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Information that helps
Telephone call-in services (calls "checkin" on elderly loved ones who are unattended) Pennsylvania Telephone call-in services http://www.callingcare.com/care-providers-pennsylvania.htm Telephone call-in services Pittsburgh for elderly loved ones http://www.callingcare.com/telephone-reassurance-grane.htm Financial Reimbursements that you might be eligible for Pennsylvania Funding Resources for Caregivers http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=514&objID=616680&mode=2 Allegheny County Area Agency on Aging Caregiver Program (including information on Funding Resources) http://www.alleghenycounty.us/DHSOlder.aspx?id=11932&LinkIdentifier=id Electric Company notice for life support or life monitoring equipment https://secure.dqe.com/dlx/CustomerServices/Electriweb/LifeSupport/default.cfm Respite Volunteers Interfaith volunteers (list of agencies across the region) http://www.fia-ivc.net/find_an_agency.cfm TOOLS FOR EVERYONE Advanced Directives Information about advanced directives from national, federal and community organizations committed to making sure patients have the tools they need to make health decisions. This is an important topic that you should talk with your loved ones about as soon as possible. It details what sorts of treatments you or your loved ones would like. By putting your thoughts in writing, you are telling others what your wishes are. http://www.nationalhealthcaredecisionsday.org/takeaction/advance_directive Vaccinations As a caregiver your own health can be at risk if you don’t attend to basic health needs. When scheduling appointments for your loved ones, see if the doctor will also perform health screenings or treatments for you. This is especially important during cold and flu season. By vaccinating yourself against things like the flu, you are less likely to expose your loved one. Here are some vaccination recommendations for adults. Vaccinations: http://online.wsj.com/article/the_informed_patient.html Family Health History Form Use this tool to keep track of disease and conditions that may run in your family. http://pittsburghcsn.org/e107_images/custom/pcsn_family_health_history_form.pdf Social Networking for Caregivers AGIS This national site offers blogs, message boards and very rich fact sheets, http://www.agis.com/ Connecting for Care Comprehensive network and information site for all types of caregivers. You must log in to access forums. https://www.connectingforcare.com/index.php Communication with members of your caregiving network Online calendars Consider setting up an account for an online calendar that you can use and that you can share with loved ones. This will help people that you are sharing caring responsibilities with to stay updated on doctor’s appointments, outings and day to day household management responsibilities. By sharing this with a loved one who does not live locally, you can keep them in the loop and allow them the opportunity to potentially lend assistance if they can. Google is one source that has a great, easy to use calendar that allows sharing http://www.google.com/intl/en/googlecalendar/tour.html Well Spouse, a nonprofit organization that serves the needs of caregivers of partners and spouses, offers website hosting and templates on the Caring Bridge site. Caring Bridge allows you the opportunity to keep your circle of support up to date on your loved one's condition. This is an important step in staying connected with others and allowing friends to understand your experience. It is very user friendly. Check it out at: http://www.caringbridge.org/wellspouse |
