Shownotes
Lynn Dobb, Community Education and Outreach Manager, and Tammy Smith, Caregiver Support Program Manager, start with an overview of COAAA’s Community Education and Outreach department. Then we do a deep dive into the services and supports we provide to caregivers through consultations, education, support groups, and funding.
Let me know what you think of this podcast, as well as any ideas you have for an episode. Email me at kwhite@coaaa.org!
Copyright 2024 Central Ohio Area Agency On Aging
Transcripts
Welcome to Pretend I Know Nothing About I'm Katie White, your host administrator of COAAA. On today's episode, we are talking all things caregiving. We are joined by Tammy Smith, Caregiver Support Program Manager and Lynn Dobb to Community Education and Outreach Manager. Let's get into it. Well, welcome. Good morning.
Lynn [:Good morning.
Katie White [:Thanks for being here today. Before we get right into the real business here, do you mind doing an introduction? Your name and your role here. We'll start with you, Lynn.
Lynn [:Sure. My name is Lynn Dobb and I manage the Community Education and Outreach Team.
Katie White [:Thank you. And how about you, Tammy?
Tammy [:I'm Tammy Smith. I'm with the Caregiving program and I am the actual Caregiver Program manager.
Katie White [:Great, thank you. So one of the things that I think we need to start with is with Lynn and kind of give us an overview of everything underneath the Education and Community Engagement Community Outreach Department. That way we have a full picture of which the Caregiving program is one of those. So can you give us an overview, Lynn?
Lynn [:Sure. So community education and outreach is multifaceted. We have Medicare outreach for people new to Medicare or people that need information on Medicare. We have our Housing Outreach Program to help those that are in a fragile state in their housing. We have our National Family Caregiver Support Program. We have community Education, which includes our healthy, well and wise and evidence based programs, chronic disease self management, chronic pain self management, and chronic diabetes self management. We additionally have our Professional Education program where continuing education is offered for professionals, specifically social workers, nurses, nursing home administrators. And we also do a lot of training in the area of drive, which means for anybody that is certified to receive government dollars to be able to transport individuals, they have to go through a drive education class. And so as you can hear, there are lots of different components to the Education Outreach Team, and each person has their own role. We are very much supportive of each other, but everybody has a distinct focus.
Katie White [:It's one of those departments that has a lot of subject matter experts. And so if there's a call that comes in that's for Medicare, we know that is going to Andy or John. Right. And that is where they live and breathe and know all of the different changes and things going on. So for the purposes of today's episode, though, we're going to concentrate on caregivers and caregiving support and the many different things that we do for caregivers. So, Tammy, can you give us an overview of what you do?
Tammy [:Yeah. So I am so thankful to be here. So thank you for the invitation.
Katie White [:Of course.
Tammy [:All right. So as a Caregiver Program Manager, I have the opportunity to talk with individuals daily about their needs. As a caregiver, I do consultations. Sometimes individuals are just trying to figure things out. They're navigating the new role as a caregiver that they did not expect to be, which is oftentimes the case. Individuals are taking care of their loved ones and they had no clue that they would be in their position. And so they're calling me for support, they're calling me to try to figure things out and I have the privilege and the opportunity to help them navigate their new role. And some of that is just simply providing information, providing support, empathetic, listening and some direction. And I enjoy doing that, by the way.
Katie White [:Oh good, I'm glad.
Tammy [:I oftentimes hear from caregivers, like they're so grateful that I called them back, first of all, because we're living in a society where sometimes they're not getting calls back. A lot of the social services because they're backed up trying to figure out how to help the individuals that they're working with. So they're grateful, one, that I've called back, and two, that I was able to help them navigate through their challenge or give them some information. And so that's rewarding to be able to do that good on a daily basis. Yes.
Katie White [:And so what are some of the resources or tools or things that you're kind of going into your toolbox most frequently for or to use?
Tammy [:Yeah, so most frequently I provide information about the different programs that we offer and the programs that are offered through some of our partners and that we collaborate with, such as senior options and working with our partners in the various communities or counties. We're partnered with eight agencies or eight counties and I have the opportunity to share about the adult day services, respite care, where they can get help for incontinence supplies, medical equipment. And so those are just some of the things that I have an opportunity to share with individuals.
Katie White [:Okay, that's great. And then the National Family Caregiver Grant Support Program. Support program that is actual opportunities to be connected to financial assistance. Right. Lynn, do you mind telling us about that a little bit?
Lynn [: le Three E, and it started in: Katie White [:And that is where if someone needed to have the person they're taking care of maybe stay a couple of days in assisted living or something like that, they can actually request cash assistance to pay for that respite right?
