Here are some tools for getting organized and balancing caregiving with self-care.  

Create a File Box or Binder of Key Documents for Your Parent or Yourself: Gather important documents and keep Resources at the Jenks 

Respite Program at the Jenks-  The Council on Aging supports caregivers by offering a brief respite once per month from 10-12pm.  This non-medical weekly program aims to provide a safe and nurturing environment for adults with various types of impairment such as: Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, and other forms of dementia. Different activities will be offered like chair exercise, music, storytelling, and games. A light lunch will be served. Please contact Colleen, Jenks Nurse, at 781-721-7136 for registration, eligibility, and participant criteria screening. 

Do you need caregiver training? 

Alzheimer’s Association Care Training Resources - LINK 

American Red Cross- Family Caregiver Training Program: - LINK 

Minuteman Senior Services- Caregiver Programs- Savvy Caregiver 781-272-7177 - LINK 

Caregiver Training and Support - Healthy Living Coordinator - One Burlington Woods Dr., 

Suite 101 - Burlington, MA  - Phone: (781) 221-7095 - MassRelay: 711 or 800-439-2370 - LINK 

Caregiving Consultants and Coaches. 

There are individuals offering consulting and coaching to caregivers, sometimes under one of the 

professional designations mentioned above and sometimes not. Professional patient advocates 

are another group you can hire to help navigate health care for an aging parent. Some even

 specialize in certain diseases (like cancer). 

One company trying to do something new and original is called Wellthy. Super friendly and caring, 

this group deploys a national network of foot soldiers to help  find, vet and coordinate care – AND they do 

it for a fixed monthly fee so clients don’t have to worry about hourly billing rates.

Visit the Daughterhood  resources page for a roadmap to help guide you through the process. 

Creating a Care Team/Community 

Caregiving is both rewarding and challenging. It's important to ask for the help and break that you and the individual you’re caring for need. When friends and family ask what they can do to help, accept their offer. 

By doing this you will be building your care team. It can be difficult to coordinate helpers in a way that meets your needs and the needs of a person with dementia or other illnesses. 

A planning calendar may be the most important thing you can do to get organized. This makes it easy to share activities and information with your care team. You can post items for which assistance is needed and care team members, can sign up for specific tasks. Color coding can help to easily pick out doctor appointments and other important activities. Another type of caregiving calendar allows requests for help with particular duties. Friends can claim items, which can be tracked online.   

Here are a few examples of some online tools: 

• Care Team Calendar: www.alz.org/help-support/care-options/care-team-calendar 
• Care Calendar: www.carecalendar.org 
• Lotsa Helping Hands: www.lotsahelpinghands.com 
• Caring Bridge: www.caringbridge.org  
• Care Zone: www.carezone.com 
• Caring Village: www.caringvillage.com 
• Communication and Care Coordination: 
• Share the Care: How to Organize a Group to Care for Someone Who is Seriously Ill by Cappy Caposella and Sheila Warnock (2004) - LINK 

TIP: It's important to also involve all family members including those who live at a distance. They may help arrange appointments, manage finances and visit to have time with the person needing care, giving the primary caregiver a break. 

• Caregiver Help: Sibling Agreements to Care for Aging Parents - LINK - 
• Long Distance Caregiving - LINK  
• How can I work with family members to coordinate my parent’s care? Let’s Talk about Aging Parents - A Real Life Guide to Solving Problems with 27 Essential Conversations, by Laura Tamblyn Watts

   

Challenges & Support for the Caregiver 

It can happen so slowly that you don’t even notice it as you push your own social needs aside. Studies show that caregivers who used adult day care services for relatives with dementia had lower levels of stress, anger, and depression, and increased well-being after three months than those who didn’t.  Even something as simple a friendly phone call can reduce distress in caregivers. Enhanced social support can also help with caregiver depression. Taking some “me time” isn’t a selfish act. When you feel better, you’re a better caregiver, too. 

• Managing the Stress of Being a Caretaker - LINK  
• I Wish Someone Told Me: The 10 Things All Caregivers and Aging Adults Should Know About Caregiving - LINK  
• Caregiving: How to Know When You Can't Do it Anymore - LINK - 
• Why Does Being A Caregiver Make Me Feel Angry or Mean? - LINK - 
• Hard Truths About Caring for Aging Parents - LINK - 
• The Financial Burden of Caregiving on Family Members - LINK - 

Caregiver Support Groups 

Do you need a break from your role as a caregiver, so you can take care of yourself and have more energy to be an effective caregiver? Is caregiving causing you to feel isolated? 

