WCI: support, education, training on caring for elderly

Jeana Ray is a caregiver in more ways than one. She cares for her three kids and husband, she works as a caregiver for a home care company, and she cares for her elderly mother, who last year moved in to her Warren home.

The situation may sound familiar. According to Working Caregiver Initiative (WCI), a Birmingham nonprofit business founded in 2008 to provide support, education and training for working caregivers, at least 60 percent of American workers can be labeled working caregivers.

"A working caregiver is anyone that has to work a job and provide care (to a parent, other relative or friend) at the same time," said Bert Copple, WCI's founder.

WCI's goal is to "create a culture of proactive caregiving in a reactive world," Copple said. WCI has a toll-free number for caregivers to call with questions and a robust Web site that includes helpful checklists like the top 10 signs of quality in adult day care programs, links to community resources, videos on caregiving and other resources.

"The reference sheets online are a big deal,” said Copple. “Most of the time, we make these decisions as a result of an event. We want people to proactively choose a nursing home before they need one."

All of WCI’s services are free, and the organization has reached 22,000 caregivers so far, Copple said, through outreach programs like Working Caregiver Experts Fairs. The fairs, held on lunch hours at local office buildings, are designed to provide direct answers to caregivers' specific needs. "One member from each of our (14) partner organizations is on hand to answer questions," said Copple. "Essentially there are 14 tables." Partner organizations include Home Instead Senior Care, a Birmingham organization that provides in-home senior care; Sunrise Assisted Living of Bloomfield Hills and others. These partners are the lifeblood of WCI, as WCI has no direct employees and provides all of its services through partner organizations.

Check the WCI Web site for information on an upcoming Working Caregiver Experts Fair in Southfield.

WCI also holds continuing education sessions like the upcoming Too Close for Comfort program. “The program will talk about the emotional, financial and physical implications that need to be addressed before a family decides to have their parents move in with them,” Copple explained. The program is free and open to the public, and will be held Oct. 7 at Arden Courts in Bingham Farms from 5:30 – 7 p.m. Register by calling (248) 703-8594, or watch the WCI Web site for a program brochure closer to the date.

While WCI is currently focusing its efforts on Southeast Michigan, with an aim toward statewide services in the future, the organization is gaining national recognition. Copple said he’s received calls from out-of-state Area Agencies on Aging and other organizations looking for advice and resources on eldercare.

Sometimes, WCI helps out-of-state caregivers, as in the case of a Houston resident who contacted WCI for help in providing long-distance care to a parent living in the Detroit area. “We get people the resources they need,” said Copple. “We have phenomenal connections and resources in the community.”

Copple’s advice for people like Ray, working mom and caregiver in Warren: "Take the little steps now while you can. If your mom has macular degeneration, educate yourself about it so you know what the stages are. If they can still see the steps today before they look like a slide, now is the time to get the reflective tape."

Take the time now to install a $50 grab bar in the shower to avoid a possible $25,000 emergency room visit in the future, Copple said.

Ray has taken full advantage of WCI’s services and is better off for it, she said. “The Community Caregiver Training program gives working caregivers hands-on training that you wouldn’t get anywhere else. I like watching the videos online because they gave me insight into other problems I might be facing with my mom in the future. She doesn’t have dementia, but one day she might, and I have a better understanding now about how the disease works, and how to prepare and watch for it.”

"There is a huge need for this type of support around the country," Copple said. "People just don't know where to start. This is a starting point."

For more information, visit the WCI Web site.