What needs are you experiencing? You are just a bit older than my own daughter who is out running about, still working, and having a great time. Do tell us about your needs.
Social workers for your area are listed online. Like other counseling, they come with a price tag you may be able to avoid with your own research into your own special needs. Do fill us in and let's see if we can give you any guidance to start with right here. Do also go to the top AgingCare timeline and look for the word "topics". You will find a lot of things listed in alphabetical order.
Katereena’s profile says that she is suffering from ‘anxiety’, with very little other information. If she has no close family, perhaps she is finding it hard to think forward for how to manage her older years.
Katereena, it might be good to put the ‘decisions’ to one side now, and research the options. This site is a good place to start. If you click on Care Topics on the top right of the screen, you get an alphabetic list. Click on A, then on Assisted Living - - or S or N – to find out about those options. Then keep going to see many expert articles, questions and discussions about a very very large number of topics. This is all free, and doesn’t involve travel time or appointments.
When you know more, you will be able to ask more relevant questions. If you pay for counseling now, you spend a lot to find out a huge amount of information that won’t be relevant.
Margaret, speaking as someone who has been treated for anxiety more than once, I'd say that sometimes you can be so crippled by anxiety that you are unable to research the options even though you know that's good advice. It thus could be best for the OP to try to get counseling now--a social worker is one option, but there are others, such as a geriatric psychologist. If the OP has Medicare, counseling for anxiety should be covered as are other treatments for other health conditions, although the OP should check to see if there are any specific conditions for counseling in her plan, such as length of a counseling session.
Many therapists today use behavioral counseling practices, such as cognitive behavioral therapy. The client learns strategies to deal with the problem behavior--in this case, the OP has suggested anxiety as a problem--that do not involve deep delving into one's past nor gathering huge amounts of information.
A lot depends on what your needs are. Do you need help maintaining your living space or help with your own daily physical activities or medical help? There is no automatic system of help that comes along to take care of us as we get older. Some communities have organizations or churches whose volunteers help seniors with grocery shopping or rides to the doctor. As you become less able to manage your daily living situation, you may need to hire help for chores and property maintence.
My Primary care Doctor referred me to my social worker who helped me with my Dad after My brother passed . At the hospital clinic I got a social worker who was Ok . I did go to Community acupuncture a clinic and got a lot of help and support . I Take courses at Upaya Zen center and there are a Lot for caregivers and you give by Donation . I do a Free Meditation Class that Meets 3 times a week with Thomas Victor Carroll on His Instagram page - Mondays With Quik Silver and 2 days on His regular Page . Sigrid Olsen the clothing designer does a sharing circle and meditation . You Can find free meditation meetings . Findhorn foundation has one .
Sorry to hear that, Wildflower. Wish you had let me know at the time; Perhaps you did and I just didn't check back. Do know that a private message will always receive my attention. Some here on Forum--indeed, MANY-- are more known for their kindness than I am. I make no claims on it. I try to be honest, and I find that often our sympathy doesn't help people. I have kind of a rep for calling them as I see them. I certainly never aim to wound anyone, but I don't mean to mislead them with sympathetic responses if I think that my honest opinion might ultimately help them more.
Do send me a private message letting me know, if you wish, the way in which you feel I condescended to you. Am certainly willing to discuss it with you. Otherwise, not knowing how I offended you, I will offer my sincere apology to you for having done so. Take care.
I’m about to be 68. Suck it up and learn to live in your own. We live in a society where the only time someone will help you if there is an advantage for them. And then they will leave when their needs change.
What I have found in my 66 years on earth is this: WE ALL NEED HELP at some point in life. And it's okay to ask for it. Be it antidepressants, housekeepers, therapy, a vacation.....whatever. To be human is to be vulnerable.
My mother had an extremely annoying saying she used constantly:
"It's a great life if you don't weaken."
She'd heard it somewhere and latched onto it forevermore.
To her, showing weakness was a flaw, a vice, an embarrassment. To me, showing weakness is a sign of humility and imperfection.