Lynn [:And the thing that's very important to realize is that the cash assistance, no money is going directly to the caregiver, right? It's all about what does the caregiver need in order to be able to continue their caregiving journey? And so what does that look like? Is it respite? Do they need help paying for their own medications because they've let that slide? Or do they need help with a piece of medical equipment that for whatever reason they can't get for themselves? It's very specific to addressing what is the caregiver's need. So ina education respite, supplemental services is a very unique category and it is the most flexible because basically that's allowing us to say, okay, so what's the need? It doesn't have to fit into a specific slot. And so how can we meet that need? We had a recent request, was it a bus ticket or flight? Flight for a caregiver to be able to get to their loved on. And so we were able to work with it actually came through the Franklin County Office on Aging using their caregiver dollars to help pay for that. You know, it's really very creative and things that you wouldn't think that somebody would be able to get help with. Years ago we had somebody that was pushing somebody in a wheelchair of a gravel driveway. And if you can only imagine how painful that would be and physically taxing, some dollars were used to help pave that driveway. So it's always case by case basis. Every county, it's a little bit different, but we're always open to engaging in conversation as to does this fit the guidelines of the Family Caregiver Support Program and how is this going to best meet the caregiver's needs?
Katie White [:Okay, so Tammy, that must feel good to have sort of all of these different layers and options to be able to pull together. So the flight example, can you share more about that story? Where were they coming from or going, or what was the circumstance there?
Tammy [:Yes. So the caregiver lived in, I believe, North Carolina, and their loved one is in Ohio, and they're trying to get to Ohio to take care of their loved one. The individual has had multiple medical issues, and they're the only living relative and caregiver. And so we were able to navigate through that process to help them to get from North Carolina to Ohio to check on their loved one and to get them more services. Right. We needed to put some more services, wraparound services for that individual to make sure that they won they're safe in the home and that they could maintain their independence without that individual being here. So that was really significant for us to be able to do that. I think that's one of the greatest things that I love about this program, is that we can be flexible. A lot of the programs have various guidelines, and this program does too. It has guidelines. We need guidelines. We need rules, right. To help us stay in place and stay focused and to use our dollars wisely. But with the caregiving program, there are no Medicaid rules, so you don't have to be Medicaid eligible. And sometimes we find individuals who are in between. They're not quite Medicaid eligible, and they area not able to pay out of pocket. They're not able to pay for an aid to come and sit with their loved one five days a week. And so with the caregiver dollars, we're fortunate to be able to cover the cost for an individual who can't pay out of pocket. We're able to help them with adult day services a few days a week or personal care or a temporary nursing facility stay. By the time we get the calls from the caregivers, they're at their limit, I bet. And they're like, I can't take it anymore. I need help. I had one caregiver call me and he said, I love my wife. I've been taking care of her for a long time. Excuse me.
Katie White [:That's okay.
Tammy [:And he says, I just need a couple of days away. And he said, I just want to go to the mountains for about five days, and I'll come back, I'll be refreshed, I'll be renewed, and I'll be able to continue to take care of her. Well, of course, we were able to get him linked with the caregiving program through Franklin County, because he's in Franklin County, and do the temporary nursing facility stay for up to six days. And he's able to go and enjoy just some time away at the lake by himself. That was his request. He said, that's all I want, and then I'll be able to come back. So it does touch my heart, absolutely. As you can see, that's one of the reasons why I was drawn to the program. I know the importance of one being a caregiver. I was a caregiver for my mom in her last stages. She had a terminal illness, and so I was able to be there for her. So I know the importance of one, the respite care, having that support and being able to talk about what's going on. And so I like that we're able to meet the needs of caregivers in our community. It is a challenge when they're not able to get the services as quick as I would like them to because there's a process, right. But at least they're able to have some type of support through our agency.
Katie White [:Yeah.
Lynn [:And it's also the caregiver program, unlike our case management programs, are short term assistance. Short term, it doesn't replace the need. If there's a need for long term case management, sometimes it can be a bridge while somebody's waiting to get onto a program. The caregiver program can kind of fit that in between time, it might be a chance for a loved one and their care recipient to experience what adult day care is about and to kind of ease into that transition. And then when they get on a case management program, that could be a service that is provided. There was one other service that I forgot to mention, along with the education information and assistance and respite and supplemental services, and that is counseling. While we do have here at the area agency a dementia support group that meets virtually every week, what we do know is that sometimes the issues are beyond really what's going to be addressed in a support group. And so the opportunity to be able to connect somebody with a counselor, to really help them in terms of process, there's lots of emotions that go along with being a caregiver one. Whether you expected it or didn't expect it, it's a change in what you envision, perhaps your life to be. There are a myriad of emotions, sadness, grief, frustration, and even anger. We're human. And so counseling can be really a gift to help people be able to get more longer term assistance. I mean, the counseling support through the caregiver program is short term, but once they're connected, potentially they might continue under their own insurance or what have you.