If yes, look for caregiver support groups in your local area or online. These can be great support networks for you to share what you are experiencing. Here are some resources to get you started: 

AARP: Offers resources, support groups, and information on caregiving, including a HomeFit program for home modifications. Website: AARP 

Adult Children of Aging Parents: Provides information, resources, and support for adult children caregivers. - LINK 

Alzheimer’s Association Support Groups: LINK 

Caring.com Support Groups: - LINK 

Caregiver Action Network: Works to improve the quality of life for family caregivers. - Help Desk - Phone: (855) 227-3640 - Office Phone: (202) 454-3970 - LINK 

The Jenks Center: Caregiver Support, See side note 

Family Caregiver Alliance (FCA): Provides education, advocacy, and services for family caregivers, including online support and resources. Website: Family Caregiver Alliance 

National Alliance for Caregiving: Works to promote a society that values, supports, and empowers family caregivers. Website: National Alliance for Caregiving 

Seniors Helping Seniors Support Group: Family Support Group – Online via Zoom - Seniors Helping Seniors: Greater Boston & Metrowest (shsboston.com) 617-877-3163 One Tuesday a month, 7 – 8:30 Pm : Virtual - LINK 

AFTD-Affiliated Caregiver Support Group -  Join members of the MGH FTD Unit Caregiver Support Team and AFTD-Affiliated Support Group Leaders for online caregiver support groups every Tuesday. Support groups are for family members caring for a loved one with FTD, Alzheimer’s Disease or a related condition to learn about resources, ask questions and receive peer support for the journey of caregiving. Email ftd.boston@gmail.com to learn more, register and receive Zoom links for attendance. 

Daughterhood - Very few people plan for the all-encompassing role of family caregiver. When it hits, the impact affects everyone. Daughterhood strives to help family caregivers feel supported and not alone. With almost a decade of personal interactions with family caregivers, we understand every step of caregiving and all of the emotions that come with it. Daughterhood sees firsthand the struggles of finding affordable and reliable resources and offers free, virtual, and easily accessible “circles” where caregivers can take a ‘deep dive’ into specific areas, including dementia, care transitions, navigating resources and aspects of care to share and learn from each other in a more flexible format about all aspects of caregiving. 

Juggling Work and Caregiving 

Are you concerned with balancing employment with caregiving? 

Amy Mariani, Vice Chair of Minuteman's Board of Directors, talked with the Boston Globe about the challenges of balancing a career while caring for a parent with Dementia. The Boston Globe offered family caregivers going through a similar situation to Amy, tips on how to utilize caregiver support resources available through local Aging Services Access Points, ways to balance your personal life while being a sole caregiver, and ways to support your own mental health through these times of transition and uncertainty.  Click here to read the full story in the Boston Globe - LINK 

Other Resources: 

• How to Balance Caregiving and Work, by WebMD - LINK 
• Balancing Career and Caregiving, by Caregivers Alliance - LINK 

Sandwich Generation Challenges & Solutions 

Are you part of the Sandwich Generation, concerned with the unique challenges of caring for both parents and children in your home at the same time? 

The sandwich generation refers to adults who are “sandwiched” between two caregiving roles, for those younger and older. A common scenario is people bringing up their own children while also caring for their aging parents. 

This dual role can create stress and emotional strain. The responsibilities can feel never-ending, and you may feel like there’s no time left for yourself. This is particularly true for people who don’t have siblings to share in parental caretaking tasks. It’s also difficult for those caring for parents who live far away. 

Balancing these demands can feel like a juggling act, and it’s common to feel pulled in many directions at once. It’s a tough situation, but there are ways to make it more manageable. 

