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> They need some "outside" advise on their options. They have the best of > medical advise, but not coping advise. They have spent all their time > looking for a cure and no time on how to live with the disease. Mom > has become a demanding invalid and my stepfather a tired, grumpy >caregiver. My sister and I don't dare say much because he is after all the >one who > is carrying the burden. Any suggestions out there? >Linda Muehl >Bassett Healthcare >1 Atwell Road >Cooperstown NY 13326 > >[log in to unmask] > This sounds familiar to me. My in-laws live in Fairfield, CT. At Norwalk Hospital (Norwalk, CT) there is a geriatrics dept. under Dr. Spivak. They offer a wonderful service: a complete medical evaluation, and a separate social/lifestyle evaluation. At the end, you get specific reccomendations for appropriate caregiving including names and addresses of local resources. They have information on all kinds of things from visiting nurses to support groups to nusing homes to voluteers. They try to make reccomendations that provide an adequate level of assistance with the least intrusion into lifestyle. Perhaps you could poll local hospitals to see if you can find something similar. I could provide you with the name and number of the physician's assistant at Norwalk hospital who serves as ... well ... coordinator, I guess, is the best word. He may know where you can go. I don't have his number on me right now. You could just call Norwalk Hospital and ask for Dr. Spivak's office. That's what I did, and the right person answered the phone (Mike). Let me know if you want me to get you the number. We're going through the same thing. It's hard. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Gary Pajer [log in to unmask] Schlumberger / EMR Photoelectric 609 799-1000 x6700 -------------------------------------------------------------------