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As they wrestle with all their responsibilities and choices, the members of a Greenbelt caregivers support group appreciate Julia Frank's caring demeanor and valuable advice. How, they wonder, does she make decision making look so easy?

"It's because my emotions aren't involved," said Frank, the geriatric case manager and counselor for the Greenbelt Assistance in Living, or GAIL, program. "Those actually caring for parents or loved ones often experience guilt. They believe they should be caring for their relatives and they don't want to feel like they're giving up."

The GAIL program, established in 2001, provides free resources and information for seniors and those with disabilities. Through the program, seniors can participate in trips and events, receive referrals to community agencies or get help with making decisions about health and wellness. Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, GAIL serves more than 600 clients. Some services, such as counseling, are available to Prince George's County residents who live outside of Greenbelt.

The caregivers support group meets from 6:15 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. on the second Wednesday of every month at the Greenbelt Municipal Building at 25 Crescent Road. Although about 20 people belong to the support group, only four to five tend to come out for the meetings due to their hectic care-giving schedules. About half of the caregivers deal with a loved one who has some form of dementia or memory issues, said Frank, who helped to strengthen the support group and other existing caregiver services when she began working with the GAIL program nearly two years ago. A licensed geriatric social worker, Frank initially worked as an intern for GAIL while attending the University of Maryland at Baltimore during the 2008-2009 school year.

Caregivers often contend with their own physical and emotional issues due to their stressful responsibilities, said Frank, a Gaithersburg resident. They can feel lonely and overwhelmed, or even suffer grief as they watch a loved one surrender to the effects of Alzheimer's disease.

"Members appreciate hearing from others who are going through the same experience," Frank said.

Even so, Frank said she has a hard time getting care-giving spouses to come in for support.

"A spouse might believe it's his or her job to take care of everything," Frank said. For adult children, the biggest issue is determining what kind of care to provide for aging parents and when. What's more, these caregivers often must make difficult decisions while working and maintaining relationships with their own spouses and children.

Through the GAIL program, caregivers can learn about a 24-hour hotline available from the Alzheimer's Association as well as the Greenbelt Intergenerational Volunteer Exchange Service, whereby city volunteers assist the frail and disabled with grocery shopping or yard work. Support group members can tap into their churches or local senior/community centers for additional help. In addition, Frank maintains a public group — Greenbelt Caregivers Support Network — on Facebook.

As part of its mission to help seniors remain in their homes, GAIL will host an Aging in Place Expo on May 21 featuring information on aging-related topics. "Knowledge is power," said Christal Batey, community resource advocate and head of the GAIL program. "Sometimes you have to make a choice about your loved one. We help you make that a choice."

Greenbelt

Assistance

in Living Program

How it makes a difference: This program assists

senior and disabled Greenbelt residents. A caregivers' support group also is available on the second Wednesday of every month. Call

301-345-6660.