Letters: In-home care options limited for elderly; Every dollar toward Camp Golden Pond matters

In-home care options limited for elderly

I am concerned about the in-home care options that are not available for our elderly who need daily assistance and want to stay in their own home. I have searched for care for my elderly, low-income mother, who also lives in a rural area, and I have been extremely disappointed in the help that is available to her.

Our family has gone through eight caregivers in eight months and it is extremely difficult to find replacements. Most caregivers don’t want to drive more than 20 minutes to a home, don’t want to work weekends, holidays, usually refuse to take on extra hours because another caregiver doesn’t show up and they quit without a days notice.

An elderly persons’ medical needs don’t change because it’s a Saturday or a holiday. These caregivers need to find another profession if they are not willing to make the sacrifices the job requires. Other medical personnel cannot set their own hours and only work when they feel like it. The agencies that employ them have no strict hiring guidelines in place to ensure any requirements are met. I found that our Office of Aging was of no assistance. Nursing homes are too expensive for low-income people. I really urge our lawmakers to set regulations for these in-home caregiver agencies, and increase the rate of pay above the average rate of about $11/hour. It’s very stressful on family members to constantly deal with this problem. I dread to think what my future holds if I need care.

Every dollar toward Camp Golden Pond matters

Almost a year ago, Friends of Golden Pond began negotiations to purchase Camp Golden Pond (the former Girl Scout camp) so that the property can remain a community resource. The people who love Camp Golden Pond are some of the most amazing people I have ever met. On Dec. 3rd, 46 amazing individuals came together for Giving Tuesday to raise $14,572 to help with our purchase. We now have almost $25,000 available for our down payment and are over 20% of the way there!

To celebrate, the Friends of Golden Pond executive committee (President Megan Roberts, Treasurer Ann Dunlavy and Secretary Joan Geleskie) will be jumping into Lake Louise on Dec. 28th at 2 p.m. We are inviting anyone who contributes $25 or more toward our Capital Campaign to take part in a “Thank You Plunge”! Visit www.friendsofgoldenpond.org for more information.

Giving Tuesday shows us that every single dollar really does matter. Whether you contribute $10, $20 or $100, every single donation matters. If you missed Giving Tuesday, you can still contribute to our Capital Campaign. I assure you, every single dollar matters. Every single donor matters. This holiday season, think of Lily, Pix, Danae, Emma and of the all other girls like them that are depending on us to save Camp Golden Pond for their future.

Completing our down payment is a critical milestone to keeping the camp open and we have a very short time to do it. But I am confident that we will get there.