Daina Majewski admits that her volunteer experience with Community Caregivers isn’t for everyone. She spends time with her client mostly on Saturdays. And that’s by mutual agreement.
Daina helps in lots of ways. Taking her to visit relatives, going for coffee or lunch, making beds, doing some gardening, even shampooing a carpet here and there are some of what Daina does. Community Caregivers didn’t assign all that, of course.
An employee of the State Employees Federal Credit Union, Daina had her orientation on site. SEFCU is one of a growing number of employers that value volunteerism so much they give their employees work time off.
Daina, however, chooses to do Saturdays. And Daina chooses to get more involved than most volunteers do, and probably clients as well. But for this pair, the relationship works.
When Daina first started with Caregivers, she had some natural questions: “Is it going to work? Will they like me?”
She added, “You have to break the ice. It’s important to have a connection.”
This volunteer and her “friend” have been together since 2013 with one break when Daina had a surgery.
Other advice Daina has for potential volunteers is, “Be clear about what you’re willing to do, and don’t be afraid to ask questions.”
Linda Miller, Caregivers’ Outreach and Education coordinator, and Mary Morrison, the Volunteer/Client coordinator, are more than willing to answer questions to help a volunteer feel comfortable. Essential information is always provided.
There are two orientations left in 2014: Dec. 7 and 17. Watch the paper for 2016 dates.
You can, however, always call to schedule a private meeting if that’s what works best for you. At this time of year, the volunteer pool dwindles some because people go on vacation. There’s always a need for new volunteers. Keep the pool healthy.
Why not give yourself a gift this year that helping a neighbor gives. Or, make volunteering for Community Caregivers a New Year’s resolution.
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According to a recent American Association for Retired Persons study on caregivers, New York State ranks fourth in the nation with 2,670,000 caregivers. California, Texas, and Florida are first, second and third, respectively. Caregivers are defined as unpaid family members devoted to a loved one.
In 2013, family caregivers in the United States provided 37 billion hours of care. These figures are based on an average of 18 hours of care a week at an average of $12.51 an hour. So, in economic terms, the value of family caregiving is $470 billion.
These numbers are staggering. And, as we all know, they will rise substantially as the first wave of baby boomers become loved ones in need instead of caregivers.
Family caregivers can be considered hidden heroes who often work many hours without recognition or acknowledgment. Without these hidden heroes, many more older adults would require expensive nursing-home care.
Caregivers often find themselves thrown into a situation without warning: 60 percent of caregivers had a full-time or part-time job.
Caregivers must also learn a whole new set of skills to properly care for their loved ones. Just keeping up with doctors’ appointments and medications and keeping your loved one safe and comfortable can be overwhelming. Finding the resources available to you as a caregiver is vitally important.
Most caregivers and their loved ones prefer to stay in their homes and in the community where they have lived for many years. Those individuals in Guilderland, Bethlehem, New Scotland, Berne, and Knox have a wonderful resource available to them through Community Caregivers.
Community Caregivers volunteers are trained to assist in many different ways: provide transportation to and from doctor appointments, provide respite visits, pick up prescriptions, go grocery shopping, and do household chores.
A memory-loss support group meets twice a month for caregivers caring for individuals with dementia or other types of memory loss.
If you are providing care for a loved one, the numbers in the AARP caregivers study show that you are not alone. You should not be embarrassed or afraid to ask for help. Please contact Community Caregivers at 456-2898 so we can help you.
For those who are not caregivers but know of someone who is, November is National Caregivers Month. The best gift you can give is to offer your help to one of our hidden heroes.
The annual Community Caregivers gala will be held on Nov. 14 at the Colonie Golf and Country Club in New Scotland.
This annual event features cocktails at 6 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m., silent and live auctions, and dancing to the music of The Bluz House Rockers at 9 p.m. Tickets are $125 per person and the deadline for making reservations is Nov. 2. All proceeds go directly to providing services and programs for clients, caregivers, and their families.
Major sponsors for the evening include Adirondack Environmental Services, Albany Medical Center, Capital District Physicians Health Plan, GCom Software Inc., the New York State Funeral Directors Association, PBR Printing, the Times Union, and Wells Fargo.
Community Caregivers will be presenting two awards at this year’s gala.
“We are extremely proud to honor James J. Barba, president and chief executive officer of Albany Medical Center, and Midge McGraw Bulgaro, Community Caregivers Board member,” said Edna Mae Reilly, board president. “Both individuals understand the needs of caregivers and have responded to those needs through their commitment, dedication, and actions.”
Mr. Barba will receive the Joseph A. Bosco Community Services Award. This award is given to an individual who has been a leader in community service.
