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I can't keep doing this alone

Respite, adult day care, and the free local support most families never hear about.

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Respite, adult day care, and the free local support most families never hear about.

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Home›By Situation›I can't keep doing this alone

If you are reading this at 2 a.m., that is information. Caregiver exhaustion is not a character flaw, and there is more free support in most metros than families ever find.

Short answer

Respite, adult day care, and the free local support most families never hear about.

What to do, in order

  1. Take the exhaustion seriously as a clinical fact. Caregiver strain predicts poor outcomes for both people.
  2. Use respite before you are desperate. No separate Texas state median is published for adult day health care, but STAR+PLUS HCBS can help cover both adult day services and respite for waiver-eligible members.
  3. Take the free support that exists here. The Area Agency on Aging of Tarrant County (817-258-8000) and the Alzheimer's Association North Central Texas Chapter helpline (800-272-3900, 24/7) both offer free caregiver support.
  4. Get a second opinion on the plan. Your county's Area Agency on Aging will review options at no cost.
  5. Name the thing you are avoiding. Most caregivers know what the next step is months before they take it.

Questions families ask

My parent is being discharged from a Fort Worth hospital in 72 hours. What do I do first?

Get the discharge plan in writing from the hospital's case manager or social worker, confirm whether your parent was formally admitted as an inpatient or held under observation status, and ask specifically which senior care facilities have already said yes to the referral -- not just which ones the hospital contacted.

What's the difference between inpatient admission and observation status for Medicare purposes?

Medicare's skilled nursing facility benefit requires a qualifying inpatient hospital admission. Time spent under 'observation status' does not count toward that requirement, even if your parent physically stayed overnight in a hospital bed for multiple nights.

Which hospitals in the Fort Worth area handle senior discharge planning?

Texas Health Resources (Texas Health Harris Methodist Fort Worth and Southwest Fort Worth), JPS Health Network's John Peter Smith Hospital, Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center - Fort Worth, and Medical City/HCA facilities serving Arlington all maintain case management and discharge planning teams.

Not sure where to start?

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