LAKE PLACID – Mercy Care for the Adirondacks has developed and launced a new Caregiver Advocate Program.

In March 2014, the Caregiving Working Group of Essex and Franklin counties, facilitated by Mercy Care for the Adirondacks, developed and released “Giving and Receiving Care in the Adirondacks,” a community empowerment action plan to address the area’s caregiving needs.

One of the action items called for in the plan was for Mercy Care to develop a caregiving empowerment model to assist caregivers and care receivers with specially trained volunteers to accompany them on their holistic journey of navigating the path of finding needed care and services.

The emphasis of the new program is to benefit the caregiver. In a 2013 report, “Caregivers in Crisis-Why New York Must Act” published by AARP and New York State Caregiving & Respite Coalition found that New York’s caregivers need help.”Over four million family caregivers in New York state are providing unpaid care for a loved one. The New York State Office for the Aging estimates that unpaid caregivers provide the majority of all long-term care services to older adults and individuals with disabilities. The need to help caregivers will only increase in the coming years as the baby-boom generation ages and the number of younger people proportionately decrease.”

The new Mercy Care Caregiver Advocate’s responsibilities include:

• Serving as a caring presence and compassionate listener to issues of concern to caregivers.

• Providing information on community resources that may be available to the caregiver and care receiver and assists the caregiver to access those resources.

• Accompanying the caregiver in the decision-making process by being present, providing support and encouraging discernment.

• Assisting the caregiver to identify signs of stress; suggesting strategies and services to develop coping skills.

• Assisting the caregiver to develop a plan for self-care and encouraging the caregiver in implementation of the plan.

• Assisting the caregiver to identify what activities or experiences are spiritually nourishing to him/her and taking steps to make these available when possible.

• Providing guidance to the caregiver on communicating with the care receiver.

• Providing guidance to the caregiver on communicating with other family members/friends to strengthen relationships and to enlist their support in the caregiving endeavor

In May 2016, Mercy Care trained eight new Caregiver Advocates including Paul Guerette, Frank Lescinsky, Ann Sander, Linda Jones, Lou Scavo, Shannon Stratton, Larry Lee, and Judy Grimard.

All new Caregiver Advocates served previously as Mercy Care Friendship Volunteers or Parish Nurses. They received an additional seven hours of training provided by Mercy Care and its collaborating partners Franklin County Office for the Aging, Alzheimer’s Caregiver Support Initiative, High Peaks Hospice & Palliative Care, North Country Home Services, Saranac Village At Will Rogers, Alzheimer’s Association, Parish Nurses, and Clergy The training covered such topics as companioning and advocating for a Caregiver, Stress and Coping, Caring for the Spirit, accompanying the Caregiver on the Journey of managing Transitions home to hospital and hospital to home, decision-making/transitions in Care.

“I have had a very successful experience with my referrals to the new caregiver advocate program through Mercy Care,” Sarah Doyle, transitional care coordinator for Adirondack Health said. “Caregivers who need a person to share their concerns with or are in need of services would benefit very much by asking Mercy Care for the Adirondacks to assist them in connecting with a Caregiver Advocate.”

“Mercy Care’s Board of Directors saw a need to fill and responded by developing a new program to assist caregivers who are often struggling with so many responsibilities-in essence managing all of the household chores while at the same time providing loving care to their family member,” said Jerry Hayes, Mercy Care’s board president. “Caregivers are often overwhelmed with all they have to do and the isolation they often feel and experience. Mercy Care’s Caregiver Advocates are there to accompany them on their caregiving journey.”

Sr. Catherine Cummings, RSM, Ed.D., R.N. directs Mercy Care’s Caregiver Advocate Program. If you would like to become a Caregiver Advocate or you know of a caregiver who might benefit from a Caregiver Advocate to accompany them on their journey of caring for a loved one, contact Sr. Catherine at 518-523-5582 or at ccummings@adkmercy.org. Mercy Care for the Adirondacks is a mission sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy to extend mercy to elders in order to enhance the fullness of their lives. Its work is carried out through a Friendship Volunteer Program, a Volunteer Parish Nurse Program, a Volunteer Caregiver Advocate Program, and a Community Empowerment, Education, and Advocacy Program. For more information, visit Mercy Care’s website at www.adkmercy.org.