transportation to coordinating housekeeping and home-nursing care.
Once clients become too ill or disabled to remain in their homes, care managers help families make decisions about more suitable care options like assisted living and nursing homes. After the move, geriatric care managers continue to offer support.
A variety of services
"The important thing is that people going through this have somewhere to turn for the help and information they need," said Tarbell. "What makes us unique is that we have all the resources of Virtua Health; we not only provide top-quality medical care to the elderly, we offer emotional support to caregivers." That includes providing respite care and support groups.
By addressing the needs of both caregivers and their elderly loved ones, Friends in Care transitions eldercare from an overwhelming obligation to a rewarding, enriching experience — one that allows families to spend time loving their relatives rather than checking off a to-do list.
For a free brochure or information about support groups, call 1-888-Virtua-3 (1-888-847-8823).