Golden Age Ministry
For further information, please contact Lois , Dixie or Bob through the Golden Age Ministry at goldenageministry@fairfaxpresby.com .
Information Bank of Available Resources in Church Library
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Fairfax Area Agency on Aging
CAREGIVER'S CORNER ONLINE
January 2008
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Caregiver's Corner Online is an electronic newsletter produced by the
Fairfax Area Agency on Aging (AAA) with funding from the National Family
Caregiver Support Program of the Older Americans Act. Our goal is to
provide information to support you as a family caregiver of an older
adult.
Dear Readers,
New Year's greetings to you from the staff at the Fairfax Area Agency on
Aging!
Whatever your hopes for this year, our hope is for you to have a chance
to take some time for yourself each day, and to know you are a valuable
part of your loved one's care system. We also hope that we will be able
to support you in your caregiver role.
Winter is here, and you may have suspended long leisurely walks and
outdoor activities until spring. Since exercise pumps up both your
health and mood, we encourage you to develop an in-home program. Use
home exercise equipment, jog in place, exercise to music, try yoga with
a video tape or televised instructor, or just clean the house with
"gusto." See the article below on Channel 16's Yoga class and the
SeniorNavigator.org article on making healthy lifestyle choices.
Remember to care for yourself so you can care for others. Check out the
continuing series on balancing caregiving and work demands and note the
coming community events and public information.
Resolved: You are special. And so is your loved one.
IN THIS EDITION:
1. Steps to Balancing Eldercare and Work
2. Little River Glen III: Olley Glen Meeting Notice
3. Healthier Choices for 2008
4. Switching to Indoor Exercise
5. Cost of Caregiving Doubles Previous Estimates
6. Housing Repair and Modifications: Local Resources
7. Fairfax County Metrorail Elevator Alert
8. Virginia Caregiver Grant
9. Mild Cognitive Impairment Workshops Starting
10. Did you know?
1. STEPS TO BALANCING ELDERCARE AND WORK. If you have been following
previous issues of Caregiver Corner, you are on your way to developing
an effective balance between work and your role as a caregiver. You have
assessed your work situation and caregiving responsibilities. You
determined whether caregiving is impacting your work performance and you
reviewed your job responsibilities, the amount of flexibility in your
schedule, and the level of trust between you and your supervisor. You
then considered your concerns about the elder's situation and how the
elder viewed his/her situation. You made sure you had current
information about how the illness or disability affects the elder now
and in the future.
Based on those assessments, you determined whether you were the right
person to be in the role of primary family caregiver and identified
areas of need at work and in your caregiving role. Finally, you
researched the resources available at your job and in the community.
Now it's time to take the next step -- Create a list of possible
solutions to meet identified needs. Whenever possible, please include
the elder and any other interested family member in this process. You
may find it helpful to put this information in the form of a chart. For
example, under the heading, *Issues or Concerns, you may list *Need to
get Mom up each morning. Under the next heading, *Possible Solutions,
you may list *Change schedule to come in 1.5 hours later each morning,
or *Hire a home health aide. Then under the next heading, *Action Steps,
you may list *Submit written request for later start time, or *Contact
local Area Agency on Aging for list of home health agencies.
Hopefully, this plan will help you secure a sense of control and help
you get and stay organized as work and caregiving responsibilities
change. You may want to consider a contingency plan for times when you
need someone to step in for you, such as times when you are sick or your
home health aide is not available.
Since October 2007, Caregiver Corner has been running monthly articles
on balancing the demands of family caregiving and paid employment. These
articles are based on a presentation by John Paul Marosy, author,
educator, and president of Bringing Elder Care Home, LLC. His Web site
is www.bringingeldercarehome.com.
2. LITTLE RIVER GLEN III: OLLEY GLEN MEETING NOTICE. Braddock District
Supervisor Sharon Bulova will host a community meeting to discuss plans
for the third phase of construction of Olley Glen, an independent living
project for seniors.
The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, January 22, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. at
the Little River Glen Center, 4001 Barker Court, Fairfax, VA.
Staff from the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority and
Little River Glen will attend the meeting in order to present the
current plans as well as answer questions and respond to concerns.
Currently, the project consists of Little River Glen, a 120-unit
low-income independent senior residence. This original facility also
includes a senior center that was completed in 1990. The second phase of
the project, Braddock Glen, was completed in 2006. This added a 60-unit
assisted living residence and an adult day care center. The adult day
care center provides personal day care as well as educational programs
on caregiving for family members.
Similar in design to Little River Glen, the third phase will consist of
90 units of independent living residences located in three two-story
buildings with elevators. Universal design, a set of best practices
intended to ensure accessibility to all residents, will be employed
throughout the buildings. When a residence is designed with features for
use by all people, including individuals with disabilities, it minimizes
the number of structural impediments to assistive technology or
accessibility improvements, thereby avoiding expensive renovations at
later dates.
3. HEALTHIER CHOICES FOR 2008. At the New Year, many of us resolve to
make healthier lifestyle choices. Healthy eating is a good place to
start. It's every bit as important for caregivers to eat well as it is
for those for whom they provide care. For healthy eating tips and to
obtain a listing of the United States Dietary Guidelines, visit
http://seniornavigator.org/vaprovider/consumer/snArticle.do?contentId=25
4.
Source: SENIORNAVIGATOR E-QUICKTIP, January 4, 2008.
