Mega Doctor News
By Roberto Hugo González
Caregivers SOS, a program of the WellMed Charitable Foundation, was developed understanding that family caregivers with the necessary training, knowledge, and support make all the difference in outcome of their loved one’s health. Family caregivers that feel confident and informed will face the challenge of caregiving with less stress and fears. Just the way a future nurse needs education; learn how to check temperature, blood pressure, and even how to communicate assertively with the families, caregivers need to learn about the disease process; training programs; connection to local resources and local direction about such services.
Caregiver SOS is a local group of Certified Dementia Care Practitioners offering a unique service to family caregivers in the Rio Grande Valley that includes educational training, support, and connection to community resources. “Despite our valuable offerings, our service remains underutilized due to limited understanding of the role of family caregivers and acceptance in our community. Caregiver SOS aims to change this perception, even if it means reaching only a handful of caregivers at a time” said Letty G-Sanchez, Regional Operations Manager of the WellMed Charitable Foundation.
The most important challenge lies in identifying and acknowledging who is a family caregiver. A caregiver refers to anyone responsible for assisting an older adult dealing with chronic health conditions. Once we see the broader context, we can see that it is a daughter that manages medical appointments, drives her parents to those appointments, and helps with grocery shopping on weekends. Similarly, a son may frequently pick up medications and occasionally perform home repairs for a father with congestive heart failure. Often, a spouse is also a caregiver, managing their own health issues while supporting their partner who has cognitive impairments such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s. In essence, many older adults facing chronic illnesses may have one or more family caregivers.
The mission of the Caregiver SOS program is to reach out to these caregivers and empower them with educational training and support. Many might ask, why is that necessary? The answer lies in the fact that educational support and training workshops can offer valuable insights into the illness, help caregivers communicate effectively with healthcare professionals and their families, enable them to make crucial decisions, and, most importantly, ensure they prioritize their own well-being.
Many caregivers often seek tangible resources like incontinence supplies, walkers, and home modifications, as well as assistance with daily tasks. Caregiver SOS does not help directly with those needs; however, the caregiver specialist can guide the caregiver to local programs that might be able to help.
The importance of caregiver education, support groups, and guidance from a Caregiver Support Specialist is often overlooked but the reality is that support and guidance is crucial for the caregiver’s general health and has a significant influence on the long-term well-being of caregivers. Research has shown caregivers experience health issues and many, unfortunately, die before the person they are caring for. This is often attributed to caregivers neglecting their own well-being while prioritizing the needs of their loved ones. Despite being a significant sign of love and dedication, this selflessness can have negative effects on the caregiver’s own life. Caregiver SOS emphasizes the significance of self-care. Our team utilizes an assessment that highlights the caregiver’s physical, emotional, and social health, ultimately aiding in the development of a personalized care plan.
Caregiver SOS offers individual coaching with caregiver specialists available to provide information and support on managing daily activities and improving care. In addition, the monthly programing includes support groups and education/training workshops. All programs are bilingual and at no cost for family members or friends, who are caring for an older loved one (60 years of age or older) with Dementia or other chronic illnesses.
The WellMed Charitable Foundation was established in 2006 by Dr. George Rapier III, a noted physician who is also the Chairman of the Board. The Foundation is a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization, and the philanthropic partner of WellMed Medical Management, headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. Caregiver SOS is partially funded by the Area Agency on Aging of the LRGVDC.
For more information, call (956)630-6667 or send email to caregiversos@wellmed.org.
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