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Community resources for the elderly
RESOURCE CENTER
Community Resources for the Elderly Debbie Sandlin, RN, CPAN AS I BEGAN WRITING this article, I found myself sitting in my mother’s hospital room. I could hardly believe that she was suffering from a myocardial infarction. At age 67, Mom is officially an older adult, and I find that I, myself, am an aging baby boomer. We were very lucky. She underwent a successful stent placement and is recovering at home. It was a very frightening week for us all, because she also suffered a gastrointestinal bleed and a large retroperitoneal hematoma as a result of the anticoagulants she received. Thankfully, she is expected to recover fully and has already begun to resume her very busy and active lifestyle. It is hard for me to think of my parents getting older. It really gave me reason to think about the needs of the elderly and the problems and challenges faced by their loved ones to provide the care that they may someday require. According to Mion, nearly 6,000 Americans celebrate their 65th birthday each day, and 10 years from today, the United States will have nearly 10,000 people a day turning age 65!1
The Yellow Pages While sitting in my mother’s hospital room, I picked up a copy of the Bell South Yellow Pages2 and started thumbing through. I found several items of interest under the
Debbie Sandlin, RN, CPAN, is Clinical Coordinator of PACU, Preoperative Holding Unit and Endoscopy, Southern Hills Medical Center, Nashville, TN. Address correspondence to Debbie Sandlin, RN, CPAN, 508 Michele Dr, Antioch, TN 37013; e-mail address: debbie.sandlin@ hcahealthcare.com. © 2004 by American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses. 1089-9472/04/1906-0009$30.00/0 doi:10.1016/j.jopan.2004.09.004 428
heading, “Senior Citizens’ Services.” It listed phone numbers to contact agencies to deal with a wide variety of problems including Alzheimer’s care, home health care, senior citizen centers, adult day care centers, senior support groups, and assistance with daily activities such as bathing, medications, and transportation. I looked under separate topics and located phone numbers to call for assistance with obtaining wheelchairs and other durable medical equipment. This information was helpful, but it didn’t give me everything I felt that I might need in the future.
The Internet I later sought the Internet and found many, many more resources. By entering such keywords as Elder Care, Resources for the Elderly, Home Health, and Durable Medical Equipment, I found an overwhelming number of articles. I read several of them and further narrowed the search by entering the keywords followed by specific names of cities. I found an enormous amount of information but still felt confused. I really thought it would be helpful to talk with someone personally.
Hospital-Based Case Management When I returned to work, I sought assistance from a hospital-based case manager. I found that a personal interview was far more helpful to me. According to David Cathro, MSW, at the Southern Hills Medical Center, Nashville, TN (personal interview, August 2004), case management departments often assist elders and their families with a wide variety of needs beginning with Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing, Vol 19, No 6 (December), 2004: pp 428-429
COMMUNITY RESOURCES FOR THE ELDERLY
a thorough needs assessment. I was aware of some of their services but had never really had cause to investigate further. David told me that they provide guidance on every aspect of elder care. He reminded me that elders might need adult day care, home health care, assisted living, or nursing home placement. They may require referral for mental health treatment, ostomy services, wound care services, or durable medical equipment such as hospital beds, walkers, elevated toilet seats, bedside toilets, and wheelchairs. The elderly can be victims of domestic violence, spousal or other family abuse, and even sexual molestation and rape. Case managers or social workers deal with these challenges on a daily basis and are, in my opinion, a tremendous resource for families. Not everyone who needs assistance is in the hospital, however. Valuable advice and assistance often come from personal physicians and their office staff. Most hospitals and physicians’ offices provide literature that patients and visitors can pick up regarding community resources for the elderly. Depending on the older adults’ or families’ needs, they may also consult an agency specific to their illness or problems, such as hospice, the American Cancer Society, the American Lung Association, or Meals on Wheels. Some states or
429
counties provide free transportation for their senior citizens to and from doctor visits.
Other Organizations The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)3 offers a wide variety of services and activities for seniors. Most Americans begin to receive information from the AARP on or about their 50th birthday. They offer access to health insurance, other insurance, travel discounts, online services, computers, and music and represent the elderly with a voice in Washington and in state government. Membership in the AARP provides a magazine filled with advice and information on community services, and the cost to join is minimal. Senior Citizens’ Centers are also located in all major cities and provide not only advice but a means of socialization and participation in planned activities.
Summary There are many, many community resources available for the elderly. Your local Yellow Pages Directory is very helpful, and by surfing the Internet, you can access far more information than is possible to read. Physicians and hospital-based case workers also offer a personal and reassuring touch.
