Strike A Chord: Caregiver Support Center

At Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx there's a place where professionals and volunteers take care of caregivers, who often forgo their own emotional health when providing care for their loved ones. It's called the Arthur D. Emil Caregiver Support Center. 

 

"The stress is enormous. The burden is overwhelming. There is anxiety and just a feeling of wanting someone to hold your hand emotionally," said Randi Kaplan, the center's director. 

 

Randi welcomed me in with a cup of coffee, donuts, and of course a smile. It felt like I was visiting a relative or an old friend. And Randi tells me this isn't an atypical reaction from caregivers who often describe the center as an oasis in the midst of medical chaos and stress. Randi says the center provides a place of caregivers to decompress. 

 

"This coach has had many napping people as have the other rooms. When people go to sleep were really happy because it mean they're getting what they need," said Randi. 

 

And it's not just the coaches that relax people. A waterfall greets you as you enter the room and the smell of fresh Colombian coffee fills your nose. One guest was sitting in the corner when I visited. Her feet were resting up on a chair. She was reading the newspaper while she was waiting for her husband who was being treated upstairs. 

 

She said,"I couldn't do this in another area. There was even someone here who was a baker and brought in homemade cookies."

 

According to Dr. Jessica Zwerling with the Montefiore Center for the Aging Brain, the center reflects a new model in healthcare.

 

Zwerling says, "the new model is bring the caregiver and patient diad together, and focusing on them as a unit.