how can i get some support for caregiving full time?
I stay at home full time to take care of my younger brother who has Huntington's Disease. He is not able to do anything himself, so I feed, change, take to the bathroom, grooming, etc. I cannot work because I am with him all the time, so is there a program to help me?
Best answer:
I am not someone who is knowledgeable in this area, but it would seem that if your brother would qualify for any kind of gov't assistance, then you could either get paid for what you do, or get someone else to do it.
I live in Indianapolis, IN. We have a "211" number that you can call to find out about assistance for different situations. Do you have that in your state?
Bless your heart! You are so good!
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Passages in Caregiving: Turning Chaos into Confidence
Caregiving - click on the image below for more information.
"I didn't expect this." No one really expects it, but at some time or another, just about everyone has been—or will be—responsible for giving care, for a sustained period, to someone close to them. Gail Sheehy, who has chronicled every major turning point for twentieth-century Americans, as well as reported on everything from politics to sexuality, knows firsthand the trials, fears, and rare joys of caregiving. In Passages in Caregiving, she takes you by the hand and shows you that you
Passages in Caregiving: Turning Chaos into Confidence
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Recovering From a Serious Fall: Caregivers to the Rescue
It is now being called "The Ice Storm Of The Decade." In Columbus, Ohio, there had been freezing rain all day, and nearly an inch of this stuff had accumulated by the time evening rush hour had hit. Everything outside was covered with ice, and nearly half the county was without power. The temperature was a few degrees below freezing, so sidewalks, parking lots, roads, and driveways were all solid sheets of ice.
I had made it to my girlfriend's house after work without incident and was getting ready to go inside and warm up. I parked on the street but then realized that if I left my car on the street, the windows would be a frozen mess in a matter of minutes, so I decided to make room in the garage and pull the car in there. Unfortunately, things didn't work as planned.
On my way to the garage, I carefully shuffled down the walkway to the driveway, and then I immediately lost my footing and fell. As I fell, I heard a couple "pops," and realized right away I had broken a bone. I was able to crawl into my girlfriend's car, and she rushed me to the Urgent Care. After a few X-rays, the doctor came out and told me I had broken two bones in my foot—my fibula and my tibia. The rest of the evening is a bit of a blur, as the RN on duty injected me with some serious pain meds, so the next thing I remember is waking up the following morning and heading to the Orthopaedic Surgeon. The doctor did some more X-rays and put a heavier, more durable cast on my foot, then informed me I would have to have surgery the following Tuesday.
So what did all this mean? Well first, I would be in a cast for at least the next 6 weeks. Then if all healed properly, I would graduate from a cast to a cane, have some physical therapy, then hopefully be back to normal in the next few months. But until that time and as long as I was wearing this cast, I had to get around using crutches, I could not put any weight on my right foot, and I absolutely couldn't drive. This is not exactly how I had my next two months planned.
Once everything started to sink in, I began to worry. How would I get around? How could I go to the store? How could I go to work? I couldn't even get to the pharmacy to pick up my pain medication! Sure I had family and friends that could help, but I didn't want to rely on everyone to do things for me all the time. After all, no one wants to be a "burden" to his/her loved ones.
What happened to me happens to thousands of people every day. Many people end up in a similar situation after an accident or a sickness prevents them from living their life. But what makes my story different is the fact that I own a company called "Homewatch CareGivers."
Homewatch CareGivers is a company that helps people in their own homes. Most of our clients are elderly or disabled, and all of them need some form of assistance living independently. Whether it's help with bathing, getting to the store, or giving medication, our Caregivers go into peoples' homes and assist them in remaining independent.
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As you can see, my worlds are now beginning to converge. For 8 years, I have been running a company that cares for others, and now, I am on the outside looking in. I am requiring help from my own company! I have to admit that in the beginning, I was nervous. I'm 40 years old and perfectly healthy. Do I really want someone coming into my home and helping me? How would my Caregivers react to helping the owner of the company? Would this be as awkward for them as it would be for me?
I went to Mount Carmel West Hospital for my surgery, and after the surgeon put a few screws in my foot, I gradually woke up from my anesthesia-induced sleep. After a couple nights in the hospital, I was released at 9 AM on Thursday. I called the office, and they sent Betina to pick me up within 20 minutes. She took the company car and took me home. Walking on crutches was still new to me, plus the after effects of the anesthesia still hadn't worn off, so I really needed that extra assistance in getting from the hospital to my home. Once I got home, Betina went to Walgreen's and picked up the medication the doctor prescribed for me, then returned to my house. She helped straighten up a few things, made sure I was comfortable and safe, then reassured me that I could call the "on-call" cell phone if I needed anything at all.
