Moving Mama: Caring for Elderly Parents is all about the resources you need to deal with your elderly parent’s needs. Or, perhaps you are helping a mate, friend or other loved one. There are a lot of challenges to caregiving. Parents and loved ones become more frail as they age, often needing assistance. And, unfortunately, many people develop Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia as they become older and more frail. Moving Mama the website provides information, tools and resources to help you cope. And, Moving Mama, the book, offers a series of short stories in chapters that describe our caregiving experiences, which represent many of the challenges people face when caring for an elderly loved one. Chapters also include information, tools and resources related to the issues covered. You can read the book in its entirety, or pick up stories and resources as you need them.
Too often, caregivers find it hard to identify and locate resources. And, it’s sometimes tough to determine what might be covered by Medicare (Part A or Part B) and what requires additional insurance of out-of-pocket payment. Each community is different, but there are some core resources available in every state, and in most communities. Moving Mama: Caring for Elderly Parents provides information, tools and resources that address many needs that caregivers face.
I have been involved with aging and health care both professionally and personally for about thirty years. The Moving Mama website has sprung from a desire to share both personal and professional experiences.
For years, I lived in shared housing with Maggie Kuhn, who founded the Gray Panthers. She was my friend, mentor and spiritual guide. From her, I learned a great deal about passion, persistence and public policy. She had a compelling presence, razor sharp analysis, and was a fierce advocate for justice. She was deeply loyal to her friends and loved ones, and did not suffer fools lightly. She was instrumental in building a wave of public support for the passage of the Older Americans Act, and its revisions. I co-authored a book with Maggie, called Empowering Ministry in an Ageist Society, with Dieter Hessel as editor.
I am a consultant to nonprofit and government organizations as well as an ordained Presbyterian minister. I have worked with many communities to help them identify needs, analyze services and service gaps, and strengthen the service delivery infrastructure.Over the years, I have had the opportunity to work with many wonderful people in the areas of health and social research and policy, health systems planning, community service network development, and funding to support community services. I have conducted research and published a number of resources in these fields. A list of projects and publications is available on my Bio Page.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, my brothers and I provided care to our mother during her last years coping with Alzheimer’s disease. We were able to join forces and manage her care first in her home, then moving her to live very close to one brother with in-home supports, and finally to live with my other brother with regular in-home caregiving. It was exhausting and invaluable. All three of us would say that it was one of the most meaningful things we’ve done in our adult lives. It showed us a lot about human nature (hers and ours). We came face-to-face with limits. And the experience taught us a great deal about hope and the resilience and power of the human spirit, even when the mind dims.
I wish you all the best in your journey, and trust that the Moving Mama website will be a helpful resource for you.
Anne Hays Egan, Moving Mama:Caring for Elderly Parents
New Ventures Consulting
EzineArticles Expert Author
Helpful Links:
- Older Adult Demographic Trends: Get Ready to Rock Your World
- Workplace Elder Care Resources
- Moving Mama
- Core Community Resources
- Nonprofits Online