In addition to Mr. Barba’s responsibilities at Albany Medical Center, he serves on the board of directors of the Health Care Association of New York State and the Park Playhouse and co-chairs Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Capital Region Economic Development Council. He has received the University at Albany’s Citizen Laureate award, as well as many other awards from Capital Region organizations.
Mrs. Bulgaro will receive the Victor G. Ross Community Caregivers Founders Award. This award recognizes contributions to the long-term success of the Community Caregivers program.
Mrs. Bulgaro has been a member of the board of directors for 13 years. She has served as president and vice president and has co-chaired the golf and gala committees several times. She is also a tireless volunteer.
Career-wise, Mrs. Bulgaro spent 24 years in state government, including the New York State Assembly, Department of Labor, and Governor’s Office of Counsel, and the Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities.
After her public-service career, she was vice president for Government Affairs for AmeriChoice Inc. Her experience and expertise have been very important to the programmatic and financial success of Community Caregivers.
Many individuals and businesses have generously donated prizes for the silent and live auction and it’s always a fun night out. Won’t you join us? Check the website — www.communitycaregivers.org — for additional information.
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The annual Community Caregivers gala will be held on Nov. 14 at the Colonie Golf and Country Club in New Scotland.
This annual event features cocktails at 6 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m., silent and live auctions, and dancing to the music of The Bluz House Rockers at 9 p.m. Tickets are $125 per person and the deadline for making reservations is Nov. 2. All proceeds go directly to providing services and programs for clients, caregivers, and their families.
Major sponsors for the evening include Adirondack Environmental Services, Albany Medical Center, Capital District Physicians Health Plan, GCom Software Inc., the New York State Funeral Directors Association, PBR Printing, the Times Union, and Wells Fargo.
Community Caregivers will be presenting two awards at this year’s gala.
“We are extremely proud to honor James J. Barba, president and chief executive officer of Albany Medical Center, and Midge McGraw Bulgaro, Community Caregivers Board member,” said Edna Mae Reilly, board president. “Both individuals understand the needs of caregivers and have responded to those needs through their commitment, dedication, and actions.”
Mr. Barba will receive the Joseph A. Bosco Community Services Award. This award is given to an individual who has been a leader in community service.
In addition to Mr. Barba’s responsibilities at Albany Medical Center, he serves on the board of directors of the Health Care Association of New York State and the Park Playhouse and co-chairs Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Capital Region Economic Development Council. He has received the University at Albany’s Citizen Laureate award, as well as many other awards from Capital Region organizations.
Mrs. Bulgaro will receive the Victor G. Ross Community Caregivers Founders Award. This award recognizes contributions to the long-term success of the Community Caregivers program.
Mrs. Bulgaro has been a member of the board of directors for 13 years. She has served as president and vice president and has co-chaired the golf and gala committees several times. She is also a tireless volunteer.
Career-wise, Mrs. Bulgaro spent 24 years in state government, including the New York State Assembly, Department of Labor, and Governor’s Office of Counsel, and the Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities.
After her public-service career, she was vice president for Government Affairs for AmeriChoice Inc. Her experience and expertise have been very important to the programmatic and financial success of Community Caregivers.
Many individuals and businesses have generously donated prizes for the silent and live auction and it’s always a fun night out. Won’t you join us? Check the website — www.communitycaregivers.org — for additional information.
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Marey Bailey is a no-nonsense kind of woman. Among other things, she has worked for the Albany County Hall of Records and History. In that capacity, she had the “dubious role of organizing Mayor Corning’s letters,” she said. Marey also worked for Floral Designs in Guilderland for 11 years.
When she retired in 2014, she planned to volunteer. Marey said, “I wanted to have some things to do that are regular.”
She heard about Community Caregivers. Marey’s last job was as a home-care social worker with The Eddy. She said of Community Caregivers, “It’s local...It’s Guilderland. I like helping people.”
Marey’s volunteer assignment is driving people to doctors’ appointments. She “regularly takes a woman to dialysis twice a week.” As a volunteer, she feels, for her, it’s important to be flexible but “don’t over commit. I tend to over commit,” she says so she watches it.
Linda Miller, Caregivers Outreach and Education coordinator, holds orientation sessions, emphasizing how Caregivers respects the volunteers’ choices regarding the days and times they can commit to be available.
Marey’s tendency to overcommit isn’t taken advantage of. And, indeed, even though she or any volunteer states their days and times of availability, stuff still comes up.
Mary Morrison, Volunteer/Client coordinator, is fond of saying Caregivers is a no-guilt organization. And this emphasizes the continued need for volunteers so that not just a few are always doing the work, so that, if you can’t make your commitment, there is always someone to back you up.
