“I Feel Like I Won the Lottery!”: How OPTIONS Gave a Caregiver Her Life Back
| Caregiving
For eight years, Laura Lacey has been her mother’s full-time caregiver. Every day she helps her 83-year-old mother, Gail, who is both visually and hearing impaired, with bathing, dressing, meals, laundry, doctor’s appointments, and medications. Laura and her wife even moved into Gail’s Morgantown home, so her mom could remain in the place she loves. For years, Laura managed it all on her own, not realizing help was just a phone call away.
Finding the Right Door
Laura had heard there might be programs available for family caregivers like her, but every time she looked into it, she came away empty-handed. Agencies turned her away, she wasn’t sure her mother would qualify, and even when she found a potential lead, Gail was hesitant. Convincing her mother to accept outside help took time and patience.
That changed when Laura connected with Maria Reyes at the Berks County Area Agency on Aging (BCAAA) and learned about the OPTIONS program. Maria took the time to explain everything clearly, including what the program offered, how it worked, and that Gail was eligible. When Laura learned that services were not only available but free of cost, she burst into tears. “I feel like I just won the lottery,” she said.
What OPTIONS Made Possible
Within a week of that first meeting, Berks County Area Agency on Aging had services in place. Through OPTIONS, Gail now receives eight hours of personal care assistance each week at no cost, along with a Personal Emergency Response System (PERS) device. An aide helps with bathing, dressing, meal preparation, light housekeeping, and laundry. Gail and her caregiver connected quickly, and for Gail, those visits also brought invaluable conversation, companionship, and social interaction beyond her immediate family.
Gail was hospitalized several times and experienced multiple falls in the past year. The PERS device gave Laura greater peace of mind, because she knew her mother could call for help if she needed it. And the eight weekly hours of in-home care gave Laura something she had not had in years: time for herself. She runs errands, shares a meal with her wife, returns phone calls, and tends to her own needs. “I tell people I have eight hours of free time a week and they laugh at me,” Laura says. “But to me, that means everything.”
Spreading the Word
Laura has not kept her experience to herself. Gail has a circle of friends in similar situations—older adults being cared for by family members who are stretched thin and do not know where to turn. Laura tells them all about BCAAA and OPTIONS, and she has already helped others connect to services.
Her first question after enrolling was one many caregivers ask: How is this free? And her greatest concern, shared by many families who rely on these services, is the possibility of funding being cut—a very real concern, depending on the outcome of state budget negotiations. The barriers that Laura faced before have not disappeared. The exhaustion of caregiving does not go away on its own. The difference is whether a family faces it alone or with support.
The Role of Area Agencies on Aging
Laura and Gail’s story reflects what Pennsylvania’s 52 Area Agencies on Aging make possible across all 67 counties. Through programs like OPTIONS, AAAs connect families with the in-home support they need to keep older adults safe, healthy, and living independently.
No caregiver should have to manage alone, and the right connection can make all the difference.
Visit https://p4a.org/aaas/ to find your local AAA and learn more about the services available.