TIPS FOR A STRESS-FREE HOLIDAY SEASON
Help for the Holidays During the first few years of my caregiving journey, I felt stuck. I thought I couldn’t part from my parents for more than a few hours at a time or leave them in anyone else’s care. Although I always felt overwhelmed by being a caregiver, I started to feel like I was drowning and isolated. and close friends. Here are some options. • Assisted-living facilities — willing to house and care for individuals for a fee and on a temporary basis if they have availability • Home health care agencies — will accept temporary and long-term assignments for a fee. BY TRACY DANIEL-HARDY (and beyond)
My husband noticed and agreed that we would share duties. He informed me that he would be taking the evening shift and is still doing the evening shift. That assistance helped me tremendously and allowed me to not only accept help, but also to seek assistance from others. I also devised a plan allowing me to still be actively engaged professionally and socially. I asked my brother, who lives in Texas, to adjust his schedule so he could come home to “babysit.” (We jokingly call it babysitting. Momma thought it was funny whenever we mentioned it.) That plan worked flawlessly for us and still works well. Over the years it allowed me to travel to conferences for work and to civic engagements. It also allowed my husband and me to visit my in-laws during the holidays and to take short vacations from time to time. The arrangement works nicely unless our trips and events conflict with my brother’s annual hunting or fishing trips. During times when travel dates don’t perfectly align, we carefully review flight and other travel times to determine our needs and consult with other reliable family members to fill in the gaps. We reach out to friends and ask them to conduct drop-ins to provide snacks, welfare checks and companionship during the in-between times. ALWAYS HAVE A ‘PLAN B’ The holidays can be especially hectic times for caregivers. However, they can be managed well with a great care team (friends, family, neighbors and medical team) and by arranging events and travel well in advance. Planning ahead and establishing schedules (with some flexibility and a back-up plan) help us navigate caregiving, holidays and travel with relative ease (if that’s a thing). Unpredictable travel delays and last-minute schedule changes are always possible and must be considered. These problems do not eliminate the need for someone to be present to provide food, medicine and assistance with bathing/dressing/toileting. To avoid having to cancel or cut short a well-deserved respite, have an alternative arrangement ready to go in the event of unforeseen circumstances. OTHER ASSISTANCE IS AVAILABLE To the caregivers who have already begun planning for the holidays, know that help is available beyond family
• Hospitals — some with availability may still, for a fee, accept doctor referrals for a short stay of a patient with specialized needs. • Adult day care centers — may provide daily transportation at no cost or for a small fee. RESPITE FUNDING AND RESOURCES Some of these options are covered by insurance, and some accept only private pay. However, programs are available that provide respite vouchers, resources, education and funding to assist caregivers. Tracy Daniel-Hardy, Ph.D., is the author of “The Adventures of Butch and Ruby: Chronicles of a Caregiver” and retired director of technology for Gulfport School District. Reach her at tra-cy@ drtracydanielhardy.com. The Mississippi Family Caregiver Support Program, through its partnership with Area Agencies on Aging and other community agencies, provides respite care vouchers among other caregiving services. Website: www.mdhs.ms.gov/aging/caregivers/ Phone: (844) 822-4622 The Area Agencies on Aging - SMPDD (Southern Mississippi Planning & Development District - designated Area Agency on Aging for 15 southern counties of Mississippi) Website: smpdd.com/about-smpdd/ Phone: (228) 868-2311 Medicaid Elderly and Disabled Waiver Website: medicaid.ms.gov/programs/elderly-and- disabled-waiver/ Phone: ( 800) 421-2408 or dial 601-359-6050. VA Caregiver Support Program Website: www.caregiver.va.gov/CAREGIVER/ support/support_benefits.asp Phone: ( 800) 698-2411
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