Many people in greater Birmingham know CJFS because of our bright purple Buz-A-Bus, which for decades has been providing affordable door-to-door transportation for older and disabled adults. Or they’re familiar with CARES, our acclaimed respite program for people with dementia.
But for many other older adults and their families, CJFS provides confidential services that don’t fit into a neat category like respite or transportation. Here are a few examples:
- A son is finding it difficult to talk to his mother about whether she should consider giving up driving. A CJFS Care Manager or Social Worker helps them find a non-threatening way to discuss and address the situation, even helping to arrange alternative transportation for Mom when she does agree to give up her keys.
- A widower receives a devastating diagnosis, causing a caregiving crisis for his children, who work and live in other states. Through the CJFS “Just Like Family” program, a CJFS Care Manager escorts Dad to doctor visits, takes notes and keeps everyone in the family informed. The CJFS Care Manager also works with Dad to ensure that he understands the doctor’s orders and has the resources he needs to follow them.
- A retiree realizes that the accumulating losses in her life have left her depressed – first the deaths of her husband and several close friends, followed by vision problems that have left her unable to drive or read. Through confidential counseling with one of CJFS’s licensed clinical social workers, she gains the confidence to access helpful community resources and build new supportive relationships.
- A husband is caring for his wife with Alzheimer’s, in addition to losing her memory, her personality has changed and she is often angry and non-cooperative. The Caregiver Support Group provides a cohort of people with similar situations and caring professionals to offer support, guidance and behavior strategies to cope with this difficult journey, at no cost and conveniently on Zoom.
CJFS provides Care Management, Counseling, Caregiver Support, Resource Referral, Housing Transition Assistance, Budgeting Assistance, Grief Support and other services to help individuals and families as they navigate the journey of aging. To learn more, email jfs@cjfsbham.org call 205.879.3438.
