When Joy Fergoda's mother, Betty, couldn't live any longer on her own she moved from the Bay Area to Davis, in a duplex right next to her watchful daughter. Fergoda then looked after her mother for 14 years before she died in 1996.
Diane Adams' parents, 82 and 84, are in good health, she says. But as they grow older Adams worries about them living by themselves in rural Oregon.
"How long is their health going to last?" asked Adams, the assistant director of the UC Davis Women's Resources and Research Center.
Adams and Fergoda, both born during the Baby Boom era, say they've found their concern for their aging parents to be common on a campus where the average employee age, according to Human Resources, is about 45.
And it's certainly a workplace issue. The National Alli-ance for Caregiving reported in 1997 that 64 percent of adult children caring for their parents are also employed.
"When it's a personal issue you find other people for whom it's an issue," said Fergoda, the center librarian.
Fergoda and Adams hope to educate their colleagues about the issues adult children face as their parents grow older with "When Roles Reverse: Caring for Aging Parents," a resource fair and forum sponsored by the women's center. The event is set for 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 22 in MU II of the Memorial Union. The program is free and open to all campus community members.
Sessions deal with both the pragmatic and emotional sides of caring for an aging parent.
A panel of local community members will discuss "Negotiating the Transition" that occurs when children assume a care-taking role in their parents' lives.
Speakers include Mary Jane Large, an attorney, caregiver and member of the Yolo County Commission on Aging; Debbie Lee, a consultant for Sacramento's Del Oro Caregivers Resource Center; Michelle Reardon, a case worker and elder advocate; and Herbert Bauer, a retired psychiatrist and "active elder."
Participants will be able to pick up information on two long-term care insurance plans - CalPERS and TIAA-CREF - available to UC Davis employees. During "Asset Protection 101," Doug Kaplan, former Yolo County Public Guardian and president of Long-Term Financial Care, Inc., will discuss annuities, trusts and Medi-Cal eligibility in paying for nursing home care.
In addition, counselors from the Academic and Staff Assistance Program will be on hand to speak to participants individually in 15-minute sessions. The assistance program runs a support group for campus community members dealing with elder care issues.
"Part of it will be providing information and resources and steering them toward what they need," said Carol Kirshnit, ASAP clinical director. Or they might want to discuss a concern common among adult children who live close to their elderly parents - making sure far-off sisters and brothers also lend a helping hand, Kirshnit said.
"People will want a sympathetic ear and suggestions on how to arrange that," she said.
During a group discussion facilitated by forum organizers, caregivers will be able to share their stories with others in a confidential setting.
Throughout the program, representatives from UC Davis Human Resources and community organizations serving the elderly will be on hand to answer questions.
Dennis Shimek, associate vice chancellor for human resources, has offered his endorsement of the event. The university is also offering release time for staff members who wish to attend the sessions.
"Being supportive in this area has a spin-off so that employees can be productive and at the same time address family and partner issues," Shimek said.
Adams and Fergoda say offering resources and support as employees begin to take a more active role in their parents' lives, should make the experience a be less stressful one for all involved.
Once prepared, employess can find the experience a truly special one, they say.
For more forum details, call (530) 752-3372. For the forum agenda see: http://wrrc.ucdavis.edu/monthlyhighlights.html