Caregiving

By Amy Goyer

AARP Mississippi will offer a virtual event, Preventing Financial Exploitation Of The Elderly, at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, November 17. To register for this free online event, click here.

The coronavirus pandemic has had a devastating effect in nursing homes and long-term care facilities, causing the deaths of more than 84,000 residents and staff, according to an Oct. 8 analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation—including 991 in Mississippi. Yet federal policymakers have been slow to respond to this crisis, and no state has done a good enough job to stem the loss of life. AARP has called for the enactment of a 5-point plan to protect nursing home and long-term care facility residents, and has fought for public reporting of nursing home COVID-19 cases and deaths.

AARP Mississippi invites you to a virtual event called, Preventing Financial Exploitation Of The Elderly, at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, November 17. To register for this online event, click here.

AARP Mississippi talked with Megan Clapton, Ph.D., owner of Mindful Therapy in Ridgeland, about mindfulness and caregiving. Dr. Clapton says mindfulness can help caregivers as they try to balance work, family and caregiving.

AARP Mississippi is presenting the End Of Summer Blues Series on Facebook in recognition of family caregivers. AARP values the important work and dedication of caregivers everywhere. This series is provided as an AARP celebration of caregivers. A different blues artist will be presented on Thursday August 27, September 3, September 10 and September 17 on the AARP Mississippi Facebook page at 7 p.m. CT. The artists are James “Super Chikan” Johnson, Lucious Spiller, Lala Craig and Big A.

As COVID-19 restrictions have eased in Mississippi, nursing homes and other long-term care facilities eventually will prepare to resume in-person visits for families. While this may happen in the future, now is the time to prepare. Experts say in-person visits will be different than before the pandemic, at least until the threat of coronavirus has passed. There may be limits on when, where and for how long you can see loved ones, and distancing rules will likely be in place.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused the Mississippi Legislature to pause the 2020 session. However, AARP Mississippi continued its advocacy work virtually by activating volunteers to call their legislators about issues that are important to people age 50 and over. As COVID-19 cases in Mississippi began to increase, it became apparent that the disease was significantly affecting long-term care facilities.

Are you caring for a parent, spouse, other loved one or friend? Many of us are doing the best we can to balance work, family and caregiving without even realizing that we are indeed, caregivers. Caregiving is even more challenging now during the COVID-19 pandemic. AARP Mississippi will present a webinar, Prepare To Care – Creating A Plan, at 12 p.m. on Tuesday, June 23, 2020. The webinar offers information and tactics for family caregivers. To register, click here.

The state’s 470,000 family caregivers are an unpaid lifeline for the loved ones they assist.