• 6 Tips for Overcoming Sandwich Generation Burnout, by Caring Bridge - LINK 
• How to Manage Financial Stress: Balancing Care for Kids & Elderly Parents - The Sandwich Generation - LINK 

National Advocacy Organizations 

• Caregiver Action Network (CAN) - Formerly known as the National Family Caregivers Association (NFCA).  Free resources, education, and peer support. Provides checklists, videos, and other tools to help caregivers. Addresses the needs of caregivers for chronically ill, disabled, or aged loved ones. -  LINK 
• National Alliance for Caregiving - Focuses on improving the quality of life for caregivers and those in their care, conducts research, policy analysis, and advocacy, works with the CDC, the National Institute of Aging, and AARP. - LINK 
• Family Caregiver Alliance - Provides information, education, and support groups for family caregivers, Offers a state-by-state list of services and assistance, Supports caregivers for loved ones with chronic illnesses, disabilities, or the frailties of old age. - LINK 
• AARP: Offers free care guides, legal checklists, and an online community 
• Alzheimer's Association: Has a map feature to find local support groups 
• National Stroke Association: Has a support group finder resource 
• Parkinson's Foundation: Has a locator to find local chapters and resources 
• Mental Health America: Provides local support for people with mental health conditions and their caregivers  

Organizations Supporting Caregivers: 

• AARP: Offers resources, support groups, and information on caregiving, including a HomeFit program for home modifications. Website: AARP 
• Adult Children of Aging Parents: Provides information, resources, and support for adult children caregivers. - LINK 
• Alzheimer’s Association Support Groups: LINK 
• Caring.com Support Groups: - LINK 
• Caregiver Action Network: Works to improve the quality of life for family caregivers. - Help Desk - Phone: (855) 227-3640 - Office Phone: (202) 454-3970 - LINK 
• The Jenks Center: Caregiver Support, See side note 
• Family Caregiver Alliance (FCA): Provides education, advocacy, and services for family caregivers, including online support and resources. Website: Family Caregiver Alliance 
• National Alliance for Caregiving: Works to promote a society that values, supports, and empowers family caregivers. Website: National Alliance for Caregiving 
• Seniors Helping Seniors Support Group: Family Support Group – Online via Zoom - Seniors Helping Seniors: Greater Boston & Metrowest (shsboston.com) 617-877-3163 One Tuesday a month, 7 – 8:30 Pm : Virtual - LINK 
• AFTD-Affiliated Caregiver Support Group -  Join members of the MGH FTD Unit Caregiver Support Team and AFTD-Affiliated Support Group Leaders for online caregiver support groups every Tuesday. Support groups are for family members caring for a loved one with FTD, Alzheimer’s Disease or a related condition to learn about resources, ask questions and receive peer support for the journey of caregiving. Email ftd.boston@gmail.com to learn more, register and receive Zoom links for attendance. 
• Daughterhood - Very few people plan for the all-encompassing role of family caregiver. When it hits, the impact affects everyone. Daughterhood strives to help family caregivers feel supported and not alone. With almost a decade of personal interactions with family caregivers, we understand every step of caregiving and all of the emotions that come with it. Daughterhood sees firsthand the struggles of finding affordable and reliable resources and offers free, virtual, and easily accessible “circles” where caregivers can take a ‘deep dive’ into specific areas, including dementia, care transitions, navigating resources and aspects of care to share and learn from each other in a more flexible format about all aspects of caregiving.   in a file box or safe. It’ll save time and stress later. Discuss with a family member, legal advisor or close friend the contents, location and access directions for documents. Consider including: 

1.   Contact information for family and friends, church or spiritual advisors. 
2.   Contact information for doctors, other healthcare providers, tax accountants, estate planners, and legal advisors. 
3.   Health insurance information, as well as other insurance policies. 
4.   Banking and other financial information with password or access information.
5.   Safety deposit keys, locations and business hours.
6.   Living will, Durable Power of Attorney, Medical Power of Attorney.
7.   Healthcare Proxy, DNR, Last Will and Testament 
8.   Timeline of your own health history
9.   Passwords for computers or cell phones 

Here is a program that can help you to “organize your life” all in one binder: 

Life Transition Binder Project- A project for aging seniors or in partnership with caregivers led 

by Sandra Batra.  The  Life Transition Binder is an organizational tool. It is a resource that pulls 

together important details from all areas of life. Many refer to it daily since all their information

 is at their fingertips. It is a gift for family too and can bring peace of mind knowing loved ones can 

assist if help is needed. What's more, it complements estate planning, and the collection of necessary documents when preparing for any moves to assisted living or when providing family members with the details needed to settle an estate. LINK - 

*Winchester plan to host a Life Transitions Binder Project Workshop for more information, sign up HERE.