“I am exhausted emotionally and physically,” my friend reported. She has been the primary caregiver of her aging mother. As a child of an aging parent or family member our deepest heart strings are pulled and tugged every which way. Aging is not for the faint of heart or easy for their family members.
At Garbage Guy, we offer our love and support to our friends and neighbors who are traveling this road. We hope to give a helping hand to those who are starting this journey and in the middle of the heavy lifting of caregiving.
Caregivers of the aging are particularly vulnerable to sinking their own ship if they neglect their own physical and emotional health. They need time for self-care. That is where adult services come in. Adult services are found in every city and have a range of services for aging adults offering rides, meals, companionship, activities. These services give caregivers much needed breaks and rejuvenation.
As a community we can also help lift their burdens with meeting their needs such as mowing a lawn, weeding a garden, taking laundry to the cleaners, etc. They also need time out of the space they are often tied to 24/7. One of the limitations of a caregiver getting self-care is the dependent adult has limited ability to trust and understand their daily happenings. Dependent adults can become agitated and fearful if they don’t know who is sitting with and attending them. Getting to know and spend time with our aging community allows us to give caregivers the support they need. A meal and time away while someone they trust and know attends their family member can be very helpful.
We have gleaned some 5-star resources to help you with the work you are doing. The team at Garbage Guy supports and celebrates the heroes and heroines of caregiving.
Adult Services
Caring.com has links and information for seniors and caregivers
Granny Nannies | Senior Care Phoenix AZ (602) 536-9680
www.grannynannies.com
The Perfect Place by Oakwood Creative Care (480) 895-2892
www.oakwoodcreativecare.org
Wheelchair/Stretcher Vans (cash/credit/debit payment upfront)
Arizona Medical Transit (dispatch out of Tucson) (520) 792-0944
AZ Med (does not service Florence) (602) 614-1042
Desert Medical Transport 6 am-6pm, (480) 987-6600
Queen Creek – all east valley
HealthLift of Arizona (PRN Florence) (602) 298-1818
Med Star (may not service Florence) (480) 659-6807/ (602) 469-2149
Quality Transport Services (QTS) (602) 371-1000/ (602) 230-1414
