During April, 2009, the Geriatric Medicine Department is offering a Caregivers' Series at the Athens Public Library with support from Case Western Reserve Geriatric Education Center.

Click here for  the schedule or click the brochure (Available by Feb. 15, 2009) link to download a copy of the brochure. The brochure is available as a PDF file which requires the free Acrobat Reader program; if you don't have Acrobrat Reader installed, you can obtain it from Adobe Systems Inc. by clicking here.

Click on the links below for additional information and resources.

• 2009 Caregiver Series
• Online Links
• Reading List
• TV Specials and Other Upcoming Events
• Respite
• Other Resources
• Click here for the 2008 Caregiver series information

Those who have been caregivers,

Those who currently are caregivers,

Those who will be caregivers, and

Those who will need caregivers."

~Rosalynn Carter

Online Links

Appalachian Community VNA Hospice & Health Services, Inc., provides an advance directives packet that  includes the Medical Power of Attorney, the Living Will, and a donor registry form. It also includes information about the Do Not Resuscitate Law (DNR) and anatomical gifts. The Social Workers with ACVNA & Hospice provide assistance for patients wanting to complete the Medical Power of Attorney and the Living Will.

If you have questions about Advance Directives, you may contact Kate Oches, Social Worker for VNA or Tammy Hawk, Social Worker for Hospice at (740)-594-8226 or (800) 837-1112 if you are outside of Athens County.

http://www.acvna.org/AdvanceDirectives.php

Buckeye Hills Area Agency on Aging

         http://areaagency8.org/

Service Provider Directory

http://areaagency8.assistguide.com/

An online, free weekly news letter for caregivers.

http://areaagency8.org/caregiver.com

The Caregiver’s Handbook: Assisting Both the Caregiver and the Elderly Care Receiver

http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~drstall/hndbk0.html

 Stimulus Payment Tool AARP Tax-Aide and National Council on Aging

The Stimulus Payment Tool is for people who normally don’t have to file a tax return, but need to do so this year to get a Stimulus Payment.

www.aarp.org/stimulushelp

Advanced Directives Materials

"If Something Happens to Me" -- comprehensive, easy to use tools available to help you organize your affairs and prepare for the unexpected.

http://www.provisiopublishing.com

• Written by a Financial Planner and an Estate Planning Attorney
• Worksheets to record details relating to your financial, legal and insurance affairs
• Professional insights on a host of legal and financial issues
• Step-by-step guidance for your heirs
• Worksheets to record funeral preferences and obituary information
• Comprehensive document locator system
• Websites and contact information for relevant government agencies
• Document organizer to store your most important documents
• Forms CD to make electronic copies of your information

Wallet Size Advance Directives Cards

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Reading List

Begley, Sharon, Train Your Mind Change the Brain, Ballantine Books, 2007
 
Cohen, Donna, Ph.D and Eisdorfer,Carl,Ph.D., M.D., Caring for Your aging Parents, A Planning and Action Guide, New York, Penguin Putnam,1995.

Levine, Carol, Always on Call, When Illness Turns Families into Caregivers, New York, United Hospital Fund, 2000.
 
Mace, Nancy L., M.A., and Rabins, Peterv.,M.D., The 36 Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for Persons with Alxheimer's Disease, Related Dementing Illnesses and Memory Loss Later in Life. Baltimore, MD, The Johns Hopkins University Press,
 
Morris, Virginia, How to Care for Aging Parents, New York, Workman, 1996.
 
Visiting Nurse Association of America, Caregivers Handbook: a Complete Guide to Home Health Care, New York, DK Publishing, 1998.

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TV Specials and Other Upcoming Events

No new programs.

Caregiver Series 2009

2009 Series: Each Wednesday in April, 2009

Series topics

• April 1, 2009

  Where’s My Keys: Normal vs. Abnormal Memory Lapses

  Julie Suhr, Ph.D.

