A new program is available locally for people who need help in
caring for an aged or infirm loved one. Because statistics show
family members provide about 80 percent of home care nationwide,
Catholic Charities of San Jose is expanding its highly regarded Day
Break Respite to South County to assist families of all faiths.
A new program is available locally for people who need help in caring for an aged or infirm loved one. Because statistics show family members provide about 80 percent of home care nationwide, Catholic Charities of San Jose is expanding its highly regarded Day Break Respite to South County to assist families of all faiths.

There are many helpful aspects to this program:

• In-home respite offers caregivers an opportunity to be “off duty” while the loved one is in the care of a trained volunteer. This is a chance to get out of the house for a change of scenery or to take care of personal matters.

• Escorted travel provides a trained volunteer who will take the dependent on trips for shopping, medical appointments or other needs.

Both of these services are available in two to four hour blocks of time on a weekly basis. The financial contribution asked is only $150 per year, which can be reduced based on family income. (By way of contrast, private agencies charge $16 to $18 per hour for similar services.) These volunteers not only are fully trained, but they are finger-printed, given TB tests, and their backgrounds are checked with law enforcement agencies.

• A caregiver training workshop is being offered at Gilroy Presbyterian Church, 6000 Miller Ave., Nov. 15 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This is an opportunity for family members and paraprofessionals to learn skills associated with assisting a dependent elder. Topics covered include safety with physical transfers (lifting and walking techniques), general safety, infection control, listening, spiritual care and access to other community services.

This training will be conducted in collaboration between Catholic Charities and the Health Trust of San Jose. Participants will receive a Care Giving Training Workbook and a completion certificate. The cost is $20.

• A caregiver support group meets the third Friday of each month at Gilroy’s St. Francis Center, 7950 Church St. There is no cost to participate; guest speakers in relevant fields provide helpful information, and participants share experiences, problems and solutions.

• The Daybreak Respite Center is located at St. Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic Church, 5111 San Felipe Road in the Evergreen area of San Jose. This complex includes a patio overlooking Silicon Valley, a small vineyard and wild turkeys wandering nearby. It provides participants with a structured, safe, comprehensive program of social, recreational and educational activities targeting older adults who are lonely, bored, physically fragile or experiencing memory problems.

Such adult day support can increase elders’ independence, allowing them to remain at home rather than being confined to a nursing facility. Services offered include individual assessments, interactive social, educational and recreational programs, daily exercise, music, reminiscing, medication reminders, hot lunch and snacks. Fees for this service also are on a sliding scale.

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