This is another in a series of interviews with some of Community Caregivers volunteers. Making the decision to volunteer is not easy. Or rather, deciding is easy, but implementing it is something else.
Marey’s decision to volunteer was “…when I retired” and it took a year. Decisions like this, commitments, do take time to come to fruition. For Marey, being local and being known were important considerations for the agency she would volunteer for.
If you’re available and want to help others in your community of Berne, Bethlehem, Guilderland, New Scotland, Knox, Voorheesville, or Albany, please call 456-2898 to make an appointment for an orientation. Currently, meetings are first Tuesdays and third Thursdays through December.
The Caregivers’ mission is to help people of all ages stay in their homes and communities and maintain their independence and dignity. We’re ready for you when you’re ready for us.
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Safety and the older driver is a sensitive topic. Concerns about driving as one grows older include the physical safety of the driver and others. And it includes the emotional decision of when to stop driving, as the ability to drive represents independence in our society.
Often, transportation is the number-one barrier for people who are seeking to age independently. Therefore, especially in our rural and suburban communities here in Albany County, independence means hanging on to the car keys.
As it turns out, we are neither helpless nor hopeless with the challenge of driving safely as we age. Education, preparation, and awareness can help all of us. Improvements in driver safety are not limited to those who are elders in the community; everyone can benefit.
The National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health, www.nia.nih.gov, offers safe driving tips for you or the older driver in your family.
Mobility
If you have stiff joints and sore muscles, perhaps due to arthritis, you might have difficulty turning your head to see what’s behind you, turning the steering wheel, or braking safely.
See your doctor if the pain and stiffness is affecting your driving.
Drive with power steering, power brakes, and larger mirrors, if possible.
Do exercises to improve flexibility and strength.
Vision
If your vision has changed with age, it may be harder to see movement of cars or people outside of your direct line of sight. Glare from blinding sunlight during the day and from oncoming headlights at night can make it difficult to see the road.
See your eye doctor at least every one to two years from age 65 on; many vision problems, like cataracts, are treatable.
Make sure your prescription for eyeglasses or contact lenses is up to date.
Cut back on nighttime driving or stop altogether if you have difficulty seeing in the dark.
Sunrise and sunset are good times to avoid driving, since the sun can be directly in your line of vision. Pay attention to changes in the length of the day throughout the year and adjust your travel plans.
Hearing
If your hearing is impaired, which is common as we age, it’s harder to hear sirens, car horns or other vehicles approaching.
Get your hearing checked. The National Institute on Aging recommends having your hearing checked at least every three years after age 50.
Keep the interior of your car as quiet as possible while you are behind the wheel.
Watch those warning lights on the car’s dashboard for any signals of something wrong with the car.
Reflexes
Older drivers may also experience slower reaction times and reflexes. To avoid other drivers, pedestrians, or hazards in the road, you need adequate response time. Consider that medications might make you drowsy and slow your reaction time.
Leave more distance between you and the car ahead of you.
Brake earlier when you need to stop.
Avoid high traffic situations and high speed driving.
If you must drive on highways, stay in the right lane with slower traffic to give you more time to make safe driving decisions.
Read medicine labels carefully; speak to your doctor or pharmacist about side effects that may affect your ability to drive.
Driving programs
There are driving programs aimed at older adults to update and refresh their knowledge of the rules of the road and learn how to adjust their driving to compensate for age-related physical changes. Safe-driver courses and resources are offered by the American association of Retired Persons, the American Automobile Association, and some insurance companies.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also has resources devoted to senior drivers. Its website can be found at www.nhtsa.gov/Senior-Drivers.
Part Two of Older Driver Safety will consider when to give up driving.
Community Caregivers, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization that provides non-medical services, including transportation, and caregiver support at no charge to residents in Guilderland, Bethlehem, Altamont, New Scotland, Berne, Knox, and the City of Albany through a strong volunteer pool of dedicated individuals with a desire to assist their neighbors.
To find out more about our services or volunteer opportunities, please visit www.communitycaregivers.org or call 456-2898.
Editor’s note: Linda Miller is the Outreach and Education coordinator for the community Caregivers.
Why do people volunteer? The answers are as varied as the people I interviewed. I asked some of Caregivers’ volunteers what actually motivated them to volunteer.
John Meany — he likes to be called Jack — started volunteering three or four years ago after his wife died. Jack’s daughter had passed along copies of The Enterprise, and it was there he learned about Caregivers.
He thought, “If it pans out, so much the better.” Later he said, “Volunteering helped me through that time.” It filled his empty time.
