By Alexandra Newman
A caregiver’s journey is always different. Some are caregivers for a short time, and some can lend their caring spirit for decades.
Last month, I had the pleasure of meeting a local caregiver who has done the latter – for over 20 years.
Janice C., of Benton Harbor, has been caring for her granddaughter with cerebral palsy since she came home from the hospital 21 years ago as well as both of her parents with dementia who came to live with her five years ago.
She is a caregiver 24/7, helping feed, change and reposition her granddaughter and bed-bound mother. She helps cue and redirect her wandering father, manages all of their doctor’s appointments, and only gets relief a few times a week when paid caregivers are able to come into the home.
For her relentless dedication as a family caregiver, Janice was nominated and selected as the Informal/Family Caregiver of the Year, recognized at Area Agency on Aging’s (AAA) Annual Celebration in October.
Ahead of the event, I went to interview Janice and learn more about her story.
Janice said she does all of this because it’s rewarding, giving back to the people who took care of her, and giving her granddaughter a chance at a happy life.
If it weren’t for the wonderful care that she has provided, her granddaughter probably wouldn’t have survived, and her parents would have to live in a nursing home.
Janice told me that even though her granddaughter is nonverbal, she always finds a way to make Janice laugh when she’s crying. She attends virtual therapy every Tuesday to work through the stress and burnout being a family caregiver has caused.
Even with her granddaughter and mother enrolled in programs that offer essential support, the day-to-day demands of their care – and her father’s – still called for additional wraparound support.
She has siblings and children, but most live out of town and are unable to help with their care needs.
Knowing how often I tout Area Agency on Aging’s caregiver resources, I asked Janice if she was receiving any sort of support or services from AAA and she said no. I was surprised, but you just don’t know what you don’t know – especially when your life is as busy as Janice’s is.
With Janice’s permission, I referred her to our Information & Assistance department to see if her father might qualify for one of AAA’s programs, like MI Choice Waiver or GUIDE (Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience). Both programs would provide additional in-home support and resources for both him and Janice, preventing a nursing home and lessening caregiver burnout.
Janice and our team are now working through the paperwork process, so they can all continue to live in the place they call home with more of the support they need.
“I don’t really like this house, but it’s home, and it’s where we all belong,” Janice said.
November is National Family Caregiver Month, and although the month is winding down, the work AAA does to support family caregivers is only getting more robust.
In the new year we’re launching a Memory Café initiative, a place for those with dementia and their caregivers to engage in art, enjoy games and puzzles, and learn about interesting topics in a safe and welcoming environment.
We offer caregiver support groups, training, in-home and out-of-home respite care, as well as a free online education tool, Trualta, which is available 24/7 for caregivers in need.
Join me in celebrating family and informal caregivers like Janice this month and every month. Their jobs are tough and often thankless. But they’re not alone.
Call 800-654-2810 or visit AreaAgencyonAging.org to get connected to the support you need.
The Generations column appears each weekend in The Herald-Palladium.