Meals on Wheels of Rockwall County offers tips and tools for caregivers

ROCKWALL COUNTY, TX – Oct. 13, 2020 – Meals on Wheels Senior Services offers a range of information and educational materials of tips and tools for family caregivers, plus information on agencies and organizations that provide caregiver support.

Contacting MOWSS is the first step towards seeking support and maintaining a healthy balance between the caregivers own self-sufficiency and their responsibilities. It is easy to become overwhelmed as a new caregiver.

Here are some steps that can help:

FIRST STEPS FOR NEW CAREGIVERS

Identify yourself as a caregiver
Get a good diagnosis—from a specialist or geriatrician if necessary—of your loved one’s health condition
Learn what specific skills you might need to care for someone with this diagnosis (Caring for someone with Frontotemporal dementia, for example, is different from caring for someone with chronic heart disease)
Talk about finances and healthcare wishes
Complete legal paperwork, e.g., Powers of Attorney, Advance Directives
Bring family and friends together to discuss care
Keep them up to date on the current situation
Identify resources, both personal and in the community
Find support for yourself and your loved one
Remember, you are not alone

For more information, call Meals on Wheels Senior Services of Rockwall County, 972-771-9514.

Information provided by Meals on Wheels Senior Services of Rockwall County. The North Central Texas Area Agency on Aging serves adults age 60 and older and their family caregivers who live in Collin, Denton, Ellis, Erath, Hood, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Navarro, Palo Pinto, Parker, Rockwall, Somervell, and Wise counties.

Our print edition is delivered free to ~15,500 homes in Rockwall and Heath, TX.