December 2004

Eldercare Services Help Employees Facing Tough Choices

For members of The George Washington University community faced with an elderly parent or dependent adult child in need of living assistance, GW offers a Family Care Consultation and Resource and Referral Service where employees may find the information, guidance and coaching necessary to make informed decisions about the care of a loved one.

For the past six years Carol Ann Rudolph, director of the Family Care Consultation and Resource and Referral Service, has provided resources and consultation on the different options and living arrangements including nursing homes, retirement communities, adult day care centers, home care options, assisted-living facilities, geriatric care managers and physicians, Social Security issues, legal and tax issues, Medicaid and Medicare information, and social services and eligibility issues.

The purpose of this free referral service is to ensure employees get help for family issues and stay focused and productive. Issues involving childcare take as much as 10 hours per arrangement. The troubling nature of eldercare is that most people don’t know where to start in the system or how to identify resources, complicating an already stressful situation.

“One of the first steps people miss is finding someone who can provide an unbiased assessment of their parent’s needs,” Rudolph said. “Often, we don’t know what level of care is appropriate or perhaps the decision is too emotionally charged to make the best decision. You need to ask questions such as, ‘Can they live on their own or with only occasional in-home visits?’ ‘Should they be in a nursing home?’ ‘Can they choose an assisted living home?’ A specialist can determine the level of care that is needed.”

According to Rudolph every county and city has at least one department or agency offering information and resources on aging, consumer affairs data on local centers or eldercare services, or a cooperative extension service offering free advice to seniors. Unfortunately, each community delivers these resources differently. Knowing how to navigate that sea of information is Rudolph’s stock in trade.
Rudolph is the first line of response, but she has an elder care specialist, Sharon Lynn, who helps with many of the nitty-gritty challenges, such as trying to work through Veterans Administration benefits to determine what resources they will provide.

“If we don’t know the answer we find out. We are trying to save people time and provide a little piece of mind during what can be a very stressful time.”

To speak with a specialist, or to arrange an appointment, call 301/897-8272 or 1-877-718-0226 or E-mail ccmrfcr@aol.com.

Send feedback to: bygeorge@gwu.edu