Katie White [:And so the counseling, we would connect them to a provider that we work.
Lynn [:With, and that would be through the county.
Katie White [:I see. Okay. So how lucky that people can call in and get to talk to Tammy and Lynn and your team when navigating these difficult times. And I worked at the Alzheimer's Association, and I remember how meaningful this option even was to give to folks, because sometimes there really is just such so many limited options. And to be able to say, call COA, talk to their caregiving department, and you've got all the pieces that you can pull together and whether there's something for them or not, they're still you, which in and of itself is a resource. So how many referrals would you say are coming from our internal team and case managers versus external referrals?
Tammy [:That's a good question. Perhaps Lynn frequently than I do.
Lynn [:I don't know that I have an exact number, but I would say that we are getting far more from outside the agency than internal. Okay. Tammy's going to be talking to all the case management teams coming up soon to reiterate what the Caregiver support program is about and let them know what's available to them and how we operate, and also to be able to highlight our Trualta relationship with Trawalta, which is an online platform that we can connect caregivers to at no cost to themselves. And that's really important. I think our challenge is that our case managers are very busy, no question about it, and they're focused on the care recipient, their consumer, their client, their member. And so sometimes the caregiver may not be at the forefront. Sure. And so we hope to, again, just through education, just remind people that Tammy's here, I'm here as a backup, and that we have these partnerships with our county partners and that there is some additional support and actually to ease the work of the case manager, because they may not have time to go in depth and talk to the caregiver. We are a resource, Tammy in particular, to be able to engage in that longer conversation.
Katie White [:Okay. And Lynn mentioned trualta. Tammy, can you tell us a little bit about Trualta?
Tammy [:Yes. True Alta is an online educational support for caregivers. It's free. It can be accessed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. What we love about True Alta is that an individual can access the information in the comfort of their own home. Oftentimes, caregivers do not have time to go outside of their home to a workshop, but they're able to log on their computer or their smartphone and look up a particular topic that is of interest to them. And they can learn more about dementia. They can learn more about private pay services or just trying to figure out how to prevent caregiver burnout. That's a big piece. And so True Alta is a lovely tool that we have and that we're glad to offer it to individuals in the community free. We do cover the cost for Trualta, and so we're grateful to offer that tool as an additional help for caregivers to navigate through their new role or their continuation of their role as a caregiver, because some individuals have been doing this for a very long time, and we're able to say, hey, here's True Alta. Have you tried this? Have you considered this, or have you even heard of it? And oftentimes they have not heard of it. And so we're able to offer True Alta as another tool they can put in their belt. Good.
Katie White [: a support group available at: Tammy [:Right.
Lynn [:No, that's the family caregiver support program. The actual contract with True Alta, I think, goes back three or four years.
Tammy [:Okay.
Katie White [:So for those three or four years, we've been able to secure funds and utilize those funds so that we area paying for the caregiver's subscription. And so I think that's been a huge value add and will continue to be. And you were just recently featured in the news, right. And the dispatch, I was told as.
Tammy [:A social worker, you have to be careful. You never want your life to be reflected in the dispatch, whatever you do right. You want to make sure your life is not your life, but ethically speaking, yes. Right. So I was featured in Dispatch, but it was good, right? It was good stuff. It was for True Alta. And so I had an opportunity to meet with I believe her name was Diana with a dispatch, and we completed an interview, and it was really a great opportunity. After that, I believe our numbers went up significantly. So it did touch a lot of reach, a lot of individuals, and that's.
Katie White [:What we want, especially for a resource like this. There's a big return on our investment in Trawalta because it's helpful, but it's sort of a small amount of workload for yes, yes.
Tammy [:So great. Did you have anything you wanted to.
Katie White [:Say about that headliner in our presence?
Lynn [:I've been very just tickled to see Tammy represent the caregiver program and to have these opportunities. It's great. She's a wonderful addition.
Katie White [:I agree. So usually at the beginning of the episode, I ask a little bit about your history, but we just jumped right in, all of us, with all of our feet. So let's kind of walk it back for a second. And so, Lynn, I'll start with you. Tell me about your career. How long have you been here? What types of roles have you had at COA?
Lynn [: ve been with the agency since: Katie White [:Okay.
