Caregiver Specialist

Everything seemed to be coming up golden. The kids are all grown. They have children of their own. The youngest one just landed a first job. Grandma and grandpa are making plans for that cross-country trip to see all their grandchildren. Grandchildren have invited themselves to spend the summer with grandma and grandpa. But something went wrong. Grandpa got very sick but he recovered. He requires a lot of care and he certainly isn’t the vigorous person we remember. Grandma is trying to do it all. She needs help before she, too, gets ill. The oldest daughter is concerned but she is raising four young kids of her own. The youngest wants to help, but then there’s that first job. The entire family seems immobilized by the crisis. Whenever the adults get together, bickering breaks out regarding who should be doing what and how often. The grandchildren don’t even want to go to grandma’s house because they sense the strain.

This is not an unusual situation. Eventually most families confront the crisis of aging or ill loved ones. What has changed is that now the Illinois Department on Aging is beginning to help families encountering these problems through the Caregiver Support Program. West Suburban Senior Services’ Caregiver Specialist focuses on helping caregivers, whether wives or husbands, sons or daughters or just dedicated friends who find themselves in the role of informal caregivers to family elders over 60 years of age.

The Caregiver Specialist sits down with the caregiver and the family to complete a comprehensive assessment of the issues and needs confronting the individual senior and the caregiver. The program helps the caregiver regroup strength, find and ask for assistance and recover or learn skills to address the problems of an aging loved one. The caregiver can identify the assistance that will help make their caregiver role easier.

The assistance comes from several sources. It might start with information about the particular illness of the loved one and may include a referral to a support group that deals with the illness. The Caregiver Specialist may invite the caregiver to attend a special workshop called Powerful Tools for Caregivers, which brings several people together to explore their role as caregivers. Some caregivers benefit from a clear understanding of the available resources. The Caregiver Specialist might refer the loved one to adult day care that gives the caregiver relief from having to worry about their loved one. If the senior is unable to leave the home, the Caregiver Specialist provides occasional in-home services while the family caregiver gets a few hours of respite. In some instances, a caregiver can attend a distant family event such as a wedding or graduation while the senior receives a few days of respite in a nursing home or senior guest house.

Assistance is provided and available during normal working hours but also may be scheduled on weekends and during the early evening.