Preface
This Caregivers Guide is a five-section resource adapted from the
Pennsylvania Second Edition of Caregivers Practical Help and now
revised to make it New Jersey specific and published with the printed
permission in the Pennsylvania Second Edition. This version does
not include the resource section of the original publication as
New Jersey resources are given elsewhere on this website.
Although this manual was originally designed as a training course
to be conducted by trainers equipped with a companion Instruction
Guide, the New York State Office for the Aging effectively revised
the material to make it very useful to caregivers even without a
formally led training situation.
Objectives
- Increase understanding and knowledge of the aging process.
- Understand the psychological and medical problems associated
with aging.
- Acquire personal care skills.
- Identify and resolve common problems associated with caregiving.
- Acquire a greater knowledge of community resources and their
functions.
- Develop and express ways to help themselves while assisting
elderly relatives maintain active and productive lives.
The Pennsylvania Second Edition
Pennsylvania's Second Edition of Caregivers Practical Help was
published with the permission and cooperation of the New York State
Office for the Aging. In adapting New York's Fifth Edition of Caregivers
Practical Help, the Pennsylvania Department of Aging sought only
to make the necessary revisions to make it a Pennsylvania-specific
resource for caregivers of older Pennsylvanians.
New York Edition
The original Caregivers Practical Help was a six-session course
developed by the New York State Office for the Aging. It was designed
especially for those individuals who provide care to their homebound
elderly relatives and friends and who need practical information
and skills to support their caregiving role. The course helps caregivers
identify and use community services. It provides an opportunity
to acquire personal care skills and knowledge about the issues related
to caregiving. It is the intent of the course to help reduce caregivers'
stress, enable them to provide better care and avoid the unnecessary
institutionalization of their homebound elderly. It is also written
for the elderly who want to learn more about themselves, their peers,
and the aging process.
Caregivers Practical Help was developed, produced and distributed
by the New York State Office for the Aging. William Spellecy, Project
coordinator, and Richard Wendover, Associate Public Information
Specialist, were responsible for production and editing. In Buffalo,
Colleen M. Karuza, MA, was copy editor. Special thanks to: Governor
George E. Pataki, Governor of New York State; Nicholas Rogone, Director
of the State Office for the Aging's Program Implementation and Evaluation
Unit, Richard Killian of the State Office for the Aging's Caregiver's
Assistance Program and to the staff of the many organizations which
have contributed to the development of Caregivers Practical Help:
Multidisciplinary Center for the Study of Aging, State University
of New York at Buffalo; SPS HealthCare, Inc., Buffalo, Erie County
Dept. of Senior Services, Buffalo, NY, the Lighthouse National Center
for Vision and Aging, New York, NY; Buffalo Hearing and Speech Center,
Buffalo, NY; and the Nassau County Department of Senior Citizen
Affairs, Caregiver Resource Center, for their assistance in printing.
Primary Sources of Information
Three publications were used as resources in developing the original
curriculum and this revised version:
- A Model Curriculum and Teaching Guide for the Instruction of
the Homemaker-Home Health Aide, developed by the National Council
for Homemaker-Home Health Aide Services, Inc., with a grant from
the Department of Health and Human Services;
- As Parents Grow Older - A Manual for Program Replication, developed
by the Institute of Gerontology, University of Michigan, supported
in part by a grant from the Administration on Aging.
- A Healthy Old Age: A Sourcebook for Health Promotion with Older
Adults, developed by the Center for Social Welfare Research, School
of Social Work, University of Washington, with a grant from the
Administration on Aging.
This guide is not intended to be a substitute
for appropriate medical, legal, and financial consultation
or advice in specific situations. The New Jersey Department
of Health and Senior Services recommends that caregivers seek
professional advice or training for their personal situations. |
|
Back
to top of this page
