Many children who are providing care for aging parents can find the task daunting. This is particularly the case if they are still working or recently retired and maintaining active schedules themselves. Helping with transportation needs and home repairs can at times be overwhelming to the caregiver.
Maryland Community for Life℠ – Talbot Volunteer Marion Donahue with member Monica McCarthy.
Maryland Community for Life℠ – Talbot offers options to aging adults and their family caregivers which can be lifesaving and provide the needed conveniences necessary in today’s busy society. In particular, the transportation services can help aging adults stay active – offering trips to regular appointments like the hairdresser or barber, doctor’s offices, the grocery store, and the post office, as well as to important social engagements.
One local caregiver whose mother has taken advantage of Maryland Community for Life℠ – Talbot remarks, “My mother would call and say, ‘I hate to bother you, but . . . ‘ I wanted to support her healthy engagement, but I couldn’t get my schedule and her schedule to mesh for her needs.”
Maryland Community for Life℠ – Talbot delivers key services in a cost-effective and supportive manner. Specifically, for a monthly fee, members receive basic home repair and maintenance by a community “Handyman,” a list of vetted contractors and contract review, transportation trips, as well as regular contact with a “Service Navigator” to help coordinate access to services and to assist with any needs that may arise.
Another caregiver adds, “Now my parents call me last, instead of first when something comes up and most of the time they can handle the arrangements by themselves by calling the Service Navigator.”
Stacey Woodworth, Maryland Community for Life℠ – Talbot’s Service Navigator, helps members with transportation, home maintenance, and referrals to community services. Membership is open to individuals or households up to two people aged 65 and older who live in Talbot County. Core services are personalized to individual needs. Membership levels start as low as $48 a month, depending on the volume and frequency of services used. Members can switch to the next level of membership as the need arises. Volunteers are a key component of the organization’s success and help with home maintenance, transportation, and friendly visits. The organization’s volunteers are vetted by Maryland Community for Life℠ – Talbot.
For members, the benefits are liberating. One member comments, “MD Community for Life-Talbot℠ has allowed us to remain independent and able to do things without having to bother our children who are busy with work and their own families.”
A family member adds about the benefits, “This program has given peace of mind to our family. Our mom never wants to bother anyone, and rarely asks for help. This program has given the help needed for repairs, transportation and more.”
Maryland Community for Life℠ – Talbot is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization operating as a component fund of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation. MD Community for Life℠—Talbot is located at 10 S. Hanson Street, Ste 18, in Easton, Maryland. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
To become a member or volunteer, email [email protected] or call 410-443-0760. For further information, visit mdcommunityforlifetalbot.org
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