Family caregivers and the struggles they encounter

During my time working in the assisted living field, I hear a lot from family caregivers who are putting their lives on hold to care for loved ones. Many families face this dilemma today. With our aging population, it sometimes falls to family members to provide the care and supervision that their senior family members need. 

Make no mistake, I am very proud of and support younger family members caring for senior loved ones, but this practice does require at times placing your life and family on hold to provide this care. 

Consider a 35-year-old man (we will call him Ted) who has a wife and three children. He has a good job that requires him to travel out of town frequently. 

Ted's father is 80 years old, living alone and recently has begun to be more forgetful. He cannot remember his medicines, cannot cook meals safely and sometimes even forgets family and friends' names. 

As an only child, Ted has begun taking care of his father and providing for all his needs. Lately, his father has required more attention. He needs help with all his activities of daily living. With Ted's busy schedule, the care falls to his wife, who also has to maintain a household and care for three children. Ted has already been late for several meetings, and his wife has trouble getting the kids to school and social functions. 

Does this sound familiar? Are you in this struggle or something similar with a senior loved one? There are options out there for you. There is a program in assisted living known as respite stays. The assisted living facility provides a fully furnished room with cable TV and all the meals, housekeeping and laundry services for your loved one. The assisted living staff can also provide for all the medication and care needs for your family member. 

The stay can be scheduled for as little as three days or for up to 30 days if needed. There is a daily charge for the individual apartment, plus a fee based on care needs. This can be a valuable service for families in this position. A respite stay would allow a break for the caregiver,s along with the peace of mind to know their loved ones are cared for.

There are also many senior resources available. The Area Agency on Aging is a great resource. There are various home health agencies, as well as Meals On Wheels. 

If you have questions or need more information about respite stays, please contact your local assisted living residence. You may also contact me directly at 937-393-8830.

Michael Bradford is the Executive Director at Bell Gardens Place in Hillsboro.