Resources for caregivers and aging parents.
Most communities have organizations that can help caregivers and the older adults they are caring for, you just have to find them.
AGE of Central Texas serves the Austin area with activities, resources like an equipment closet, adult day activity and health center and more.
They also have events like She Thrives – a free conference available in-person and online on November 9th for caregivers.
Kim & Mike Barnes of Parenting Aging Parents talk with Rob Faubion of AGE about the many resources available here and in other cities.
You can get more information about the conference at www.AgeSheThrives.com. Or check out AGE of Central Texas www.AGEofCentralTX.org.
If you’re not in the Austin area, look for a similar group in your area.
Read the full transcript
Transcript of Interview: “Resources for Caregivers & Aging Parents”
Kim Barnes: Looking for resources and help to help our aging parents is challenging because there actually are a lot of services out there, both nonprofit and paid services that you can hire. The challenge is that you don’t even know what you’re looking for.
Mike Barnes: Yeah, you don’t know what’s available, where to find it, or even what you need.
Exactly, and you can’t just Google it. It’s not that easy sometimes to know what to Google.
Absolutely, what the words to use, I guess you could say.
Mike Barnes: Rob Faubion of Age of Central Texas joins us now to talk about some of the things that are going on. Age is so great at helping people in Central Texas, and I know it’s like that with other services around the country as well.
Rob Faubion: That is correct. Age of Central Texas is a homegrown local nonprofit organization here in Central Texas. We were founded 35 years ago by some of the civic leaders in the community who were aging themselves and realized there weren’t a lot of resources to help both older adults and family caregivers navigate their journey. So they created Age of Central Texas to help out with that. Over the years, we’ve grown and expanded, now serving the four-county region.
Mike Barnes: But as you mentioned, it’s often very difficult for caregivers and older adults to find the resources they need. Our industry has grown substantially, and a lot of times, you don’t know what questions to ask. You know what the problem is, but not what questions to ask to help solve them.
Kim Barnes: Wow, right. Tell us a little bit about some of the services and resources that are available through Age of Central Texas.
Rob Faubion: Most certainly. We have six major programs that serve both older adults and family caregivers over the four-county region. Our goal is to help older adults continue to thrive as they age. We know as we age, we sometimes encounter cognitive issues such as dementia or other types of neurological issues. Our bodies start slowing down, we start having physical issues, yet our need to have a purpose in life never stops. Age helps older adults find the resources that help them continue to thrive and hopefully stay in their homes as long as possible.
Rob Faubion: We have programs that assist with that, such as giving away free durable medical equipment to anybody who needs it—walkers, wheelchairs, shower transfer benches, and items like that. For older adults with cognitive or physical issues that make it difficult for them to stay at home by themselves, we have our Thrive Social and Wellness Centers located here in Central Texas that provide daycare for older adults, so they can have a fulfilling and vibrant day safely and then be able to return home in the evening.
Rob Faubion: We have a Navigation Center that helps both older adults and caregivers find the resources they need throughout the community. For caregivers, we have a lot of resources, education, conferences, and programs to help them gain the knowledge, expertise, and support they need in their caregiving journey. Becoming a caregiver is just something that happens; it’s not something you necessarily train for or learn about before you need to.
Kim Barnes: That is so true. I was speaking to a group of elementary school students last week about aging and caregiving. I was trying to make it relevant for kids who are not even teens yet. I asked them how many of them, when they get to high school, are going to take driver’s ed to learn to drive a car and get their driver’s license. All their hands went up. I said, okay, now how many of you, when you get older, are going to have your parents move into your home and take care of them for the rest of their lives? You might have to quit your job to do it. How many of you are going to do that? Of course, none of their hands went up. Here’s the reality: for every person out there driving a car, that’s how many people are helping care for somebody else. But the difference is you learn to drive a car, but nobody really teaches you how to be a caregiver, and that’s why we exist.
Mike Barnes: That’s why we make so many mistakes along the way, I guess.
Rob Faubion: Absolutely, which is fine. One thing caregivers have is a fear of making the wrong choice in their caregiving journey. We always tell caregivers, there’s not a right or wrong decision; it’s the one you make with the information you have at the time. You don’t look back two years later and say, “I wish I had known.” You didn’t have that information, so you make your best decisions and keep going.
Kim Barnes: We joked about Google at the very beginning of this interview, but seriously, we have people in this group from all over the country. Having something in Central Texas doesn’t help them, but what do we Google if we live in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, or anywhere in between? What do we Google to find out if we have something like Age where we live?
Rob Faubion: There is an organization that is the federal pass-through money of the Older Americans Act. It’s your tax dollars funding an organization called the Area Agency on Aging. Every major city has one, and some cities have more than one. The goal is that every square inch of the U.S. is covered by at least one Area Agency on Aging. You can search for “Area Agency on Aging” and your zip code, and it will tell you which one serves you. They provide not only resources and information for all the services available throughout the community, but they also provide services themselves, including caregiver education and resources. A lot of them have budget money where they can pay for certain things for caregivers, such as respite if you need to take a break or go on vacation but don’t know what to do with Mom. They can help you fund that. They can pay for things like building ramps on the house as your aging needs change. They can connect you with all the services that exist where you are. They should be one of your first stops when you’re looking online. Search “Area Agency on Aging” and put in your zip code. Their services are absolutely free because you paid for them.
Kim Barnes: Interesting, good to know. That will be a great help. In Central Texas, there is a very exciting summit coming up. What’s great is that if you are in Central Texas, you can come in person, but if you are not in Central Texas, you can attend virtually. Tell us about the She Thrives Summit.
Rob Faubion: That is correct. Age is launching an inaugural summit this year called She Thrives, geared primarily for women because we know that many times the caregiver in a family is a woman. Not always—I’m a caregiver for my parents, who still live independently, and I also care for my partner, who has developed dementia early in his life. But for the most part, traditionally, women take on the caregiving journey, often to their disadvantage because they end up having to give up their careers to take care of their families. We created the She Thrives Summit to help women particularly in this journey. It will be on November 9th, in person and broadcast live on Zoom, so you can join us virtually from wherever you are. We’re going to have three major sessions with some top experts in the area discussing financial issues that come with caregiving so women can be prepared, mental health issues, and a panel of amazing caregivers from all spectrums of the journey.
Mike Barnes: Does it last all day? Is there a schedule posted on the website?
Rob Faubion: It’s a half-day event. It begins in the morning and ends right around lunchtime. You can go to the website to find the full schedule, all the information, and register for free. It’s very simple: age she thrives dot com.
Kim Barnes: We will definitely post the link in the description as well, so people know about it. Good to know and emphasize that it is free. Any caregiver out there can get tips, tricks, and hear from experts about various subjects to help them. It doesn’t cost a thing to get this valuable information.
Rob Faubion: Absolutely true. Post-event, Age of Central Texas offers many workshops, webinars, and conferences throughout the year, both in person and broadcast live. We put recordings on our YouTube channel, so no matter where you are, we’ve got resources that can assist you. Our website is filled with videos and resources you can access at any time.
Kim Barnes: It’s so good to know what resources are available. Thanks so much for sharing with us today.
Rob Faubion: My pleasure, thank you for the opportunity.
Kim Barnes: They’re out there; we just have to know how to find them.
Mike Barnes: You can’t just Google “how do I help my parents.” You need to know exactly what to look for, and that helped a lot. That summit will be helpful for so many people.
Kim Barnes: Absolutely. We hope that if you have other questions or topics you’d like us to cover, you will let us know, and we will continue to share those with you.
*This transcript is auto-generated. Please excuse any typos or mistakes.