This post is going to try and cover the various ways or places caregivers can get help when needed. There are a number of places to turn to get help to care for your caree no matter if you need it for a few hours, a day, overnight, for a week or even longer. With Robert, my brother in-law, this is now a pretty simple process but in the beginning that’s another story and to which I give the courage and credit to my wife, Trish (Robert’s sister), who has personally taken on these tasks. In the start there were a lot of calls being made, long conversations and of course the common, “That’s not our department, you need to contact xyz, or no referral at all. Trust me there is someone out there for you and your caree and you will find them, they may be a family member, a close friend, a city, state or government run agency but there is of the hundreds of contact at least one that fits your needs and you will locate them.
We started with the “I need an hour or two” scenario and spoke with family and close friends first. Make sure their close because your placing your loved one in their hands. Now make a list of the top five family or friends and sometime it might be that friends are closer, that’s okay, then five more. Call them well in advance of needing them to get their answer, explain your situation and that at times you will need to run an errand or that you just need a coffee break. I think you will be surprised how many say, “no problem.” Also research your local yellow pages or search the internet for care facilities in your area or city, state and government agencies. The next stage of calls for our, “I need a night or even a week,” included calls into our local, Department of Human Services, they can help or they will know where you will need to go for help. Other agencies that are most likely overlooked is the, Disability Resources Agency, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Social Services, Aging and People with Disabilities Agency or you might research the Senior Services Department, if they can not answer your questions, they will know where to send you. Also, contact your states, Information Directory which has the phone listing for all your states agencies, they should know where to send you. The Social Security Administration, “http://www.socialsecurity.gov” can help you with possible benefits. If your caree is still able to work part time or flex time being a better term for it, I would suggest the U.S. Department of Labor, “http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/disability,” has a lot of helpful information for the disabled to assist in finding and obtaining employment.
In our search to find a place for Robert, several family members stepped up and offered to stay with Robert for a few hours if we wanted to just go get coffee, take in a movie or had errands to run. For a longer time period the local Alta Regional office (who set up Roberts Day Program) put us in contact with several care facilities (homes that provides hourly, daily, weekly or if space is available monthly), after researching and visiting them we found one that Robert really likes, he has his own cabinet to keep his things in when he visits, a recliner that faces the television and a couple of elderly ladies that took Robert in from the very first time they meet him. This process may take two or more tries to locate just the right facility for both your caree and yourself, remember, everyone need to feel comfortable in this new environment. So far Robert has spent just a few hours to a week there and enjoys going back every time. Take the time to research a facility, ask if they have references from other guests, trust me there is a respite facility out there for you.
What agencies have you found that you feel, give you the rest and relaxation that you deserve?
Richard (Kreisler)
iCareTalk.net 