I kind of understand this. Sometimes people take kindness as a weakness and take advantage of that. You need to have those Boundaries. Know when u being used. I like what one of the TV judges says "Don't let them see u sweat".
I have mentioned "Better Help", an on-line counseling service for seniors in the past on this forum. I can't say enough about how indispensable it is to me for support and problem solving. I don't know if they have social workers but, depending on your needs, a social worker may not be necessary. My therapist is a health psychologist specializing in geriatrics. It is covered by Medicare. In my case my supplemental also covers copay. I am a big fan of geriatricians for a primary care doctor. Mine has a social worker in the practice that can point patients in the right direction for support services. Good luck to you. I am also 68 and I live with medical problems of my own and care for my husband with Alzheimers. I have had moments of despair. But mostly I feel hopeful for my future. My life is not over yet! Good luck to you. Build a good support system and you will find the answers you seek.
A fast and easy way to start the search.. Contact your local Senior Center or in some areas it is a Senior Service Center in addition to all the activities they provide they often have Social Workers on staff. Depending on the help that you need they may even have programs that they can get you into.
Depending on the type of help that you need your Doctor's office might be able to refer you to someone that might be able to help you.
Katereena: A social worker should be available here - Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging, Senior Center, 1700 E. 13th St., Cleveland, OH, 216 621-0303.
Folks. I need to make a correction to something I posted here. I referred to using Better Help on line counseling. The service I actually use is "Total Life," a counseling service specializing in the needs of seniors.
Not sure what your needs are. If you are in the USA you can file for Medicare at 65 years old. If you work until 72 years old, you can then file for Social Security without any penalty for additional income. If you are struggling to make ends meet: contact your city/town for aging services, AARP, or local authorities (they will know the resources in your area).
Social workers for your area are listed online. Like other counseling, they come with a price tag you may be able to avoid with your own research into your own special needs.
Do fill us in and let's see if we can give you any guidance to start with right here.
Do also go to the top AgingCare timeline and look for the word "topics". You will find a lot of things listed in alphabetical order.
Best out to you and welcome to the Forum.
Katereena, it might be good to put the ‘decisions’ to one side now, and research the options. This site is a good place to start. If you click on Care Topics on the top right of the screen, you get an alphabetic list. Click on A, then on Assisted Living - - or S or N – to find out about those options. Then keep going to see many expert articles, questions and discussions about a very very large number of topics. This is all free, and doesn’t involve travel time or appointments.
When you know more, you will be able to ask more relevant questions. If you pay for counseling now, you spend a lot to find out a huge amount of information that won’t be relevant.
Many therapists today use behavioral counseling practices, such as cognitive behavioral therapy. The client learns strategies to deal with the problem behavior--in this case, the OP has suggested anxiety as a problem--that do not involve deep delving into one's past nor gathering huge amounts of information.
https://www.areaagingsolutions.org/
You will find quiet a bit of info here and a phone number to ask about a social worker.
If OP is still with us, your County Office of Aging is where you may want to start.
Do send me a private message letting me know, if you wish, the way in which you feel I condescended to you. Am certainly willing to discuss it with you. Otherwise, not knowing how I offended you, I will offer my sincere apology to you for having done so.
Take care.
My mother had an extremely annoying saying she used constantly:
"It's a great life if you don't weaken."
She'd heard it somewhere and latched onto it forevermore.
To her, showing weakness was a flaw, a vice, an embarrassment.
To me, showing weakness is a sign of humility and imperfection.
Press on OP, I hope you find the help you need.
Contact your local Senior Center or in some areas it is a Senior Service Center in addition to all the activities they provide they often have Social Workers on staff. Depending on the help that you need they may even have programs that they can get you into.
Depending on the type of help that you need your Doctor's office might be able to refer you to someone that might be able to help you.
You need to tell us what help you are exactly looking for.
It would be nice if you could tell us what kind of needs you have. Then we can point u in the right direction.