Help is a Phone Call Away

Help is a Phone Call Away

At Menorah Park, we understand how stressful it can be when a loved one becomes ill, develops chronic conditions, must undergo surgery or encounters other challenges that are frequently associated with aging.

These are often referred to as crisis situations where we find ourselves trying to figure out what’s next without much planning time.

We wrestle with answers to the questions –

· How do we help them get better? 

· How do we help them adjust to life changes?

· How do we help ensure their safety and well-being for the long-term?

· If they’ve made the decision to enter a senior community, what kind of help is available in the interim if they are placed on a waiting list?

· If we live in another city and sense that something might be wrong even though they say all is well, how do we make sure they are o.k.?

As a spouse or an adult child there is typically no escaping the emotions that we experience in these moments of crisis. This is someone we love and we desperately want to make everything o.k. We need someone who objectively and logically can help us figure it all out.

Menorah Park’s Community Liaison Kathy Parrino is a licensed social worker knowledgeable in the needs of older adults and in the support services that are available in the community. She can help reduce challenges that they may be experiencing by evaluating their strengths and limitations and confidentially discuss options with them and us that would best fit their individual situations. She can then help to coordinate the needed services.

Fortunately, Menorah Park helps to simplify management of services, because the Campus provides so many here.

· If they’ve been in the hospital

o       Menorah Park Marcus Post-Hospital Rehabilitation is a good first step toward returning home.

· Once home

o       Menorah Park Home Health Services in Beachwood along with offices in Akron, Canton, and Streetsboro has aides who help with personal care and homemaker services, skilled nurses, and physical occupational and speech therapists.

· Ongoing support

o       Often Home Health Services can be put in place to address many needs at home.

o       The Peter B. Lewis Aquatic & Therapy Center can help speed up the recovery process after surgery by providing physical therapy before the scheduled date and encourages strong recovery from injury, surgery or illness through individualized, one-to-one aquatic and land-based physical therapy, and occupational and speech therapies. 

o       Menorah Park Adult Day Care provides daily enrichment and social opportunities while supporting personal care needs. The family caregiver can gain respite, or work while knowing their loved one is safe and having an enjoyable day.

o       Menorah Park’s Adaptive Living Shoppe – M Pal can provide the tools that support fall prevention and safety, medication management, low vision, hearing loss, self-care, dressing, dining, and health maintenance.

o       Housekeeping Plus provides light and heavy cleaning services, will rearrange items in cabinets for safety, and many other household chores including packing in preparation for a move. Just ask – staff members are very accommodating.

· While waiting to move to a senior community that might include R.H. Myers Apartments,

Wiggins Place

, Stone Gardens or Menorah Park

o       Menorah Park Campus staff at each location can help suggest options that may help in the interim and can also rely on Kathy for additional consultation, which is especially helpful for out-of-town family.

Kathy Parrino may be reached at 216-402-0895. Remember to call her or tell someone you know to give her a call if ever in need of social work help to determine and coordinate the right services.

Also, remember a full range of helpful information can be found at  www.menorahpark.org/ARC. There is even a search capability so you don’t have to hunt through all of the pages to find what you need.