Help for Caregivers
Help for Caregivers
The caregiver services team consists of registered nurses, social workers, therapists and chaplains. They help people who need care remain in their homes in an appropriate and secure manner that allows for self-determination through family consultation, personalized assessment and individualized care plans.
To provide the best possible care for a loved one, caregivers often sacrifice their own physical and emotional needs. The experiences involved with providing care can strain even the most capable person. The resulting feelings of anger, anxiety, sadness, isolation, exhaustion—and then guilt for having these feelings—can exact a heavy toll.
Caregiver Coaching
Caregiver Coaching works with caregivers to help them make changes to improve everyday life at home; whether by promoting better self-care or by offering tips to deal with their loved one’s disease-related challenges. Caregiver Coaching also works directly with people in the early stage of their disease to plan for their own future.
Contact Bonnie Jaffe via email at bjaffe@jfssp.org or by phone at (651) 497-8248 for more information.
This service is free; however, donations are accepted and appreciated.
Caregiver Support Groups
JFS also offers Caregiver Support Groups that meet via Zoom on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. This is not a drop-in group. Contact Tara Burns at (763) 300-3146 or by email to learn more and see if this would be a good fit for you.
Crash Course for Caregivers
A new 6-class series, Crash Course for Caregivers, is also available to help caregivers. These classes will be part educational and part participatory with an opportunity for caregivers to learn from and share with each other. They are free and will all be offered from noon to 1:00 p.m. at Sholom in St. Paul. Click here for dates and topics.
The classes will be co-led by JFS psychotherapist and Caregiver Support Group facilitator Tara Burns, LPCC. Working with adults across the life span, her passion is providing services to individuals living with grief, loss, depression, anxiety, life changes and adjusting to illness and chronic pain. Her group experience involves facilitating support for bereavement, caregivers, and healing through art workshops.
JFS Senior Services Care Coordinator Bonnie Jaffe, RN, will also co-lead the Crash Course for Caregivers classes. Bonnie is a registered nurse with many years of hospital experience prior to joining JFS in 2008. In her role at JFS, Bonnie provides caregiver coaching, family consultations, and leads the JFS grief and caregiver support groups. She is also a certified instructor for Powerful Tools for Caregivers, Reach Community for Caregivers and Dementia Friends presenter. Bonnie is trained by Honoring Choices of MN to assist people in completing advance care directives.
Care Coordination
You can work with our Care Coordination team who become the primary coordinators for the delivery of multiple services. If you live far from your loved one or have daily demands on your time, you can rely on a JFS Care Coordinator to provide transportation to medical appointments and serve as your loved one’s advocate during the appointment if needed. The coordinator can also provide wellness checks.
Clear and detailed reports and education on their condition will be provided after each contact with your loved one.
Care coordination is tailored to your unique situation and typically involves significant in-person interaction with the client and caregivers.
Contact Bonnie Jaffe via email at bjaffe@jfssp.org or by phone at (651) 497-8248 for more information.
This service is available on a sliding fee scale.
Care Planning
Care Planning is offered as a one hour meeting that will help you and your loved one clearly articulate and prioritize the challenges. This may sound obvious, but it is easy to lose sight of what is most critical when faced with myriad problems.
Additionally, seniors can be resistant to help while their caregiver can unintentionally try to take away their control over their own lives. An objective professional can guide everyone through problem and solution identification.
The planner will then provide you with a prioritized step-by-step list of the actions that need to be taken to ensure client safety and comfort. From homemaking, personal care, nursing, meal delivery and transportation, help is available. The planner will work through a manageable division of responsibilities. Family, friends, neighbors and professionals can all play a role in your loved one’s care.
Contact Bonnie Jaffe via email at bjaffe@jfssp.org or by phone at (651) 497-8248 for more information.
This service is $140 for the one hour meeting.
Advance Directive/Care Planning
Advance Directive/Care Planning is making decisions about the healthcare you would want to receive if you happen to become unable to speak for yourself. These are your decisions to make, regardless of what you choose for your care, and the decisions are based on your personal values, preferences and discussions with your loved ones.
Advance care planning can help alleviate unnecessary suffering, improve quality of life and provide better understanding of the decision-making challenges facing the individual and their caregivers. An advance care plan can be used at any stage of life.
The Advanced Care Planning services available at JFS include working with our certified professionals. They will guide you through the completion of all the necessary documents to ensure your wishes are respected and followed. They will work with and counsel your family to the degree you choose.
Contact Bonnie Jaffe via email at bjaffe@jfssp.org or by phone at (651) 497-8248 for more information.
The fee for this service is $95.