Great Web sites when aging parents need help
Mar 26th, 2008 by Jeannie Krause-Taylor
- Story Highlights
- Internet can help you find qualified, trustworthy in-home care for aging parents
- Empowered Patient this week does a lot of the searching for you
- Government and privately run sites match service providers to your needs
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/family/03/20/ep.family.care/index.html?iref=nextin
I am including an excerpt of this great article I just read on the CNN website, by Elizabeth Cohen, CNN Empowered Patient, a regular feature from CNN Medical News correspondent Elizabeth Cohen, helps put you in the driver’s seat when it comes to health care.
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) — There are a lot of Marys in Mary Jane McGill’s extended family, so each one gets a special name. Mary who lives in Roslindale, Massachusetts, is “Mary Rozy.” Mary from Everett, Massachusetts, is called “Mary Everett.” And McGill? She’s “Mary Google.”
When Mary Nee, back second from left. needed an in-home caregiver, her daughter turned to the Internet.
“I use it for everything,” McGill says of the search engine. “My family kids me about it.”
One day last week, McGill used Google in a way even she never dreamed of: to find care for her mother, who has Alzheimer’s disease and suddenly needed someone living at her house 24/7. Her search quickly turned up a number of the many resources that can help you connect with in-home help for a parent who’s aging, ill or both. And this week, Empowered Patient will save you some searching time.
But these days, more and more people are using the Internet to find a caregiver instead of, or along with, traditional methods of finding care, such as asking friends and family. Here, from caregiving experts, are Web sites that link you to caregivers, plus sites that offer other services.
1. To find a caregiver in your area, visit these sites.
2. Tips for selecting a caregiver
3. A geriatric care manager may help.
4. Find home health care experts where you live.
5. Set up a Web site for your family.
Baby boomers and older adults are increasingly using the internet to access information about aging, caregiving, resources, and even for support. Our goal is that you will come to see the Pathways for Aging website as one of your tools and resources for helping you to access what you need in navigating the challenges and rewards of aging.
