Thursday, June 7, 2007

So What's It to You? Caring for Loved Ones That Is!

Are you helping a loved one or friend? We want to hear from you. Here at the Senior Federation we have staff who are filling a caregiving role in some capacity or are impacted in some way by a caregiver/care receiver relationship. I have asked these individuals to post here so check out the comments to this post to see what Caregiving is personally to your favorite Senior Federation staff person. If you are not on staff at the Senior Federation we want to hear from you as well. Please add a comment letting us know your caregiving story.

I'll start. I am Janine Stiles, Health Programs Director here at the Federation. I am not a direct caregiver, but I am closely watching one of my aunts caregiving for my maternal grandmother. My Aunt Lori, like many caregivers first helped my grandmother when Medicare Part D went into effect and a decision needed to be made about my grandmother's coverage. At the time my grandmother was in what I consider to be the very early stages of dementia. But really with Part D that was neither here nor there as everyone needed help with Part D! Anyway, I think just gradually it became clear that my grandmother needed assistance with smaller things and then bigger things. Out of respect for my grandmothers privacy my aunt isn't that open about her care or the decisions they are helping her make and she is pretty tight lipped about the feuds she may or may not be having with anyone of my 9 aunts and uncles. I will solicit her to post here herself.

Hope to hear from you soon.