4. SWITCHING TO INDOOR EXERCISE. Just because winter has forced you
indoors doesn't mean you have to put off your exercise resolutions. Find
a good video tape or DVD or tune into Channel 16 for an introduction to
an ancient but effective mind/body workout. In her five-part series,
HathaYoga Instructor Hinda Sacks presents a flowing cycle of simple and
gentle moves, known to shape and tone muscles, improve flexibility,
enhance circulation, build strength, and increase stamina. The schedule
is Sunday at 9:30 a.m.; Wednesday at 9:30 a.m.; Thursday at 9:30 a.m.;
Friday at 9:30 a.m.; and Saturday at 9:30 a.m. Check it out at
www.fairfaxcounty.gov/cable/channel16/yoga.htm.
5. COST OF CAREGIVING DOUBLES PREVIOUS ESTIMATES. The out-of-pocket
cost of caring for an aging parent or spouse averages $5,531 a year,
according to the nation's first in-depth study of such expenses, a sum
that is more than double previous estimates and more than the average
American household spends each year on health care and entertainment
combined. The National Alliance for Caregiving released "The Evercare
Study of Family Caregivers - What They Spend, What They Sacrifice" in
November 2007.
The study found that 17 million people, or over half of all caregivers,
are spending more than 10 percent of their annual income on caregiving
expenses. The study also showed that the most common expenses were
household goods, food, and meals. One-third of the respondents said that
they have dipped into their own savings to help with care. The full
study is available at www.caregiving.org.
6. HOUSING REPAIR AND MODIFICATIONS: LOCAL RESOURCES. The Home Repair
for the Elderly and/or Disabled Program of the Fairfax County
Redevelopment and Housing Authority provides minor home repairs to
eligible low and moderate income older homeowners residing in the
property, as well as accessibility modifications for homeowners with
disabilities. For more information or to request an application, call
703-246-5154, TTY 703-385-3578 or visit
www.fairfaxcounty.gov/rha/seniorhousing/hrep.htm.
The authority's Home Improvement Loan Program (HILP) helps county
homeowners make home improvements. Homeowners are provided technical
assistance in determining what improvements need to be made and low
interest loans to help pay for these improvements. For more information,
please call 703-246-5155, TTY 703-385-3578 or visit
www.fairfaxcounty.gov/rha/hilp.htm.
Hearts and Hammers, a program of RPJ Housing, addresses a variety of
repair needs ranging from code violations to preventative maintenance
that if unmet could lead to more costly repairs. To apply for this free
home repair program call 703-528-5606.
7. FAIRFAX COUNTY METRORAIL ELEVATOR ALERT. The elevators in two
Fairfax County Metrorail stations, West Falls Church and Van Dorn, are
currently under construction and will be out of service until
mid-February. During this time, Metrorail customers who are unable to
use the stairs or escalator and who plan to enter or exit these stations
should call 202-962-1825 before their trip to pre-schedule a free
shuttle service. Buses or vans will be stationed in the area to
accommodate all customers and will be dispatched upon request. To check
the status of Metro trains, buses, elevators and escalators throughout
the system, visit www.metroopensdoors.com/ or call 202-962-1212.
Customers can subscribe to receive customized eAlerts via e-mail, cell
phone, pager or personal digital assistant of all rail, station and/or
bus disruptions at
www.wmata.com/riding/alerts/metrorail_alerts.cfm?fromMenu=AlertsAndAdvis
ories.5.
Source: Disability E-news, December 7, 2007.
8. VIRGINIA CAREGIVER GRANT. The Virginia Caregiver Grant Program
provides annual grants of up to $500 to caregivers who provide unpaid
care to a needy relative. Grants are awarded for care provided for at
least six months of the previous calendar year. Checks are issued on or
before December 31 of the year in which applications are received
pending funding by the General Assembly. Applications are accepted
between February 1 and May 1 of each year. Applications postmarked prior
to February 1 or after May 1 will be disqualified. The application
package can be requested locally by calling the Fairfax Area Agency on
Aging at 703-324-7948.
9. MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT WORKSHOPS STARTING. Workshops for people
with mild cognitive impairment and their families begin on January 21
and 22, 2008. They will be held at the Alzheimer's Family Day Center
located at 2812 Old Lee Highway, Suite 210, Fairfax, VA.
Sessions on Mondays at 6:30-8:30 p.m. or Tuesdays at 1:30-3:30 p.m. will
be offered for six weeks. Thanks to a grant, there is no charge, but the
program is limited to 12 participants. Call 703-204-4664 for more
information.
10. DID YOU KNOW? The Family Caregiver Alliance has Fact Sheets for
caregivers in Spanish and Chinese. Topics include caregiving, dementia,
hiring an aide, assisted living, and more. Perhaps you know someone who
would like a copy in these languages. For more information, visit
http://caregiver.org and look for the "Fact Sheets and Publications."
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If you have suggestions for future feature articles, please contact the
Fairfax Area Agency on Aging at caregiver@fairfaxcounty.gov or call
703-324-5401.
Please note that these items are included for informational purposes
only and do not imply endorsement by the Fairfax Area Agency on Aging or
Fairfax County Government.
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For further information, please contact an Aging Information Specialist
at the Fairfax Area Agency on Aging at 703-324-7948, TTY 703-449-1186,
or e-mail fairfax_aaa@fairfaxcounty.gov. Visit our Web site at
www.fairfaxcounty.gov/aaa. |
