Tag Archives: support

Family Caregiver, Senior Care Professionals, The Faith Community

“Fragile- Handle with Care”.. Family Caregiver

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AdobeStock_111421916Looking back to my years a family caregiver, I wonder if I’d worn a badge that read “Fragile – Handle with Care”,  it might have been easier for others to understand me.  Why I often had puffy eyes from crying, or scatter brained from sleep deprivation.  I can remember a certain period of time when I was issued a number of traffic violations…speeding through a school zone of all things (my children were both in elementary school at the time).  Thank goodness this was before cell phones.  There were times when I simply wasn’t myself.  I was emotional, physically and spiritually worn out and burned out.  Thinking clearly was often a challenge because I was overwhelmed.

The statistics are staggering.  According to AARP 2015 report, approximately 34.2 million Americans have provided unpaid care to an adult age 50 or older in the prior 12 months.  Nearly 1 in 10 caregivers is 75 years of age or older (7%).  These numbers are rising at alarming speed and will not slow down for many years.  

My 15 year journey of personal caregiving for my parents and 10 years of  professional work in the field of caregiver education continues to open my eyes to the very real challenges we face:

  • We have a public health crisis that is not being addressed quickly enough
  • Family caregivers continue to be in desperate need of education and support, especially those caring for loved ones with cognitive impairment
  • Most of our public agencies and community services are already stretched to meet the demands of providing services for older adults and their caregivers – HELP IS NEEDED FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR
  • Faith Communities have enormous opportunities to minister to the aging adults and their families, but they need help and guidance in doing so

Families account for the lions share of caregiving taking place in this country (and around the world), yet studies consistently report that stress, fatigue, isolation, lack of education and support, understanding care options, finding respite services, and declining health are among the many challenges that loved one’s face.

For those of us passionate about helping these families better cope, find help, stay well (so that they can take of their loved ones) – we must work together for change.  I’m moved each time I have the privilege of talking with and helping a family.  Sometimes that is with education, many times it’s with a hug.  Always it’s showing someone that you understand and care.

Thank you to all we are able to work with in reaching out to families – understanding they are fragile and need to be handled with great care.

www.AGEucate.com

Pam Brandon is President and Founder of AGE-u-cate® Training Institute based in Dallas-Fort Worth.  A passionate advocate for family caregivers,  she leads a fast growing network of aging and dementia educators across the US and abroad and is the creator of the Dementia Live™️ Experience.

Senior Care Professionals, The Faith Community, The Family Caregiver

Wake-up Call for Faith Communities: Don’t Forget your Aging Members!

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Photo of business hands holding blackboard and writing FAITH diagram

Through the years I’ve had the great privilege to work with thousands of elders and families as my professional career in senior care began in educating families and faith communities.   I will never forget one of my earliest conversations with a couple who had attended a caregiver support group in which I was facilitating.  Emotionally, they shared how their parents had served faithfully in their church for over 40 years and now that they were homebound, the they felt as if they had been forgotten.  This tugged at my heart, as I remembered how vitally important the church was to my own aging parents and how much that care and compassion for our parents comforted us as adult children.

Members are aging quickly in virtually every faith community.  Adult children and their parents are struggling with the emotional, physical and spiritual toll that illness and the complications of aging creates.   As federal and state resources for the aging decline rapidly, needs are increasing even faster.  The cost of long term care across the spectrum is out of reach for a growing number of Americans.   Where does this leave the church and it’s role in the societal challenges facing all of us in our fast aging world?

I’ve witnessed how incredibly effective it can be when faith communities, local agencies, non-profits, service providers and volunteers come together to meet urgent needs of homebound elders, especially those needing food, housing, medical equipment, and services.  Support groups for caregivers, meal delivery, in-home and nursing home visitations,  companion ministries are all vital outreach efforts that can make an incredible difference in the lives of our elders, their families and our communities.

Strong leadership, education and champion volunteers are the thread of success in faith communities stepping up to meet these complex needs.  When implemented successfully,  everyone wins.  Active retirees find purpose, the younger generations of the church experience giving in action, and the church becomes an integral part within their surrounding community that helps agencies that desperately need more assistance.  Senior care providers can provide knowledge and assistance in navigating services and supporting caregiver programs.

I have provided caregiver education and support services to one church in particular for many years.  They took on the challenge over 8 years ago to start a day respite program for those living with dementia.  Thousands of volunteer hours from dedicated, passionate people have poured their lives into providing this no cost service to members of the community and their care givers.   It is one of the most successful respite ministries that I have seen.  I recently was with this group and was so moved by their consistent dedication.  When I asked what kept them going, it was without hesitation that they pointed to their group of elders and replied ” they  need us but not near as much as we need them. They brighten our days and give us back so much more than we are able to give to them.”

A perfect example of faith in action…

Pam Brandon is President/Founder of AGE-u-cate® Training Institute whose mission is to provide worldwide aging education and training that changes attitudes and actions to improve the lives of our elders.  She remains passionately dedicated to helping faith communities transform their aging adult and caregiver ministries through leadership training.