If you’re just starting to care for an older relative and have explored the web at all, you’ve found that websites abound with information on caregiving, eldercare, and geriatrics.  The volume of information can be overwhelming. 

 

We asked Coming of Age Caregiving Guide Brian Duke to highlight a few resources (listed below) as a starting point for people who find themselves in the position of caring for a parent, other older relative, spouse, partner, or friend. 

 

The websites listed here deal with the many aspects of care, including financial, medical, legal, social, and end of life issues. Most include links to other sources for more specialized information.

 

1. Family Caregiving 101  is a website provided by the National Family Caregivers Association and the National Alliance for Caregiving.  The site is well organized and includes useful information and links for those in various stages of caring for a relative.  A good starting point for exploring the site is the Stages of Caregiving

 

2. CaregiverPA is a Pennsylvania-specific site created by the Penn State Gerontology Center.  This site includes a guide to available resources for older adults and their families and provides links to answer questions, find available resources, and search for resources in a specific Pennsylvania county.

 

3. Medicare  is  a booklet produced by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; it’s a good resource for understanding Medicare and what it covers.

 

4. Aging Parents and Common Sense is a manual produced by the philanthropic arm of AXA Financial. It is an excellent overview of caring for your parents, though you probably also can apply the information to caring for other older relatives as well.  This booklet covers considerations for each of the main areas of concern for caregiving: housing, finances, legal issues, health/medical, as well as caring for yourself during your time as caregiver.   

 

5. Wider Horizons (a Coming of Age partner) is an innovative service offered by WHYY that responds to the needs and interests of people who are planning retirement or a new career, dealing with aging relatives, and continuing to challenge themselves with new opportunities to learn and grow.  The program focuses on two areas – creativity/social engagement and caregiving/end of life – with a variety of events, programs, and resources aimed at “baby boomers.”   The site offers online resource listings  and a downloadable PDF resource guide for those in the Delaware Valley who are caring for a family member.  For a direct link to the guide, go to Wider Horizons Caregiver Resource Guide