Age Spots: Tough Love: Family Caregiving

Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter once said, “There are only four kinds of people in the world: those who have been caregivers, those who are currently caregivers, those who will be caregivers and those who will need a caregiver.” Caregiving is often referred to as the toughest job in the world. Many times, you are on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with no time off, no breaks and usually no pay.

Caregivers sometimes have a difficult time caring for themselves; there are just not enough hours in the day. Since 2001, Aging Matters has had a Family Caregiver Program that focuses on empowering and supporting unpaid caregivers providing care for someone over the age of 60. You do not have to be related to the person you care for in order to be considered a family caregiver by the program, and you do not have to provide round-the-clock care in order for this program to provide you with help.

The Aging Matters Family Caregiver Program assists caregivers by providing educational programs, information and assistance. Family Caregiver sponsors Caregiver Conferences throughout our 18-county service area. The next conference, themed “Mentally Healthy and Happy,” will be on June 12 in Piedmont, Missouri. At the event, there will be speakers and booths that can offer help and information. In the future, there will be other conferences scheduled, including “Grandparents Raising Grandchildren” conferences in the fall after school starts. Those will be held in Cape Girardeau, Poplar Bluff and Hayti.

A needs-based service provided by the Family Caregiver Program is Respite Care, which allows a caregiver to take a break while their loved one is cared for and supervised.

Family Caregiver also helps with Supplemental Services, which may provide supplies and goods necessary for keeping an elder at home. The supplies need to be things the caregiver cannot provide and are not covered by Medicare or Medicaid, such as nutritional supplements and incontinent supplies. To receive aid through this program, a face-to-face assessment is completed with the caregiver. Assessments are evaluated and assigned a score value. Supplies grants are awarded based on that score, with a limit of $250. Families may reapply 12 months after they have used up their allotment.

We know caregiving can be an overwhelming task, and no one should struggle through the process alone; it sometimes takes a team to provide care for an elderly loved one. The Family Caregiver Support Program helps caregivers find the keys to successful caregiving. Please call Aging Matters at (800) 392-8771 for more information, or visit the Family Caregiver Facebook page at facebook.com/CaregiversBalance/.