Do you worry about how you can balance caring for your children with caring for an aging parent? You are not alone.
With the numbers of older Americans quickly rising, many people are facing these and similar questions every day. Many people are caring for their children and their parents, while working full-time jobs. This is where social workers can help.
Working with families who need assistance finding adult day-care programs, dealing with the stress of care-giving, or figuring out financial challenges, social workers can point people in the right direction. By providing resources and helping older individuals understand the services available to them, social workers help clear up confusion and relieve stress.
Social workers also help aging individuals by:
- Counseling seniors and their loved ones to help them maintain good mental health, relieve stress, and avoid anxiety and depression;
- Assisting older individuals in preparing for doctors’ appointments;
- Helping families plan ahead to identify care options, such as assisted living or long term-care;
- Guiding seniors as they navigate the complex Medicare system (and other confusing health-related issues, like insurance);
- Talking with families to find out if they need legal assistance or financial counseling;
- Providing resources to help older individuals find the information and assistance they need.
Caring for aging parents can be a stressful and overwhelming. But it can also be a period of growth and opportunity when professional social workers, seniors and their loved ones, and communities come together to create a healthy and vital environment for seniors.