References 1. Mion L: Care provision for older adults: Who will provide? Online Journal of Issues in Nursing 8(2):1, 2003. Available at: www.nursingworld.org/ojin/topic21/tpc21_3.htm. Accessed September 2004
2. Bell South. The Real Yellow Pages Directory. Greater Nashville, TN, Area Code 615, 2003-2004, 935 3. American Association of Retired Persons. Available at: www.aarp.com. Accessed September 2004
Community Resources for the Elderly Debbie Sandlin, RN, CPAN AS I BEGAN WRITING this article, I found myself sitting in my mother’s hospital room. I could hardly believe that she was suffering from a myocardial infarction. At age 67, Mom is officially an older adult, and I find that I, myself, am an aging baby boomer. We were very lucky. She underwent a successful stent placement and is recovering at home. It was a very frightening week for us all, because she also suffered a gastrointestinal bleed and a large retroperitoneal hematoma as a result of the anticoagulants she received. Thankfully, she is expected to recover fully and has already begun to resume her very busy and active lifestyle. It is hard for me to think of my parents getting older. It really gave me reason to think about the needs of the elderly and the problems and challenges faced by their loved ones to provide the care that they may someday require. According to Mion, nearly 6,000 Americans celebrate their 65th birthday each day, and 10 years from today, the United States will have nearly 10,000 people a day turning age 65!1
The Yellow Pages While sitting in my mother’s hospital room, I picked up a copy of the Bell South Yellow Pages2 and started thumbing through. I found several items of interest under the
Debbie Sandlin, RN, CPAN, is Clinical Coordinator of PACU, Preoperative Holding Unit and Endoscopy, Southern Hills Medical Center, Nashville, TN. Address correspondence to Debbie Sandlin, RN, CPAN, 508 Michele Dr, Antioch, TN 37013; e-mail address: debbie.sandlin@ hcahealthcare.com. © 2004 by American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses. 1089-9472/04/1906-0009$30.00/0 doi:10.1016/j.jopan.2004.09.004 428
heading, “Senior Citizens’ Services.” It listed phone numbers to contact agencies to deal with a wide variety of problems including Alzheimer’s care, home health care, senior citizen centers, adult day care centers, senior support groups, and assistance with daily activities such as bathing, medications, and transportation. I looked under separate topics and located phone numbers to call for assistance with obtaining wheelchairs and other durable medical equipment. This information was helpful, but it didn’t give me everything I felt that I might need in the future.
The Internet I later sought the Internet and found many, many more resources. By entering such keywords as Elder Care, Resources for the Elderly, Home Health, and Durable Medical Equipment, I found an overwhelming number of articles. I read several of them and further narrowed the search by entering the keywords followed by specific names of cities. I found an enormous amount of information but still felt confused. I really thought it would be helpful to talk with someone personally.
Hospital-Based Case Management When I returned to work, I sought assistance from a hospital-based case manager. I found that a personal interview was far more helpful to me. According to David Cathro, MSW, at the Southern Hills Medical Center, Nashville, TN (personal interview, August 2004), case management departments often assist elders and their families with a wide variety of needs beginning with Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing, Vol 19, No 6 (December), 2004: pp 428-429
COMMUNITY RESOURCES FOR THE ELDERLY
a thorough needs assessment. I was aware of some of their services but had never really had cause to investigate further. David told me that they provide guidance on every aspect of elder care. He reminded me that elders might need adult day care, home health care, assisted living, or nursing home placement. They may require referral for mental health treatment, ostomy services, wound care services, or durable medical equipment such as hospital beds, walkers, elevated toilet seats, bedside toilets, and wheelchairs. The elderly can be victims of domestic violence, spousal or other family abuse, and even sexual molestation and rape. Case managers or social workers deal with these challenges on a daily basis and are, in my opinion, a tremendous resource for families. Not everyone who needs assistance is in the hospital, however. Valuable advice and assistance often come from personal physicians and their office staff. Most hospitals and physicians’ offices provide literature that patients and visitors can pick up regarding community resources for the elderly. Depending on the older adults’ or families’ needs, they may also consult an agency specific to their illness or problems, such as hospice, the American Cancer Society, the American Lung Association, or Meals on Wheels. Some states or
429
counties provide free transportation for their senior citizens to and from doctor visits.
Other Organizations The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)3 offers a wide variety of services and activities for seniors. Most Americans begin to receive information from the AARP on or about their 50th birthday. They offer access to health insurance, other insurance, travel discounts, online services, computers, and music and represent the elderly with a voice in Washington and in state government. Membership in the AARP provides a magazine filled with advice and information on community services, and the cost to join is minimal. Senior Citizens’ Centers are also located in all major cities and provide not only advice but a means of socialization and participation in planned activities.
Summary There are many, many community resources available for the elderly. Your local Yellow Pages Directory is very helpful, and by surfing the Internet, you can access far more information than is possible to read. Physicians and hospital-based case workers also offer a personal and reassuring touch.
References 1. Mion L: Care provision for older adults: Who will provide? Online Journal of Issues in Nursing 8(2):1, 2003. Available at: www.nursingworld.org/ojin/topic21/tpc21_3.htm. Accessed September 2004
2. Bell South. The Real Yellow Pages Directory. Greater Nashville, TN, Area Code 615, 2003-2004, 935 3. American Association of Retired Persons. Available at: www.aarp.com. Accessed September 2004