Elder/Adult Dependent Care

Caregiver Care and Elder Abuse

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Admit your feelings if you're tired, isolated, helpless, angry, resentful or guilty. Talk to someone, join a support group and share concerns, especially with your elder, if possible. Support groups are also great places to get tips and resources. You can find them through hospital senior services, religious service organizations such as Jewish Family and Children's Services and Catholic Charities, the United Way, hospices and Area Agency on Aging offices. Also check with the Family Caregiver Alliance and Alzheimer's Association, as well as UC Berkeley's CARE Services. Most groups are free or very low cost and meet weekly, or at least regularly. See the Eldercare Community Resources in this Guide.

Set reasonable expectations for yourself. Don't think you have to be all things to all people at all times. Set limits with your family, friends and parents, and stick to them.

Take care of yourself physically. Eat right, get exercise, use relaxation techniques. Try to keep regularity in your life. You are entitled to the same good care you are giving to other people.

Avoid destructive ways of coping such as alcohol, overeating or drug misuse.

Seek help when you need it, from family and friends, professionals and employers. You don't have to do it all yourself.

Maintain as many social activities and contacts as you can. Make personal time and plan occasions for your own pleasure and renewal.

Allow yourself a full range of feelings and don't be hard on yourself. Begin to acknowledge your own aging process, the losses and gains in your own life. Most of all, remember that there's no right or wrong way to do this work.

Elder Abuse
There is no universally accepted definition of the phrase " elder abuse, " and state statutes vary considerably. However, it is generally agreed that elder abuse can involve any of the following: physical abuse, psychological/emotional abuse, financial abuse, neglect, and abandonment. For more information on elder abuse, contact the Adult Protective Services office in the county where the elder resides. If the elder is in a board and care home or long-term facility, contact the Ombudsman in the county where the home or facility is located.

Click these links to view elder/adult dependent care topics.
Elder/Adult Care Main Page | Where to Begin | Setting Up a Care Plan | Home and Day Care | Family Homes and Assisted Living | Retirement Communities and Nursing Homes | Financial/Legal Concerns and Care Insurance| Planning for Disasters or Medical Emergencies| Dying, Death, Funerals and Grief | Resource Page |

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