   

• April 8, 2009

  Dealing with Challenging Behaviors

  Joan Stroh, M.Ed., L.P.C.C., L.S.W., private practice

   

• April 15, 2009

  Medicare & Medicaid: Clearing the Confusion

  “Blueprint for Lifelong Planning”

  Mindy Cayton Area Agency on Aging

   

• April 23, 2009
  Nursing Home Placement: When & How
  Wayne Carlsen, D.O., OU-COM Dept. of Geriatric Medicine/Gerontology
   

• April 29, 2009

  Taking Care of Yourself : Physically, Emotionally & Spiritually

  Kim Valentour, M.S.

Program Schedule

Caregiver Series 2008

April 2, 2008

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Respite

Respite Caregiver Checklist (click on link to open document)

OU Respite Volunteer Program

The Ohio University Respite Volunteer Program, includes a network of trained volunteers who will provide in-home relief to  caregivers of adults in Athens.

 During volunteer visits to the home, the caregiver has the option of leaving or remaining at home with the volunteer. Respite services are also available for caregivers who do not necessarily live with the person receiving care.

"We respect caregivers and realize they know tremendously more about the patient than (students) with an academic base," said Brooke Hallowell, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Ohio University School of Hearing, Speech and Language Sciences.

All volunteers must complete a training session with program coordinators and are restricted to graduate and some undergraduate students from the School of Hearing and Speech Sciences.

The program benefits caregivers and their loved ones in direct and meaningful ways, and provides students a wonderful way to contribute meaningfully to people in our community," said Brooke Hallowell, Ph.D., Director, Ohio University School of Hearing, Speech and Language Sciences. Respite activities are tailored to each individual family's needs

 For more information, contact Dr. Brooke Hallowell at 740-593-1356.

Other Resources

• Medicare site has a large volume of information on nursing home selection, payment etc.: http://www.medicare.gov/Nursing/Payment.asp

• NursingHomeRank.com provides information about the types of long-term care: http://www.nursinghomerank.com/nursing-home-care/

• The Ohio Family Care Association (OFCA) serves as the statewide voice for resource families, uniting the voices of children and families involved in adoptive, foster, kinship and respite care: http://www.ofcaonline.org/

• Medicare's nursing home compare site: www.medicare.gov/NHCompare

• Guide to Choosing a Nursing Home: http://www.medicare.gov/Publications/Pubs/pdf/02174.pdf

• Summary of Medicare benefits, rights and protections, and answers to the most frequently asked questions about Medicare: http://www.medicare.gov/Publications/Pubs/pdf/10050.pdf

• American Health Care Association's Understanding Long Term Care Insurance: http://www.longtermcareliving.com/financial_information/insurance1.htm

• American Health Care Association's A Guide for Families: Having the Conversation about Long Term Care: http://www.longtermcareliving.com/family_guide/index.htm

• Caring for Your Aging Parent: Check List (click on "Check List" to open document)

• Medicare Coverage of Skilled Nursing Facility Care (http://www.medicare.gov/publications/pubs/pdf/10153.pdf). This booklet explains:

  Medicare covered skilled care;

  your rights and protections; and

  where you can get help with your questions.

• Medline: Nursing Homes: provides a number of good links to resources. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/nursinghomes.html

• enter for Medicare Advocacy, Inc: http://www.medicareadvocacy.org/FAQ_SNF.htm

• Choosing a Nursing Home: http://www.nj.gov/publicadvocate/pdf/ChoosingNursingHome (2).pdf

• Choices: Living Well at the End of Life: An Advance Directives Packet (click on title to open document)

• "If Something Happens to Me" -- comprehensive, easy to use tools available to help you organize your affairs and prepare for the unexpected.

• Family Caregivers Online: http://www.familycaregiversonline.com

• Advance Health Care Directives and Living Wills: End-of-Life Choices—Make Your Wishes Known!

• Frequently Asked Questions

• The Family Caregiver

• Dr. Marion's 10 steps for caregivers

• Ohio Department of Aging Aging Connection

• Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST) is leading the charge to expedite the development, evaluation and adoption of emerging technologies that can improve the aging experience.

• Alzheimer's Association resource: Choosing a Nursing Home: What to Look for, What to Ask. http://www.alz.org/wv/documents/Visitinganursinghome.pdf

• AARP resource on selecting a nursing home: http://www.aarpmagazine.org/health/embedded_sb.html

• AARP caregiver resources: http://www.aarpmagazine.org/caregiving/