CARE FOR THE CAREGIVER

Where to find help fulfilling a necessary but exhausting role

“… All those who try to go it sole alone, Too proud to be beholden for relief, Are absolutely sure to come to grief.” — Robert Frost • It’s the conundrum of the sandwich generation: As those in their 50s, 60s, sometimes even 70s, struggle to care for elderly parents and loved ones, who cares for the aging, overwhelmed caregivers?

Help may be coming in a new pilot program starting this fall hosted by the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh. Officials there said it will provide caregivers with tools to stay healthier and happier in the caregiving journey.

The free classes will be held once a week for 12 weeks at JCC centers in Squirrel Hill and Scott. The program, developed by the National Council on Aging, is called “Aging Mastery Program for Caregivers through AgeWell at the JCC,” and participants don’t have to be JCC members to sign up for this or any of the center’s myriad programs.

“We talk about the need of the caregiver to care for themselves,” said

Alexis Winsten Mancuso, assistant director of the JCC. “Caregivers often do not think that they need support and help.”

Class topics will include tips on proper nutrition, exercise, sleep and financial planning. Discussions also will be held on ways to avoid burnout, how to communicate with doctors, and where to turn for help.

Caregivers will be urged to “get yourself out of crisis and find the resources you need,” Ms. Mancuso said.

Each participant will get a book, discussion guide and links to online resources to help the caregiver and the person they care for, she said.

Classes will be 60 to 90 minutes long. Dates and times of classes have not been set yet, but those who are interested in attending can contact Sharon Feinman, assistant director of Agewell, at sfeinman@jccpgh.org or 412-697-3533.

A $132,542 state grant to JCC will fund the program. It’s one of 43 grants given to senior community centers across the state. Grants from the Pennsylvania Department of Aging totaled more than $2 million. The money comes from the Pennsylvania Lottery.

The need for help for caregivers is growing, according to statistics from the Pennsylvania Health Care Association, based in Harrisburg. Pennsylvania now has 2.2 million residents age 65 and older. The state ranks fourth among all states in that statistic, as well as numbers of residents age 85 and older. This older demographic is, of course, the group most in need of personal care.

By 2030, Pennsylvania’s age 60 and older cohort is expected to be 29 percent of the population — approximately 4 million people. The number of Pennsylvanians age 85 and older is expected to exceed 400,000 residents in 2030.

The association estimates that 70 percent of those now turning 65 will require long-term care in their lifetime, and they will receive care for an average of three years.

Volunteer Mindy Spitzer of Mt. Lebanon places a call from the Jewish Community Center in Scott to check on the well-being of a senior citizen. The calls are made through the JCC Checkmates program and provide a brief respite for caregivers.

Lydia Mance, 90, of Upper St. Clair, exercises in a class at the Jewish Community Center in Scott.

Lake Fong/Post-Gazette photos Cathryn Coblin, 74, of Mt. Lebanon, front, exercises with other seniors at the Jewish Community Center in Scott.

Sandi Smelko, 69, of Carnegie, takes part in an exercise class for seniors at the center.