I’m a 49 year-old hairdresser. My mother passed away last June, leaving me to care for my aging father. I happily took on the role because I wanted to know that Dad would be in good hands. Dad means the world to me and I would do anything for him, but I am totally overwhelmed, frustrated, stressed out and even a bit depressed. I need help, but am not sure about the resources in the community. Where can I turn for assistance?

You are not alone. Currently, one in five individuals take on the caregiver role and spend more than 20 hours each week in that capacity. This is often on top of working full or part-time and handling other family responsibilities. Help exists in a variety of different forms here in our community. There are caregiver support groups that allow you to come together to share your experiences, concerns, questions and frustrations with individuals who are going through similar situations. Such relationships provide you with a network of support you can turn to on a consistent basis. There are also a number of trained professionals, social workers and experienced geriatric care managers who can assist you with planning, decision-making and selection of appropriate resources, and much more. St. Andrew’s At-Home Service recently received a CARE grant from the St. Louis Area Agency on Aging, which enables us to provide these types of services to caregivers and caretakers in the City of St. Louis. For more information, call St. Andrew’s At-Home Services at 314-726-5766 or visit www.silverselect.com.

Erica Edwards
Geriatric Care Manager
St. Andrew’s At-Home Services

My first suggestion is that both of you have a check-up to assess your physical health status. Does your Dad have a problem with memory loss? If so, you should call the Alzheimer’s Association (314-432-3422) to see what services they have to offer. If indeed, he does have Alzheimer’s, the Association can refer you to an Adult Day Care Program in your area. You will then be relieved of some stress for a couple of days each week and your father will have the opportunity to socialize with others.

In the St. Louis area, contact the Area Agency on Aging (314-612-5918 city; 636-207-0847 or 1-800-AGE6060 for St. Louis, St. Charles, Franklin and Jefferson Counties and to locate an agency outside the metropolitan area) to learn names of agencies that might be able to help. The Area Agency on Aging can refer you to a program called Senior Companion. This program will match your dad with another senior who could visit him a couple of times each week. Knowing that someone else will be helping to care for your father should help relieve your stress and offer you some time for your own emotional well-being.

Dana Hardy, Director
Kingdom House Senior Companion Project
St. Louis, MO
314-421-0400

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