Taking Care Of Our Elders
BOSTON (CBS) - Next Sunday is Father's Day and this is a good time to continue the series we started around Mother's Day on helping our elders.
Taking Care Of Our Elders
According to a survey last year nearly one in four households are providing care to a relative or friend aged 50 or older. The scariest thing about the survey is that they considered 50 old!
Baby Boomers will likely spend more years caring for a parent than for their children. That is especially hard if you have moved across country from your parents and are trying to provide long distance care.
Retirees are living longer and modern medicine is helping them do so. But living longer often means living a more limited lifestyle, for as we age we also become frailer and need more services to continue living on our own.
Individuals in their 50s are now caring for parents who are in their 70s and 80s. And the Boomers often had children later in life so indeed they are the "Sandwich Generation". Their parents may need them to help pay the bills, grocery shop and drive them places and their teenagers need them to pay the bills, keep them in groceries and chauffeur them around as well.
Help is just a phone call or a computer click away. Start with the Eldercare Locator to find assistance here in Massachusetts. The site lists information on services and programs in Massachusetts for elders. Their phone: 800-677-1116. And to find help anywhere in the country use their national website.
Another good resource would be the local Council on Aging where Dad lives. They are usually listed in the local phone book or contact town hall. See what they are offering for they may be able to coordinate meals or driving. If Dad is in Florida, contact the National Council on Aging for help.
Other worthwhile sites: Administration on Aging and the Alliance for Care Giving.
