Program & Services

10 Tips for Caregivers

• Ask for help from family and friends. Find services in your town that can help you with the stress of caregiving.
• Look for good information. Call the Department of Aging in your state or the local Area Agency on Aging. Try your local senior information and help phone lines. Talk to a social worker at a hospital.
• Find someone who can give care if you can't. Hospitals and social service agencies sometimes keep a list of home care workers. You can also find help from a home health agency or through your church.
• Sign up with a support group to help you make decisions. You can find support groups through your hospital.
• Think about getting help if you get too stressed. Care can be found through family service agencies. You can also find care through a mental health center. Make sure the counselor you pick has worked with older clients before.
• Know your pension plan. The couple should not choose to give up a survivor's benefit if the earning spouse's pension is already vested. The couple may have already given up the survivor's benefit. The caregiver should think about keeping any life insurance from the spouse.
• Look into hospice services. Hospice helps the patient to stay free from pain and in their home as long as possible.
• Check out other incomes. Look for Social Security benefits before age 62. Look for your spouse's IRA and life insurance policies. Look into the chance of a reverse mortgage.
• Get legal help when you need it. Take legal advice on the best way to watch over your liquid assets if your spouse is in a nursing home. Ask about legal services for seniors at a low price. Call the Legal Aid Society.
• Plan ahead for financial and physical wishes to be carried out. Make sure you are able to sign papers. Think about getting a power of attorney.