Caregivers Caring for Dementia Patients Get Help from Council on Aging Martin County
STUART, FL - Caregivers of dementia patients face physical, mental, emotional and often financial challenges to keep their loved ones safe and comfortable. The Council on Aging Martin County now offers a program, called GUIDE, that helps the caregiver as well as the patient and even provides funding for respite care.
“We know how difficult it can be for individuals with dementia and their families to find the resources they need and to feel confident in the choices they’re making,” said Council on Aging Martin President and CEO Karen Ripper. “Our GUIDE program enables us to bring our community even more ways of caring for loved ones with dementia and supporting their caregivers.”
The goal of the program is to enable people to stay safely at home and out of the hospital or a nursing home. That requires education, coordination with the patient’s primary care provider and specialists, a rich array of community resources to draw on like Meals on Wheels and the Circle of Safety Bracelet, and a strong layer of support for the caregiver.
Through the GUIDE program, patients on Medicare can receive up to $2500 a year for respite care. This extra bit of financial help enables caregivers to take temporary breaks and renew their health and spirit. They can use the funds for in-home help or for more frequent assistance like the Day Club on the Council on Aging’s Kane Center campus. These funds, and the GUIDE program, are available to Medicare patients throughout Martin, St. Lucie and Northern Palm Beach but are not available to patients enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan or hospice.
Those enrolled in the program also have access to a 24/7 hot line. “Having someone always available to listen can be very meaningful to a caregiver,” said Kelley Pekarsky, Nurse Practitioner at the Council on Aging Martin County’s Day Primary Care Center and the program’s Clinical Navigator. “Thanks to the GUIDE program, there is always somewhere to turn, and someone who can give support and knowledgeable advice.”
For more information about the program, call 561-320-7451, call the Council on Aging Martin County at 772-223-7800, or visit the website www.coamartin.org.
About the Council on Aging Martin County
The Council on Aging Martin County is the community’s hub for senior resources and the county’s Lead Agency on Aging. Founded in 1974, the organization offers expertise, programming and support for older adults and their families to help seniors maintain lives of quality and purpose. Services include Day Primary Care Center, Memory Enhancement Center, Adult Day Club, Meals on Wheels, care management, caregiver support, and a robust offering of educational, cultural, fitness and wellness programs.
The Kane Center located at 900 SE Salerno Road in Stuart is the Council on Aging Martin County’s headquarters and is also an event venue available to the public. It serves as a special needs hurricane shelter when necessary. The Council on Aging Martin County also operates senior outreach facilities in Hobe Sound, Jensen Beach, East Stuart and Indiantown. A 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, the Council on Aging receives funding from state and federal agencies and relies on philanthropic support from the community, including other agencies, private foundations and individual donors. For more information, visit www.coamartin.org.