Jack does transportation twice a week. Mostly, he takes people to doctors for their appointments, sometimes to a hospital. Sometimes “…transporting for radiation, you get to know them [the clients]. After a while, people open up.” He continued, “After I got into it, I found that it really is keeping people in their homes. It’s doing what its mission says.”
So Jack started out as a volunteer for what he said was ”…a perceived, personal need.” There was no pressure from Community Caregivers.
And, after a while, he realized he looked forward to it; it was rewarding to satisfy someone’s needs. “There’s a degree of satisfaction,” he said. “It’s hard to describe.”
Jack likes meeting people, and he sees that the people he helps are so appreciative. He often finds himself saying, “That was a good mission today.”
Jack doesn’t want to portray himself as a hero or somebody who is outstanding. He calls himself ”…just an average Joe.” Jack joins Community Caregivers’ family in choosing to make a difference in his community by helping others maintain their independence, dignity, and quality of life.
Most of Caregivers’ volunteers don’t think of themselves as heroes, but they certainly are to those they help. Consider calling the office at 456-2878 to sign up for an orientation. The Fall schedule is first Tuesdays at 10 or Third Thursdays at noon.
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This is the second of a series on why people volunteer with Community Caregivers. What led them to pick up the phone and call Community Caregivers to make an appointment for an orientation?
Jerry Ostrander shares his story.
Jerry started with Community Caregivers in February 2010. Since then, he’s provided transportation for clients to various appointments.
When I asked him what the impetus was for him to contact the Caregivers, he said, “That’s a tough question.” After some thought, he said, “God has blessed me beyond measure during my lifetime, and I feel strongly about the need to give back whenever possible.”
He went on, “I’ve been blessed with a nice comfortable retirement, a nice vehicle, the physical ability to drive.” So he decided to provide transportation “…as requested and when convenient to my schedule.”
Jerry learned a lot about Caregivers when he walked the indoor track at the Guilderland Y with Tom Morrison. The “why” he joined resulted from the multiple conversations he and Tom had. Tom volunteers for the Caregivers, too.
“It is clearly a discussion and subsequent decision I am very happy about,” Jerry said. He believes volunteering is important because he feels “…a personal responsibility to help others.” He added, “Maybe more personally gratifying is the reality that my life is so enriched by serving others,” even when all he does is provide a ride to an appointment.
The assignments Jerry has allow him to develop friendships. For example, for three years he drove a client to visit his wife at a nursing home. He said you can’t drive someone for three years and not get to know them. “I have always received more than the service I provide,” he said.
Mary Morrison, Caregivers’ Transportation Coordinator, gets kudos because she knows Jerry likes a “regular, weekly assignment,” since it allows him flexibility. When Mary calls for an additional assignment, he is very willing if his schedule permits.
Transportation continues to be the most requested service. In June, there were 249 requests for that service alone. Jerry took one client to visit his wife; he now has another client he takes to therapy two times a week.
Keeping folks in their homes and helping them maintain their independence is what Community Caregivers is about. Check out the website: communitycaregivers.org. Our number is 456-2898. Or talk to Jerry. Say happy birthday if you see him; it was Aug. 24.
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Interest in the “village movement” for aging in the community continues to spread across the country and state. A new village called Love Living at Home was recently incorporated in the Ithaca area. Rhinebeck at Home in the Hudson Valley also is a relatively new village.
In Albany, Livingston Village is being developed by Senior Services of Albany in a public school recently converted into senior apartments. There are a number of villages in Westchester County and they are working with the Center for Aging in Place Services there, which provides support. There are also villages in New York City, in Long Island, and in the western part of the state.
The Albany Guardian Society has hosted two meetings this year to provide information about how to develop villages. Community Caregivers is interested in discussing and supporting the village concept with other local seniors interested in setting up villages in Albany County.
The Village Movement became a national organization, which is based in St. Louis. Its national website can be reached at this link to get a look at the various organizations around the state and nation that have identified themselves as either formed or interested in forming a village: http://www.vtvnetwork.org/content.aspx?page_id=1905&club_id=691012
The village movement began several years ago in Boston when Beacon Hill Village was formed by neighbors who wanted to join to help each other stay in their homes or community. Dues were charged to provide a staff and some services though the models in each community are different and reflect the desires of the local group.
In addition to the services provided, the connection to an organization run by the members builds a sense of community and support and reduces isolation and the feeling of not being able to manage the challenges of living at home and aging.
Since the first village, the movement has taken off because of the local connection and hands-on participation. However, maintaining a village is difficult and many face issues related to ongoing financing to support staffing and the usual turnover and “aging out” of older activists who were the original founders.
