Powerful Tools for Caregivers

In the six weekly classes, caregivers develop a wealth of self-care tools to: reduce personal stress; change negative self-talk; communicate their needs to family members and healthcare or service providers; communicate more effectively in challenging situations; recognize the messages in their emotions, deal with difficult feelings; and make tough caregiving decisions. Class participants also receive a copy of The Caregiver Helpbook, developed specifically for the class.

Here is a short video that showcases the PTC caregiver class experience, with thanks to our Class Leaders in Ontario.

Upcoming Classes: 

Find all upcoming classes here: https://www.agingstrong.org/powerful-tools-for-caregivers

Home Delivered Meals

Home delivered meals are nutritious meals that are delivered to homebound seniors age 60 years or older and their spouses. The drivers who deliver the meals make daily contact and check on the well-being of seniors they visit.

Home-bound seniors are able to remain in their homes in part because of the delivery of hot, cold or frozen meals.

Who Qualifies?

• 60 years or older and their spouses, regardless of spouses age
• Disabled person living in the home of person 60 years or older
• Due to frailty the person is unable to participate in the Congregate Meal program or prepare a meal at home
• Additional requirements that prioritize At Risk factors may be implemented at the discretion of the Area Agency on Aging Director

Homemaker

Persons eligible to participate or to receive services are individuals 60 years of age or older.

Homemaker services provide care for older persons to help them maintain, strengthen, and safeguard their personal functioning in their own homes with:

• Housekeeping
• Meal planning and preparation
• Essential shopping
• Personal errands
• Banking and bill paying
• Medication management
• Restrictions with bathing and washing hair

Respite

In-home respite is a service designed to encourage and support efforts of caregivers to maintain functionally or cognitively impaired persons at home. Paid respite staff and volunteers provide companionship or personal care services, or both, when needed and appropriate for the care recipient and the caregiver.

Respite services may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Meeting emergency needs
• Restoring or maintaining the physical and mental wellbeing of the caregivers
• Providing socialization for the care recipient

Eligibility

• The care recipient shall have physical or cognitive impairments affecting Activities of Daily Living or Instrumental Activities of Daily Living functioning to the extent twenty-four (24) hour care or supervision is required.
• A caregiver sixty (60) years of age or older residing with an eligible care recipient who is under sixty (60) years of age is eligible to receive Respite.
• A caregiver under sixty (60) years of age residing with an eligible care recipient aged sixty (60) years or older is eligible to receive Respite.
• Eligibility Determination
• Highest priority shall be given to caregivers of care recipients who have the greatest degree of physical or cognitive impairment and who are lacking informal supports other than the regular caregiver.

Transportation

Transportation services are designed to transfer persons 60 years of age and over to and from social services, medical and health care services, meals programs, places of employment, senior centers, shopping, civic functions, adult day care facilities, and recreation locations.

Service is to be available to those who have no other means of transportation or who are unable to use existing transportation. Preference is given to older minorities and those with limited economic resources. Personal assistance for those with limited physical mobility is provided.

With very limited funds available to fund transportation services, some area agencies may expand the services available to this population by buying into existing transportation systems that provide more extensive transportation services