Are you a caregiver?
If you are taking care of an aging parent, family member or friend who is ill or incapacitated, you are a caregiver.
Caregiving takes many forms. It can be a 24/7 experience, or long-distance and everything in between. You may be coordinating medical care, visiting, or on the phone. What ever the situation, your support helps a loved one as they age, but the emotional toll that it can take on you is real. The time burden as well as the feelings of anticipatory grief is important to acknowledge.
I am a Nationally Certified Geriatric Care Manager (CGCM) with over 10 years of experience working closely with individuals who are dealing with issues pertaining to aging and caregiving. I understand well the emotional toll that caring for an aging family member can take. There is worry and stress, both emotional and financial, and for some people, negotiating the elusive balance around managing both their children and their parents care needs can be overwhelming. The “Sandwich Generation” has unique needs and concerns and I am equipped to help you as you face these challenges.
I have facilitated support groups for caregivers, certified and trained through the NYC Alzheimer’s Association, and have extensive expertise supporting individuals diagnosed with Dementia and their families. From navigating the complex system of Medicare, Medicaid, Home Care, and Long Term Care to decluttering, deaccessioning and preparing for and transitioning to a new home or living situation, I have worked with hundreds of families.
Aging/Caregiving-Related Links:
Family Caregiver Alliance
Alzheimer’s Association: New York City Chapter
The Shriver Report: A Woman’s Nation Takes on Alzheimer’s
Memory Bridge: The Foundation for Alzheimer’s and Cultural memory
A Geriatrics & Palliative Care Blog
American Society on Aging
National Elder Law Network
Time Slips: Creative Storytelling
SAGE: Services & Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Elders
The End of Life: Exploring Death in America:NPR
Letting Go, Atul Gawande: The New Yorker, July 26th, 2010
Facing Death; Frontline Interview with Dr. Jerome Groopman
National Institutes of Health/Senior Health
The People’s Pharmacy
This Old Man, Life in the nineties, Roger Angell, New Yorker, February 17th, 2014
Recommended Reading:
A Bittersweet Season; Caring for Our Aging Parents and Ourselves, Jane Gross
The 36 Hour Day, A Family Guide to Caring for People Who Have Alzheimer’s Disease, Related Dementias and Memory Loss, Mace & Rabins
The Forgetting-Alzheimer’s Portrait of an Epidemic, David Shenk
Ten Thousand Joys & Ten Thousand Sorrows; A Couple’s Journey Through Alzheimer’s, Olivia Ames Hoblitzelle
The Elder Law Handbook, a Legal & Financial Survival Guide for Caregivers & Seniors, Strauss & Lederman
The Third Chapter: Passion, Risk & Adventure in the 25 Years after 50, Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot
When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice For Difficult Times, Pema Chodron
Final Conversations: Helping The Living and the Dying Talk to Each Other, Keeley & Yingling
No Ordinary Move: Relocating Your Aging Parents, Perman & Ballard
Sell, Keep or Toss? How to Downsize a Home; Settle an Estate and Appraise Personal Property, Rinker
Scaling Down: Living Large in a Smaller Space, Decker, et al
The Emotional Survival Guide for Caregivers: Looking After Yourself and Your Family While Helping an Aging Parent, Jacobs