Show #264 Airing: Sunday, July 25th, 2004
Balancing the responsibilities of work, kids, community, and caregiving can make you feel like you’re on life’s high wire. But you don’t have to be a trapeze artist to successfully manage. Here to help us walk the wire, while providing a social and financial safety net, is Susan Kay, manager of the family caregivers support program at the Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging.
Question: It seems like more and more people are becoming caregivers. Who is giving the care? Who is receiving the care?
Answer: A baby boomer turns 50 every 8 seconds. More and more people are finding themselves in the situation that they have older parents and children they still have to care for.
40% of men (sons) are caregivers, but often times the daughters-in-law are very involved too. Typically, men care for men and women care for women. Because there are more women who NEED caregiving, there tend to be more female caregivers.
However, caregiving is really a family affair. Mom helps with bathing, the 12-year-old comes home from school and gives grandma her medicine, etc.
One in four households are now providing care.
Question: Does that mean having mom or dad living at home with you?
Answer: Well, there are two ways that people tend to become caregivers. The first is a crisis situation. Someone has had a stroke or a heart attack, and the family is gathered in the hospital realizing that the patient can’t go home alone and decisions have to be made.
The other way is when one takes on the role of caregiver gradually. You start by mowing your parents’ lawn and driving them during the winter months. It gradually escalates to helping with paying the bills, doing grocery shopping, etc.
Many of these people don’t even realize that they are caregivers. They don’t make the connection.
Question: What are some of the obstacles caregivers face?
Answer: It’s a matter of time, really. Caregivers need time to get into a routine and learn what they are doing.
Caregiving is often learned through trial and error. In American society, people are very willing to give help when someone has a new baby—friends give advice throughout the pregnancy, after the baby is born, etc. But no one talks about caring for mom and dad, or receives very much advice as to how to do it.
Question: What about at work? Does a caregiver have any rights surrounding issues of employment?
Answer: Under the Family Medical Leave Act, most employees are eligible for 12 weeks of unpaid leave. Some employers allow you to use up your sick days and vacation days first.
In most caregiving cases, 12 weeks is not long enough. Many are forced to take a reduction in hours, pass up promotions, change shifts if possible so someone is always at home, etc.
Many jobs make it difficult to make phone calls to agencies that can help (such as teachers, retail work, etc.). So that is a challenge as well.
Question: Some states pay family caregivers, to help older folks stay at home and out of nursing homes. How about Ohio?
Answer: No.
Question: What options do caregivers have for help?
Answer: Be honest with your employer and coworkers. Tell them why you may be late sometimes. Lots of employers offer EAP programs that can help you.
If you call the WRAAA, we can help you create a caregiving plan. We can work with agencies that can help you, making phone calls for the caregiver. We’re there from 7:30 to 5:30, but if you need to meet or talk outside of those hours, leave a message.
Consider respite. Our program offers it on a temporary basis. Respite can be in-home care, daycare, or temporary assisted living. I always recommend that the caregiver plan something special for themselves on that day.
Consider a support group. Some are disease specific, some are just general. If you don’t like the first one you attend, don’t dismiss it. It may take time to match one up with your personality. There are even online support groups. One out of Lakeland Community College is free. www.lakeland.cc.oh.us
Question: Can WRAAA do anything more?
Answer: We can pay for temporary respite services, to give family caregivers a break. We’ll pay for at-home care, daycare, or assisted living. The family can choose the caregivers, we pay 100% for lower income.
Question: For how long will you reimburse for care - how temporary is temporary?
Answer: Not more than 90 days.
Question: How many time a year?
Answer: Once or twice a year.
If you’re a caregiver, grab that gold ring to get you off the caregiver merry-go-round. There’s help available, even temporary financial assistance to give you a well-deserved break. Call the Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging to find out what resources are out there. My thanks to Susan Kay.
