Security Levels
![Health, Safety & Work-Life Directorate](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20080921153839im_/http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg1/cg11/img/header.jpg)
Office of Work-Life Programs -
Elder Care![Elderly women sitting on a park bench](img/elderly.jpg)
Who is Eligible for this Program?
The Elder Care Resource Program is available to the following
members of Team Coast Guard:
- Active Duty
- Reservists
- Retirees and their dependents
- Civil Service employees
- Exchange System employees and MWR
Purpose of Program
The Elder Care Resource Program is intended to provide
Elder Care information, and resources and referral service to members of
Team Coast Guard. The Coast Guard is committed to supporting member’s
needs to meet their family responsibilities by providing assistance in
communicating with elderly family members, providing a direct link to
elder care resources specifically located in their geographical locations
of need and providing information on advance preparation and planning. It
provides information on elder care support in an effort to prevent family
stressors, promote healthy Coast Guard communities, and assist in freeing
Coast Guard personnel and families from elder care concerns so they are
able to focus on the mission of the service. Information provided will
encourage self-reliance of families by increasing the skills and knowledge
needed to obtain the tools to address their immediate family needs.
Program Confidentiality
Discussions of the Elder Care Resource Program with Work-Life
personnel are confidential.
Definitions
Please refer to the
Handbook of Elder Care Resources for the Federal Workplace for definitions.
Services and Resources Available
In our efforts to provide enrichment and prevention services to Coast Guard
members and their families the Office of Work Life, Individual and Family
Support Division, is pleased to provide the following resources:
- Communicating with elderly family members - The
Caregiver’s Friend series, a multimedia approach, which offers
24/7 access to problem-solving techniques, active listening strategies,
and negotiation skills in the comfort of the member’s home on
communicating with elderly family members. Caregiver’s Friend: Sensitive
Conversations, and Caregiver’s Friend: Dealing with Dementia” on CD-ROM,
will guide you through the problem-solving process in a way that promotes
cooperation and respect while preserving trust and caring. Sensitive
Conversations provides a road map to minimize discord while maximizing a
viewer’s ability to handle personal emotions and successfully address
difficult topics with your aging love ones. Dealing with Dementia
efficiently routes viewers to the issues that are important to them and
offers help specifically tailored to their role in the family and their
relative’s level of dementia. These programs have been created with
funding from the National Institute on Aging. They present
state-of-the-art information that has been proven in randomized clinical
trials to ease the stress for employed family caregivers. A limited number
of these CDs are available for Team Coast Guard. A request for these
materials may be emailed to
Yvette.D.Wright@uscg.mil.
- Eldercare Locator - designed to help older adults and their
families and caregivers find their way through the maze of services for
seniors by identifying trustworthy local support resources. The goal is to
provide caregivers with the information and resources they need that will
help older persons live independently and safely in their homes and
communities for as long as possible. The toll-free telephone line is
1-800-677-1116 and the Web site is
www.eldercare.gov
- Information on advance preparation and planning - Five
Wishes is a framework for establishing advanced directives for end of
life care provides practical information, advice, and tools to help you
and those close to you plan and receive the care you want if you ever
become seriously ill and unable to make your own health care decisions.
This document will support Coast Guard families with information on
advance preparation and planning by guidance on discussing medical,
personal, emotional and spiritual needs of an individual. Five Wishes
encourages discussing your wishes with your family, physician and legal
advisor. Aging with Dignity -
http://www.agingwithdignity.org/. A limited amount of these materials
are available for Team Coast Guard. A request for these materials may be
emailed to
Yvette.D.Wright@uscg.mil
Related Program Information
The Coast Guard does not endorse the web sites listed below and has made
every attempt to ensure they are appropriate as resources for Team Coast
Guard. They are provided to help in your search for elder care information.
It is important to check references and to research programs found on the
web. DO NOT send monies to unidentified sources. Please email links that you
find not working or services not appropriate for members of Team Coast Guard
to the point of contact listed below.
Related Web Sites
The following web sites provide information related to Elder Care. The inks
below will take you the the specific Elder Care category.
Caregiver Resources
- Eldercare Locator
Need to Contact an Information Specialist? Call the
National Eldercare Locator: 1-800-677-1116 or use the web directory of aging information centers:
http://www.eldercare.gov/
Elder Care Assistance
-
Driving
-
Family Communications
-
In-Home Help
-
Legal Issues
-
Medicare
General Guides
National Family Caregiver Support Program
Non-Profit Caregiver Organizations
Other Caregiver Sites
Other Federal Government Programs
State Agency Caregiver Assistance Sites
Point of Contact
If you are unable to contact the Elder Care Specialist on your
Regional Work-Life Staff, or need additional
assistance beyond the information provided here, please contact the
Headquarters Elder Care
Program Manager: Ms. Yvette Wright at (202) 475-5159 or by
Email at Yvette.D.Wright@uscg.mil.