Greensboro Senior AdvisorHow do we know the caregiver is burning out?
Look for sleep loss, irritability, illness, missed work, withdrawal from friends and the feeling that there is no way out; a caregiver who cannot remember the last full night of sleep is already past the point of needing help.
Caregiver health often fails before the care recipient's does, and then two people need care. Treat the caregiver's limits as part of the care plan, not an afterthought.
What respite options exist around Greensboro?
Adult day programs for weekday relief, in-home aides for a few hours at a time from licensed home care agencies, and short respite stays in adult care homes that accept them.
The Piedmont Triad Regional Council Area Agency on Aging (336-904-0300) runs the Family Caregiver Support Program, which can help with respite and caregiver training. CAP/DA and PACE include respite for their participants.
Can we pay a family member to provide care in North Carolina?
Sometimes: CAP/DA's consumer-directed option can pay some relatives as aides for eligible participants, and VA programs for veterans can support family caregivers in certain cases; ordinary Medicare does not.
Paying a relative changes family dynamics and creates employer responsibilities, which the program's financial management agency handles. Ask the CAP/DA case manager which relatives are eligible to be paid under current rules.
When is a move the kinder choice?
When the person needs help around the clock that the family cannot sustain, when nights have become unsafe, or when caregiving is damaging the caregiver's health, marriage or job.
Families often describe the move as the moment they went back to being a daughter or son rather than a nurse. Visiting a parent who is safe and cared for is a different relationship from exhausted round-the-clock care. Our directory shows every licensed home in the three counties.
How do we share the load among siblings?
Divide tasks by strength and distance: the nearby sibling handles visits and appointments, the one good with money handles bills and benefits applications, and the one far away handles research, calls and paid relief.
Hold a regular family call with a written list of what needs doing. Distant siblings can fund respite hours or adult day care, which gives the local caregiver real time off. Our guide to caring from out of town has more.
Where can a Triad caregiver find someone to talk to?
Caregiver support groups meet through hospitals, churches and senior centers in Greensboro, High Point, Asheboro and Reidsville, and the Piedmont Triad Regional Council's Family Caregiver Support Program (336-904-0300) can point you to the nearest one.
Counseling through an employee assistance program or a faith community helps many caregivers with the guilt and grief that come with the role. If you notice signs of depression in yourself, such as hopelessness or trouble functioning, talk with your own doctor; caring for yourself is part of caring for your parent.
Drawn from G.S. Chapter 131D, 10A NCAC 13F and 13G, DHSR and NCDHHS publications, NC Medicaid, CareScout, CMS, the VA and the Piedmont Triad aging agency cited in the text; our editorial standards explain how we check them.
