The Elder Parent Support Group
 For
some time we and others at Beth El have been looking for a way to assist
those adult members whose parents are facing difficult choices and problems
at the later phase of their life. Our wish is be helpful, supportive
and responsive, drawing upon the membership and ultimately the leadership
in a re-enforcing effort. To that end, following discussions with Rabbi
Isserow and Sue Abramson, we are embarking on a program which is open
to all members of Beth El.
The Elder Parent Support Group is
now meeting monthly at our home in Annandale. We chose this location
to keep the group informal. No one will take notes or record anything
that is discussed and you do not have to register. We just need to know
that you are coming to make sure that our cookie and coffee count is
on target.
The group's sole purpose is to share advice and resource
information for those adults who are presently involved in some form
of care (as care-giver) to their parent(s) and to those who are not
yet involved but who want/need to begin to prepare for when the time
comes for them to begin to be the care-giver. Look upon this as a neighbor-to-neighbor
or friend-to-friend support group, where anyone can participate. It
will be an open discussion where people will raise questions, listen
and share personal experiences on how to get further advice, assistance,
information, and help for contending with adult inter-generational problems.
Do you want to know how to get help when parent(s)
live in a different state? What can hospice do for your parent(s)? Does
it help or look cold to hire an elder care-giver or elder lawyer? How
can I make my parent(s) feel at ease when moving them to an assisted
care or nursing home facility? All are part of what we will cover.
This group will also help you realize that you are
not alone.
We have collected a package of informational and assistive
materials over the past years that will be available to anyone who attends.
It is free. This package includes professionals writing about:
- Legal and Financial Perspectives for the Sandwich Generation
- Parents and Child Both over 55
- Strategies for Inter-generational Problem-Solving
- Medicare and Managed Care
- The Ethics of End-of-Life Decision Making
- Background on Hospice
- and much more resource material.
This group can meet once or twice a month, depending
on what those present decide. Again, the idea is for the support group
to be empathic and experience-sharing. We are fortunate to have members
of the congregation who are professionally trained to give you precise
guidance on these issues. The purpose of the support group is not to
supplant or replace that professional help.
We are not professionals but we have been through this
experience four separate times and had to fend for ourselves because
we had no prior knowledge of who to turn to. This is just friendly information……shared
freely…….and there is no test. Call us at (703) 323-8554
or email us at:
if you would like to join us or just have questions.
- Sue & Steve Rabin
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