Caregivers Unite

²⁸ “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 NIV).

Connecting with others in a small group/bible study can offer an outlet to share your burdens,  learn to see life from a new perspective, and find peace in troubled times.

To be eligible for Mercy LIFE Pace Program, a person must be age 55 or older, certified by the state to need nursing home care, and live in the Mercy LIFE area.

This program is able to offer care and services to seniors with chronic needs while maintaining their independence in their homes for as along as possible.

The Mobile location is in the old Mobile Rug and Shade building on Springhill Avenue.  Transportation, meals, medications and recreational activities are some of the services provided for program participants.  Look into this one-stop care opportunity by calling Gemma Campbell at 251-287-8420.

I have to report what a great help our hospice nurse is to my mother’s care.  My mother has been experiencing problematic health problems for several months now.  When the assisted living nurse brought it to my attention, we went to see Momma’s general practitioner.  That visit resulted in a few changes but the problem persisted.  We next consulted the hospice nurse, Candice,  who began to diligently research what the problem might be.  She checked for a bacterial infection which turned out negative. She wrote orders and consulted with the doctor at the weekly team meeting whether to discontinue a monthly preventative order that she takes to prevent recurring infections.  They decided to keep that in place and see if the new order solves the problem.  So far, it seems to be working.  I am so thankful that we have help in solving health problems that my mother can’t express with words.  You get a gold star, Candice, for making such a difference in  both of our lives.

Taking care of my mother’s affairs has stretched me in many areas.  This week, it’s figuring out how to file Social Security and Medicare taxes, pay Unemployment Compensation and get a Federal Tax Payer ID.  First, you have to calculate the year’s payments to the sitter if it’s over $600.  You should have  Form I-9 , Employment Eligibility Verification and a W-9 Form, Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification filled out when you hired them.  Now don’t give up, you’re just getting started.  I know this is all foreign but you just have to learn as you go.

It’s not as bad as you may think.  Working this all out on the computer makes it pretty easy if you can navigate electronically, which you can, since you are reading this.  I went to efileforbusiness.com to fill out the W-2 Form which costs $3.95 per form. If you want to know the percentages for the taxes and what to put in which box, comment after this post and I’ll help you.   Next I went to the Alabama Dept of Labor to register and begin to pay quarterly payments for Unemployment Compensation.  Yes, there is a fee if you are late with the payments, but we’ll know better next time.  Apparently, you now have to have an Employer Identification Number (EIN) which is gotten at IRS.gov at no cost.  Anyway, by starting now, you can get this all figured out before the January 31 deadline.   And you would be smart if you start with getting the EIN first, so you can use it when you file the W-2 Form.

I know it’s not unusual to pay private sitter “under the table” but if you’re ready to join the other millions of taxpayers that finance this great country of ours, this is how you do it.

1.  Third Thursday of every month at 10:00 a.m. at the Human Resources location of South Baldwin Regional Medical Center, 1613 N. McKenzie Street, Foley, AL  36526.

2.  Last Wednesday of every month at 10.00 a.m. at the The Brennity of Daphne, 27440 Co. Rd. 13, Daphne, AL  36526.

3.  Third Thursday of every month at 9:00 a.m. at the Foley Senior Center, 304 E. Rose Street, Foley, AL  36535

These groups are open access, private and confidential.  For more information, call Kitty Bradshaw, RN, CHPN, or Leslie Johnson, MEd @ Covenant Hospice, Daphne, AL, 251-626-5255.

Check out “The Other Talk,” which was written to help children of aging parents face all the decisions that they will make in an organized and complete manner.

This free book can help children talk with their aging parents about future plans for their care.

agingredefined.org

Today we qualified for hospice.  We had to drop hospice three months ago when we  moved into a special care assisted living facility (SCALF).  Since we saw my mother’s doctor last week, I asked for an order to be reassessed.  Odyssey Hospice came out and did an extensive interview with me and momma,  gave me an overview of their services and we filled out paperwork.  By the end of the assessment, I was given the news that we were approved.  This means that they will provide support and care for my mother by means of medications, pullups and bed pads, and 24/7 nursing care and all medical equipment related to the terminal illness. She will have a consistent CNA coming 3 days a week to bathe her. I can call on their social worker, enjoy spiritual care and can consult them for medical advice without leaving our facility. Having hospice is like having a safety net.  Maybe you qualify for hospice and just don’t know it.  Look into it.

I talked to a friend today who had a bad experience with a nursing home.  Her disabled mother was turned in the bed improperly by the CNA on duty who ignored her mother’s instructions.  As a result, her mother’s arm was broken.  A trip to the doctor to have her arm set and all the pain, suffering, and  expense involved caused my friend to consult a lawyer.  I asked her if she had called the ombudsman who is available to arbitrate any dispute she might have with the nursing home.  She said she had seen the ombudsman’s picture posted in the facility and would make a call.  If you have a dispute with assisted living or a nursing home, call Ivy Walker.    

I’ve had the privilege to work alongside Julie McGee lately and she is a game changer.  She knows her field of expertise and wields a powerful sword.  Yet, she carries herself with grace and has a calm presence.  You’d never know that she has a resume 4 pages long full of impressive accomplishments.

Julie has been diligently working for the betterment of Mobile residents since 1979.  Housed in the GM&O building downtown, she currently reigns as Area Agency on Aging Director for the South Alabama Regional Planning Commission.Under her leadership for the last 16 years, she has required excellence from her staff, which recently earned them an award given by the National Council on Aging to only three projects in the nation.  The benefits of this award will help the elderly and disabled of Alabama to achieve more economic security, move out of poverty, and be able to successfully remain in their own homes and live independently. This is just one of the many accomplishments that her local organization has achieved.

I’m writing this because Julie took the time to listen to a caregiver (me) who saw an unmet need in the community, organized a meeting of professionals in the dementia field to address that need and invited me along as well.  As a result, we have formed the Alzheimer and Dementia Coalition of South Alabama and created a helpline as a community resource for Alzheimer and dementia information.  What a privilege to come along and see how she gets things done.  You are the first to get a gold star, Julie McGee.  Thanks for making a difference.