By Jerry Kahlert. When we first started talking to Willmar and area residents about care and care-giving for the elderly, several adult children said they were sometimes at a loss in dealing with issues of their aging parents.
We all know that as Minnesotans live longer lives they become exposed to various disabilities that require some help so they can remain in their own homes.
Just how adult children without a background in health care can deal with issues facing the elderly got me looking into some of the available resources.
One, with an emphasis on health care, is free training offered by the Minnesota Human Services Department. That agency offers online training in personal care of the elderly and disabled. While it leads to certification as a personal care assistant (PCA) after passing a test, the material it covers gives the average person a good grounding in topics ranging from responding to medical and non-medical emergencies to controlling infection to dealing with stress. That’s good training for all of us.
The nine-part online PCA course can be taken whenever it’s convenient; there is no deadline. At the end of the training those who register to take the final exam, which, like the course, is free, can earn PCA certification. Certified PCAs can be paid for the care they provide, either if hired on the open market, or if the person they care for qualifies for Minnesota’s Medical Assistance program, which is its federal Medicaid plan. That care can be in-home or in a facility such as assisted living. This allows adult children who care for elderly parents who qualify for Medical Assistance to be paid through that program.
To start the training, do a computer search for MN Human Services PCA training. Click on “Take the course.” Remember, you don’t register until you want to take the test. The test isn’t required, and the training offers new care-givers a good grounding in basic services for the elderly and disabled. Plus, at age 80, I learned much that helps me take better care of myself and would certainly help me care for my wife in our home if that became necessary.
Another helpful and free resource is the Minnesota’s Senior LinkAge Line. It deals with health care insurance, financial and legal issues, transportation needs, nutrition, and help finding assisted living. For example, specialists there can help callers evaluate Medicare supplement plans. They have information about long-term care and home health care. (Specific medical issues should be directed to a medical resource.)
The Senior LinkAge Line can be reached by telephone — at the no-toll number 1-800-333-2433 — or on a computer by typing in www.MinnesotaHelp.info. The Minnesota Board on Aging is the sponsor. Printed aids for adult children and the elderly also are available through the seven regional Area Agency on Aging offices scattered around Minnesota and from the Minnesota office of AARP, the American Association of Retired Persons. You can reach the Mankato Area on Aging office, which serves Kandiyohi County, at 507-389-8879.
