Adults providing eldercare face emotional, time and financial demands that can be quite draining. Old notions of putting a frail parent in a nursing home may no longer apply: as Baby Boomers age, over 77 million Americans will retire in the next 30 years, and there is simply no way to build enough nursing homes or assisted living facilities to accommodate so many people.
Happily, there is free help and information available to persons dealing with this challenge. Caregiver support includes such things as counseling, service referrals, home care, even financial aid in certain circumstances. The good news is that this support network is growing in the face of increasing demand. The bad news is that it is still not routinely available everywhere. If you need free caregiving assistance, here are the places to look first.
Community Services
The best source for eldercare assistance in many communities are public service agencies. Senior centers, community services agencies (CSAs), and public health departments offer many services for different needs in a given area. Check all three types to see what may be of use in your situation.
Programs are low or no cost, and government agencies may include financial aid for certain income brackets. Services may include help with cost of in-home personal care, help with chores, shopping, transportation and accompaniment to medical appointments.
To locate organizations, look first at your local city’s municipal website in the health or community services section. Agencies there often link to other services in your area. Or, do a Google search for “eldercare” + “community services” + your city name, or for “senior center” and city or county name. You can use yellow pages, of course, but a web search typically turns up a greater variety of related services. Continue Reading →
