Caring for aging parents can be mentally difficult to navigate.
It’s why Eudora Community Navigator Laura Smith thinks more resources are needed to provide support.
“You’re in this weird spot where you’re thinking, ‘My parents did everything for me. They raised me and they took care of me, and I need to be there for them to do the same,’” Smith said. “It’s really hard, a lot of pressure and it can really take over your life if you don’t navigate it correctly.”
Caregivers will have a new resource in Eudora in collaboration with the Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging when a new monthly support group begins meeting at 3 p.m. July 13 at Homestead of Eudora. Smith hopes to continue hosting a group each second Thursday of the month.
Michele Dillon, caregiver support specialist for Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging, reached out to Smith thinking it would be perfect to have this resource in Eudora. Dillon hosts two similar groups in Lawrence and one in Baldwin, and said there was no reason why people should have to go out of Eudora to attend a group.
Dillon said she doesn’t want caregivers in Eudora to feel left out or that no one is there for them. The main goal of the group is to create meaningful connections and relatability.
“They just need to know there’s a place for that,” Dillon said. “I think sometimes the more rural communities feel like they can do things themselves. They are afraid to ask for help or they don’t feel like they should.”
If community members who work during the day express interest in having an evening group, Dillon said it could be possible to find a location to meet later in the day. She said evening groups had previously lacked enough interest, but she would be open to the idea if residents were eager.
About one in five adult children provide care to aging parents at some point, according to a study by the Center for Retirement Research.
Smith has been approached by adult children looking for resources and support as they care for their aging parents, and thought that a support group would be a way for people to connect with those going through similar situations.
While people may consider the physical resources, it is important to also remember major life changes, like moving in with your parents and caring for them, can have a significant toll on mental health, she said. It is much more of a common situation than people realize, Smith said.
“Mental health can also look like people that are going though the same thing that you’re going through,” Smith said. “Just someone that knows what this looks like and wants to be there for you and is a friend and wants to say,‘Hey let’s step outside of this and go get a coffee.’”
Dillon and Smith strategized what would yield the most benefit for Eudora caregivers. They decided that by hosting the events at Homestead of Eudora, caregivers with relatives there could easily stop by while visiting loved ones.
Smith said people can stop by for however long they feel comfortable whether that’s five minutes or an hour.
The group aims to provide advice, friendship, positive reinforcement and other resources.
Megan Poindexter, executive director of the Douglas County Senior Resource Center, said caregiver groups are a huge asset to communities, and will serve a necessary purpose in Eudora.
“One of the most important aspects of a local caregiver support group is that it gives easy access to individuals who need to be involved,” Poindexter said. “This is because it’s so challenging for someone who’s a caregiver to get away from home to begin with.”
Poindexter is glad Jayhawk Area Agency in Agency will cater to an area that could benefit from having its own support group.
“The Senior Resource Center has seen so much benefit from the caregiver support group that we have hosted for years, and as a program that wants to support seniors throughout Douglas County, we’re so excited and grateful that JAAA is able to offer this program in our community,” she said.
If people are unable to make it to a support group, Dillon is available to help caregivers find resources at 785-235-1367 Ext. 129.
Anyone is welcome to attend the support group meetings, and no sign up is required. Anyone with questions can call 785-235-1367.
Reach reporter Sara Maloney at [email protected]
