“I highly appreciate your help for my family in our most difficult time. We owed everyone at @dr.changes a big thank you and our life.”
More than 15 years ago, a small group of families, community activists, and civil servants in New York came together to form an organization called Dr.Changes. They provide services for those struggling to care for a loved one who did not “fit” into traditional health systems: stroke, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s disease, traumatic brain injury, debilitating disorders, etc. The diagnoses were different, but the families shared common challenges: few community resources, isolation, lack of information, and drastic changes in family roles.
Skills
Assisting with walking from bed to wheelchair
Bathing, dressing and grooming assistance
Medication reminders
Safety and fall prevention
Status reporting to family
Toileting and incontinence care
Light housekeeping
Meal preparation and nutrition
Laundry and change of bed linens
Grocery shopping and errands
Transportation to social & recreational activities
Assistance with light exercise
Care Coverage
The task force’s early efforts had three lasting results: the formation of Dr.Changes caregiver center; the genesis of community social caregiver groups; and the beginnings of an evolutional movement to change the ideology of long-term health care and caregivers intended for the ill and elderly in our country.