January 2007

Promoting Elder Care at GW

By Zak M. Salih

When Richard M. Soland’s mother in New York City turned 90, he began to worry about how to take care of her. “I knew that I would potentially be providing support from a distance,” says the professor of operations research and special assistant to the dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science.

A trip to the fall Benefits Fair introduced Soland to Carol Ann Rudolph, M.A. ’77, founder of Family Care Resources. With Rudolph’s help, Soland received a wealth of information on elder care opportunities in the New York area.

A private company under contract with GW, Family Care Resources provides a support system for elderly family members of GW faculty and staff who can no longer provide for themselves. “The goal is to support employees dealing with
elder family members,” says Rudolph.

Family Care Resources provides a wide range of services designed to alleviate the often stressful process of caring for an elderly family member. These services include listings of low-cost housing and nursing homes in particular geographic areas, tip sheets on selecting the right caregiving option for an elderly parent or relative, and help organizing legal papers. The consultation and information resources are provided free of charge to all GW employees.

To take advantage of these opportunities, an employee first contacts Rudolph to request information and, if desired, to set up a one-on-one appointment. During on-site consultations at GW’s Foggy Bottom, Mount Vernon, and Virginia campuses, Rudolph and her clients work together to come up with the best available resources for a particular situation.

“Caring for an aging parent is stressful,” Rudolph says. “Elder care problems are frustrating and you have to watch out for yourself as well.”

Rudolph estimates that only 2 percent of the GW employee population takes advantage of her elder care resources, a rate she hopes will increase. “I think there’s a growing need, and I hope that people will utilize it,” she says.

Soland, for one, can attest firsthand to the value of Family Care Resources’ elder care services. “To have the readily available service and assistance right from the beginning was very helpful,” he says.

For more information on elder care or the other options Family Care Resources provides, contact Carol Ann Rudolph at ccmrfcr@aol.com, 1-877-718-0226, or (301) 897-8272.

Send feedback to: bygeorge@gwu.edu