Lynn [: staff. I was part time until: Katie White [:And you get shouted out on a number of different podcasts and you've had such an impact across the agency and your time here. And in addition to all of that work, we also met because you were volunteering to be a support group leader at the Alzheimer's Association when I was staff there. And so Lynn and I have kind of been in the trenches together where we would host support groups for individuals with young onset and in a separate room support groups for their caregivers. And so we spent a lot of nights and evenings and weekends together doing some really difficult work. But I've treasured all my time with you, so thank you.
Lynn [:Lynn, Ditto and Tammy.
Katie White [:How about you? How long have you been here? What other roles, what brought you to COA?
Tammy [:Yeah, so I've been here actually this year is year number five.
Lynn [:Congratulations.
Tammy [:I came in as a passport case manager, and so I had an opportunity to work with clients one on one go out in the community, and so I was able to share the caregiver information with clients when I would go out to visit them. But prior to coming to Coaaa, I worked at OSU for twelve years.
Katie White [:What did you do there?
Tammy [:I worked in Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
Katie White [:Great. Okay.
Tammy [:So I was at Men there and I got my master's degree, went back to school for social work. While working at the university, I had a desire to do more and I felt that social work would allow me to do more and open up more doors for me. Because I know with social work you can do more than just counseling.
Katie White [:That's right.
Tammy [: tional student because I went: Lynn [:I'm looking at Lynn like, okay, help.
Tammy [:With housing and help move people with my car and everything.
Katie White [:Anything that needed to be done, I'm sure, and then some. Yeah.
Tammy [:And it was a wonderful experience. I believe that was the jump start, getting my feet wet. And as I continued in that role, I was just looking for other opportunities to grow. And so that led me here with Coaaa. Had an opportunity to meet with sue, and when I met with her, when we finished our interview, she said, you'll do good. Yeah. I wasn't confident, just to be honest and transparent. And she said, I hired you. You're going to do well because I hired you. And I thought, oh, that's good. She's confident in her ability that's right. To hire me. And so I thought so it made me want to build some confidence, too, in what I was doing. But anyway, as time went on, I had the opportunity to apply for the caregiving program, and I was drawn to it because I love outreach. I've also volunteered in the community. I've worked with the homeless shelter. I've done a variety of things in the prison ministries through my local church. I've done that for, like, 15 years, where we go into the prisons and help with individuals who are just get them ready to leave. Right. That's kind of a little bit about me.
Katie White [:Okay.
Tammy [:Yeah. There's a lot more, but for the sake of time and you sing, which.
Katie White [:Is why your voice is so gorgeous and velvety smooth on the microphone. So was there anything that called you specifically about the Caregiving position? Was it like, some things that you saw and experience to the home or just maybe a little change up?
Tammy [:Well, I know during my visits as a Passport case manager, I oftentimes spent the times with the caregiver. Of course, I was out there assessing the client, making sure they had their needs. But once we would finish, I listened to the caregiver, and I would take that Caregiver flyer that we use now. It's been updated, but I took that with me on my visits. And now we area grateful that Passport has incorporated that flyer in their packets now that they send out with case managers to give the caregiver some information and to let them know about our services. So I had an opportunity to engage and intervene and work with some other county partners to help with some of the challenges that Caregivers and Care receivers were going through. Okay. So, yeah, that kind of sparked my interest in Caregiving and wanted to be more integral in terms of providing services, letting them know what's available, and letting them know ultimately that they're not alone. I think a lot of time caregivers feel they're alone, and really a lot of them are right, just to be honest, they are. But to say, hey, here's the support, here's the service that's available, and we're here for you and we're here to help you, I've had caregivers say, well, how did you learn about this? I've never heard about caregiving. And I'm like, we have to make sure we get the word out. We need to let people know that the National Family Caregiving program exists and we're here for them. And so having the opportunity to share about the program to help individuals on their journey has been, I think, a blessing for me.
Katie White [:And I think a lot of people have either fears about growing older, they don't want to admit that they are, we talked about this on another episode, too. And so then they're not willing to actually think proactively or they make assumptions about what people might be qualified for and able to tap into. And then the reality is like, no, most often if you are a family member, you'll be the family caregiver even more so now when we have a shortage of paid caregivers available. And so I would imagine that our role in supporting caregivers just will continue to be crucial for central Ohio, because we know what the waitlists area like, we know what the housing shortage is like, and so, to the best of our ability, that we can support caregivers in their journey. And they might be the only person to provide that care for their loved ones. All right, I would love to hear what your favorite success story or somebody that you helped with or give us something really positive and hopeful, an example of something that you've done related to caregiving. Not that I don't care if you're like a triathlete or something like that. I do.
