Holiday Eldercare Tips

by Illese Forgang, LMSW

(December 14, 2006) The holiday season can be stressful for all of us, but even more so for those caring for an older relative. Here are examples of how Larchmonters have coped with some fairly common issues.

Respite Care

Mary L. is a 79-year-old with dementia who exhibits some inappropriate behaviors. Her daughter, who was hosting the family’s holiday dinner, decided her mother, who had always been quite careful of her appearance, would not want to be remembered in her current state. After conferring with her siblings, Mary decided to make other arrangements. Since Mary’s regular home health aide was unavailable, even with the promise of overtime pay, Mary immediately called the Sarah Neuman Center (864-5621) in Mamaroneck and asked about their Respite Program. It is designed to provide care to the patient and a rest for the caregiver.

Since there is only one bed designated for the service, early reservations are imperative. If you are closed out, there are other nursing homes in the county that offer this service. It’s also a great resource for vacations.

Temporary Placement

When Richard V., the primary caregiver for his bedridden wife, had a sudden heart attack, their children, all of them out of state, were faced with a dilemma. Suddenly, they had two parents needing full-time care. What to do? They quickly arranged for their mother to be admitted, on a temporary basis, to the United Hebrew Geriatric Center in New Rochelle (632-2804) . Richard was able to join his wife there as he underwent short-term physical therapy, and they both returned home, together, with some additional help. Based upon bed availability, this is also possible to arrange at other facilities in Westchester.

Emergency Prescriptions

At 10pm on Christmas Eve, 75-year-old former Larchmont resident Sara F. realized that in her excitement about returning to the Village for a family visit, she had forgotten to bring her medications. Fortunately, she always carried a printout of her prescriptions, so it was easy to get an emergency supply from the CVS at Ferndale Shopping Center, 1310 Boston Post Road (833-3001), which is open 24/7.

Food Delivery

Last winter, as the heavy snow fell, Anna Z. knew that she could not leave her
95-year-old mother, a Parkinson’s disease patient, alone while she went shopping for groceries. She also needed to pick up her mother's medications. After her initial panic, Anna decided to finally take advantage of the local delivery services. Within several hours, her food was delivered from Stop and Shop right into her kitchen (though next-day delivery is the norm). She had gone online to use the peapod.com service, and the order was filled and delivered by the local Stop and Shop store. Fresh Direct, based in New York City, also makes deliveries in Larchmont. Anna also found that she had several options for medication delivery, including R & R (Mamaroneck), Almarc, Buck’s and Duane Reade (Larchmont). Anna could then return to agonizing about whether her guests would be able to travel through the blizzard! (See: Stuck at Home in Larchmont? How to Get Essentials Delivered)

Situations like these can face anyone trying to care for an elderly relative at home. The important thing to remember is that there is help available, right in our own community.

Illese Forgang, LMSW, is founder and director of CaringConnections, a Geriatric Care Management firm in Larchmont. For over two decades, she has provided personalized service to families in Westchester County, “linking seniors with support; linking loved ones with solutions.” She can be reached at caringconn@aol.com or (914) 833-0853.

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