Never before had I felt so helpless. Here I was sitting in my own house unable to do most anything other than sit and lie down. Yet in the back of my mind, I felt an overwhelming sense of comfort. I knew that if I needed anything, I could call Homewatch. I also knew that Homewatch would be sending another Caregiver to my house soon to help clean, do laundry, and go grocery shopping.
The next week was truly enlightening. For 8 years, I had been running a business that helps others without ever fully understanding the impact we have on peoples' lives. Of course I always knew we were providing a valuable service to those in need, but until this point, I never completely realized how much of an effect Homewatch CareGivers has on shaping peoples' lives. You see, we aren't just a company that provides a laundry list of services. The services we provide are just a small part of what we do. Our brochure says, "Homewatch CareGivers provides piece of mind." Until this incident, those were just words. Now I understand the meaning of this, and I also understand the value of the services we do provide.
Even on the few days I didn't have a Caregiver, I still felt at ease because someone was always calling to check up on me. "Jon, did you eat breakfast? Do you need anything from the store? Do you need someone to pick up your son from the bus stop?" It was quite clear that everyone from Homewatch who called was genuinely concerned about me. I wasn't just some "client," I was a person, and I felt as if everyone really was concerned for my well-being.
Words like "caring," "compassion," and "piece of mind" are thrown around a lot, and we use them quite often when describing our services. But until my accident, I never fully grasped the meaning of these words, nor did I ever truly understand what Homewatch CareGivers does. Even as the owner of the company, I wasn't able to appreciate the good we can do and how we can change peoples' lives for the better. My experience has taught me that we are not "just another homecare agency." Helping people with activities of daily living is a means to an end. By providing the services we do, we make people feel more secure and at ease in their own home. Knowing someone is out there and really cares makes all the difference in the world. I'm not exaggerating when I say I will certainly heal more quickly because of the help I've been receiving from Homewatch CareGivers. My mind is at ease, and I can relax and let my body heal, because I know I am in good hands. My laundry will get done, I'll have meals prepared for my son and me, and the floors won't be slippery or wet so I'll be able to get around safely on my crutches. And most importantly, I know there are people who genuinely care about how I'm doing and are doing everything in their power to help me recover as quickly as possible.
I've been "selling" Homewatch CareGivers' services for the past 8 years, and I have just now begun to understand what it is that we really offer. Every person on our staff, from our Caregivers to our Scheduler to our Director, has that "caring" component inside them. This "caring" component isn't as common as one would expect, especially in the healthcare field. During my brief stay in the hospital, I was well taken care of, but I always felt like a "patient." Doctors and nurses were giving me medications and checking my vital signs, but it was clear that I was patient #80 on the 6th floor. Homewatch CareGivers, on the other hand, made me feel just the opposite way. I wasn't a "client," nor was I the owner of the company. I was someone who needed help, and everyone gathered around to help me. Not once did I get the sense that our Caregivers were doing what they do for the money; each and every person on our staff seemed to love what they do and were motivated by nothing more than making others' liver better.
Eventually my foot will heal, and I will once again be able to walk, drive, and do the things I always took for granted. But long after my foot has healed, I will still be a changed man. It has taken an unfortunate accident to make me realize what Homewatch CareGivers really does. We are not just another company, nor are we a business that provides a list of home care services. Homewatch CareGivers provides people with confidence, piece of mind, dignity, and independence. These are all intangibles and impossible to describe on a website, in a brochure, or on a sales call. Only because I experienced our services firsthand am I able to fully grasp what we are capable of accomplishing and how we can change a person's life forever.
Do you manage the care for someone special?
Whether you're caring for an elderly parent, a child with special needs or managing the varied needs of a large family, Caregiver's Touch keeps critical information at your fingertips and allows you to safely and seamlessly share it with others.
Do you manage the care for someone special?
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Caregivers
Caregiving is not a role people usually choose. It seems to choose us, emerging from events and circumstances beyond our control. Spinal cord injury, debilitation or sudden illness may come without warning. This is a job that cannot be skirted and cannot always be delegated. It can be difficult, physically and emotionally. It can be time-consuming. While caring for loved ones can be enormously satisfying, there are days, it seems, that offer little reward. Caregivers, the men and women who care for family members and loved ones, deserve to be recognized and supported for the vital part they play in the lives of people with paralysis. Caregivers may work in isolation from others in similar circumstances but they share much in common. It is important that caregivers connect with each other, to gain strength and to know that they are not alone. It is essential that caregivers know about tools -- the homecare products and services -- that might make their jobs easier. It's also important that caregivers are aware of community and public resources that offer assistance. Caregivers also need to know that support and respite systems exist to address the well-being and health of caregivers themselves.
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