Tammy [:I wish I was.
Lynn [:Me too.
Tammy [:I would say there area several. And so I know I talked about one earlier about the gentleman who just needed some time to get away, and I think there are just so many. I've talked with a family member who not only needed help with caregiving, but kinship care. So she's taking care of both mom and dad and she also has relatives that she's taken care of.
Katie White [:Another emerging trend, kinship. Yes.
Tammy [:And so being able to link her to the caregiving program to get two for one, so to speak, has been really, I think, a blessing in her life. And so I think that's just one story of many. We have a lot of individuals that come through, I would say, and it's successful when they're able to connect, when they're able to just receive.
Katie White [:Good. Thank you, Lynn. Any that come to mind, I think.
Lynn [:It'S really each time I talk to a caregiver who just really doesn't even know where to know the gratitude for being there, for listening to them, for calling them back. If. That were the case, I can't say that there's one that stands out. It's just oftentimes at the end of the day, I reflect on knowing that, yes, lynn, you made a difference know? Just knowing that I was there at the end of the phone to hear somebody through their tears, through their fears and just be able to validate that they're not alone. I think that is a big piece because caregiving can feel very isolating. And depending on who you're caring for and what your extended support system looks like, it can be incredibly hard and so white. I can't highlight one specific case. I think it's just the overall really being there for people that had no clue that there's somebody there that actually understands caregiving, actually is willing to talk about aging, is willing to talk about.
Katie White [:Mortality, navigating this tangled web of resources, right?
Lynn [:And that people don't even know what resources exist. The reward comes in really being able to be there for people and to direct them accordingly.
Katie White [:And so my final question is, assuming that you both talk about this a lot with caregivers, would be around self care, but a little kind of shift on it is for our staff and our friends who are listening. What advice do you have for them around how to care for themselves in these difficult roles? Or what advice do you take for yourself in hearing and dealing with such difficult situations?
Lynn [:On the daily, tammy is the queen of self care.
Tammy [:I'm smiling, Lynn smiling because self care is so important to me. And I believe during a pandemic, it's when I really became in tune and increased my awareness for the need of self care. Self care can make a difference in how we interact with individuals. It can make a difference in how we take care of and operate in our role. One of the things that I would recommend is just find a moment every day for you and whatever that moment looks like. So that moment could be time of meditation, time at the gym, time just a cup of coffee, just 15 minutes alone. I think self care is the foundation of our day.
Katie White [:I love that.
Tammy [:Start your day with some self care and it can help you navigate through everything else that comes your way.
Katie White [:Okay, I think you just started a self care committee, and I think you're chair. Lynn, anything to add to that?
Lynn [:I wholly support what Tammy offered. I think it's also boundaries, recognizing that there is an end to your day and do what you can to transition so that when you go home, you can be present with your family, your pet, whatever, be able to make those transitions. I also think that something that I've been really trying to embrace is gratitude and consciously taking time to look at all the gifts that I have, whether it is to work with people that I'm crazy about to work for an agency that just speaks to my core values to appreciating just being present. And I think that that's something that can be really hard when you're dealing with knowing that you're hearing all these difficult situations daily, and just know that you've done your best and take care of yourself. Give yourself that opportunity to transition when the workday ends and to I think sometimes the stories help me realize just how fortunate I really am. And I think we can lose that in the kind of sometimes chaos of our days.
Katie White [:Yeah, it's a good reframe. So, for people listening, how do they get a hold of you? How do they find out more about our caregiving resources? Or Chihuahua, how would they do that? And what about staff? Can they find things on the intranet?
Lynn [:Yes, they can go both to the Internet, on our web page, our website. They can go to the intranet. They can reach out to us. They have a situation. We are happy to talk to them. And we've also seen a lot of our staff have been in the role of being a caregiver as well. And I know over the years, people have reached out because they're lucky that they work at an agency that is sensitive to the role of caregiving. But you can know things professionally, and then you're all of a sudden doing it yourself. So we area there to try and offer that additional support.
Tammy [:I would also say they can come and see me.
Katie White [:Okay.
Tammy [:I am across the hall from the education room, and Lynn and I were a couple doors down from each other, so they can come and knock on my door if they want to have a conversation. I'm more than open to do that.
Katie White [:Thank you. Well, thank you both for your work every single day, for being here, for sharing more. I really appreciate it.
Lynn [:Thank you.
Katie White [:I hope now you know something about our caregiving program at COAAA. Special thanks to Lynn and Tammy for joining us.
