Tom Murphy
RedwoodAge.com

Like many people in their 50s, Susan suddenly found her busy life turned upside down when her aging mother grew ill and needed her help, her time and her support. And like most people in that situation, Susan had no idea how to handle it.

Nurse Tina Cheplick

She didn't understand the intricacies of Medicare, the alternatives in housing or the complex medical problems her mother was facing. She thought she needed caregivers to help, and later would be shocked to learn she is now considered her mother's primary caregiver.

"I'm just trying to find out what resources are available. It's just my mom and me," said Susan, who declined to give her last name. "I'm also trying to find out about support groups for me. I'm so stressed out."

Despite the best efforts of cash-strapped local governments, well-meaning charities and profit-driven businesses, there has never been a simple way for people like Susan to quickly cut through the bureaucracy, jargon and anxiety of helping a loved one in crisis. Most caregivers learn through a painful process of trial and error, often wasting time and money through a series of appointments all over town.

Millions of Americans face these issues every year, and the number will soar over the next 20 years as the baby boom drifts inevitably towards old age.

However, a group in Marin County, California - the grayest county in the golden state - is changing that through an experimental drop-in clinic where anyone can pay a small flat fee to consult with a wide array of experts about medical care, housing, psychology, legal issues, estate planning and more.

"For $30, I learned a lot of things I didn't know," said Susan. "I think that's really reasonable."

National Model
The first clinic, held in February, was a resounding success. Sponsors say there will be more and quietly hope it may even become a model for communities across the US.

"It gives caregivers a shot in the arm to get ahold of information they didn't even know about," said Tina Cheplick, a registered nurse with Care Solutions for Elders, who was one of the experts on hand. "It's innovative. It's totally out of the box. It's personal."

The burdens of caregiving can be "so overwhelming" to people, she said, but the clinic can help to solve that with a series of 20-minute sessions in an environment that is affordable, trusting and confidential.

Carolyn Rosenblatt and Dr. Mikol Davis.

"To have it laid out like this is like grocery shopping," she said. "You can just go to the good fruit and get what you want."

The clinic is the brainchild of Carolyn Rosenblatt, who is a nurse, an attorney and a partner with her husband, psychologist Mikol Davis, in Marin Senior Care & Services,  a San Rafael, Calif.-based business offering advice on caregiving. Rosenblatt based the idea on legal clinics where people who have problems can get a brief consultation with a lawyer.

"I think it's a wonderful concept for doing outreach in the community," said Davis. "The opportunity to speak to a legal or medical or hospice person is quite helpful to a caregiver who's overwhelmed with having to make all these choices."

Flexible Format
Because all the experts are in one room, the clinic can handle a wide range of aging-related issues. For example, Jeanie Stanford came to the clinic to discuss a legal issue that she said amounted to a "40-year hate crime." She said that she received reassurance at the clinic that her efforts to fix the problem were heading in the right direction.

Steve McKinney, 41, was interested in learning how he could better plan to protect his family and his assets as he grows older.

"I want to know what I should be thinking about," he said. His concern grew from his role as a caregiver for his 97-year-old great aunt, who passed away after spending her $200,000 in life savings in 3 1/2 years. "I'm interested in knowing how I can save a lot of my money for my kids."

In the end, caregivers still must shoulder enormous burdens. But the clinic can get them oriented quickly in the often confusing world of caregiving.

"I think it's really helpful to have 20 minutes to see a lawyer, a nurse and a caregiving consultant," said Lara Wheless, a counselor with the Family Caregiver Alliance. "It gives them a place to start."