What is University of Kentucky Elder Care?
University of Kentucky Elder Care is a free employee benefit established to support regular full-time and part-time UK faculty, staff, retirees and their spouses nationwide who help their parents, spouses and other older family members. Our staff can assist by providing information, consultation, guidance, referrals, and by helping caregivers to plan ahead. The Elder Care Program has assisted employees with elders in 46 states.Elder Care's staff basically "never says no" to a request for information. In addition to the general information covered in the "Elder Care Resource Guide for Caregivers" the staff has compiled extensive reference materials on virtually everything, including such areas as medical services, power of attorney and other legal matters, senior education programs, home-safety, alternative housing options, long-term care and Alzheimer's Disease. Get as much information as possible now, before a crisis. Pre-planning decreases stress! Elder Care advises employees to start by reading the "Elder Care Guide" which is available by calling the office at 323-4600. Gathering basic information now and preparing for emergencies can have its own rewards.
A confidential discussion with an aging expert may have great benefit. New ideas could affect how you use your time and how you feel. Through personalized telephone consultation, our staff helps employees put their situations into perspective. Elder Care furnishes other care options or assures you of what you are doing. If needed, we can help employees work through feelings of fear, anger, resentment or guilt that can arise when helping older family members.
Save time by calling Elder Care! When services, equipment or special-care facilities are needed, referrals are individually researched, regardless of where a relative lives. The referrals usually are mailed within three working days to the employee. Then, a staff member follows up to make sure referrals are satisfactory. Although Elder Care staff members cannot endorse specific services, they can help with the selection process by answering questions and finding additional information about the referrals.