Increasingly, villages are being organized by existing not-for-profits that can provide some ongoing support, though many still spring up as local efforts of community volunteers.
Of course, New York State has many other aging-in-place communities like the NORCs (Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities) that are funded by the State Office for the Aging and the New York City Department for the Aging. NORCs in these government programs have definitions that were in legislation so they are not as open-ended as a local village might be.
Villages and NORCs complement the formal health-care system and the formal aging network, providing services based on income and eligibility for the most part. It is critical to support and engage self-help community groups as well as caregivers and volunteers. It is also important that the state continue to nurture and support the movement.
Community Caregivers, Inc. is a non-profit organization that provides non-medical services and caregiver support at no charge to residents in Guilderland, Bethlehem, Altamont, New Scotland, Berne, Knox, and the city of Albany through a strong volunteer pool of dedicated individuals with a desire to assist their neighbors. To find out more about our services or volunteering, please visit www.communitycaregivers.org or call 456-2898.
Editor’s note: Michael Burgess serves as a consultant to Community Caregivers; he formerly headed the New York State Office for the Aging.
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Summer is a great time to be outdoors in Albany County. Whether you are gardening, visiting a farmers’ market, going to the fair, or are off to the races, it’s also a time to be vigilant about the risks of excessive heat and sun. While too much heat is unsafe for everyone, the risks increase for anyone who is older or has health problems.
In upstate New York, most of us have heard of “hypothermia” caused by exposure to cold weather. But the risk in hot weather, which we may not be aware of, is “hyperthermia.”
Hyperthermia is caused by a failure of the heat-regulating mechanisms of the body. Hyperthermia includes: heat fatigue, heat syncope — sudden dizziness after prolonged exposure to the heat, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke.
While older adults are generally at risk for these conditions, this risk can increase with the combination of higher temperature, individual lifestyle, and general health. Lifestyle factors include not drinking enough fluids, a home without air-conditioning, lack of mobility or access to transportation, overdressing, visiting overcrowded places, and not understanding how to respond to hot weather conditions.
It’s recommended that older individuals, particularly those with chronic medical conditions, stay indoors in cooler spaces on hot and humid days. People without air-conditioning may find relief in air-conditioned spaces like senior centers, shopping malls, movie theaters, and libraries during the hottest hours of the day.
During stretches of hot weather, consider making a daily call or visit to an older relative, friend, or neighbor.
The National Institute on Aging, which is part of the National Institutes of Health, has valuable advice to help all of us avoid the hazards of hot weather. Awareness of factors that increase the risk of hyperthermia may help with prevention. They include:
— Dehydration;
— High blood pressure or other health conditions that require changes in diet. For example, people on salt-restricted diets may be at increased risk. However, salt pills should not be used without first consulting a doctor;
— Heart, lung, and kidney diseases, as well as any illness that causes general weakness or fever;
— Use of multiple medications. Please note that it is important to continue to take prescribed medication and discuss possible problems with a physician;
— Reduced sweating, caused by medications such as diuretics, sedatives, tranquilizers, and certain heart and blood pressure drugs;
— Age-related changes to the skin such as poor blood circulation and inefficient sweat glands;
— Being substantially overweight or underweight; and
— Alcohol use.
Heat stroke is a life-threatening form of hyperthermia. It occurs when the body is overwhelmed by heat and unable to control its temperature. Signs and symptoms of heat stroke include a significant increase in body temperature (generally above 104 degrees Fahrenheit), changes in mental status (like confusion), strong rapid pulse, lack of sweating, dry flushed skin, feeling faint, and staggering or coma.
Seek immediate emergency medical attention for a person with heat-stroke symptoms, especially an older adult.
To keep heat-related illnesses from becoming a dangerous heat stroke, you can:
— Get out of the sun and into a cool place;
— Drink fluids, but avoid alcohol or caffeine. Water or juices are recommended;
— Shower, bathe, or sponge off with cool water; and
— Lie down and rest in a cool place and, importantly, get medical assistance if you don’t cool down quickly.
Safety precautions in the heat will help keep our memories of Summer 2015 happy ones. If you would like more information about health and aging from the National Institute on Aging, go to www.nia.nih.gov.
Community Caregivers Inc. is a not-for-profit organization that provides non-medical services and caregiver support at no charge to residents in Guilderland, Bethlehem, Altamont, New Scotland, Berne, Knox, and the city of Albany through a strong volunteer pool of dedicated individuals with a desire to assist their neighbors. To find out more about our services or volunteering, please visit www.communitycaregivers.org or call 456-2898.
Editor’s note: Linda Miller is the Outreach and Education Coordinator for community Caregivers.