Story Provided by Payne County Aging Advocates

Stillwater and the surrounding community are bustling these days! So many people call this area home due to the friendly, fun, and supportive atmosphere. One growing subset of individuals in our community is that of the family caregiver and their loved ones. By definition, caregivers provide informal and unpaid assistance to family members or friends. This care may be as minimal as checking in daily and helping with small tasks, or as involved as 24/7 physical, emotional, and financial care. It is a large spectrum, but caregiving in any form is stressful and often takes a toll on those providing the care as well as their family, friends, and co-workers. It is essential that caregivers seek help in the caregiving process so that they are able to maintain their own health and well-being.  

Caregivers in and around Stillwater are fortunate. As a certified retirement community, we benefit from a network of community supports offering a variety of useful services, such as the following organizations and resources.

Area Agency on Aging, 1-800-375-8255

• “Helping caregivers take care of their loved ones”, this program is an excellent resource and provides financial assistance to pay for respite care.

Assisted Living/Memory Care/Senior Housing and Nursing Homes

• Payne County offers many quality options for respite (short-term) or full-time residential care.

Home Health/Hospice

• Multiple in-patient and home-based options here, and most offer everything from nursing services to personal assistance. A quick internet search provides many excellent options.

Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, 1-855-488-6814

• Provides free civil legal assistance to eligible low-income people and senior citizens.

LIFE Adult Day Services, lifecenterads.org, 405-377-0978

• Provides a safe, accepting, and individualized social recreation day program for adults dealing with the loss of independence.

Medical Care/Specialists

• We are fortunate to boast an excellent medical system, offering primary care providers and specialists focused on patient-centered care and best outcomes through continuity of care from the hospital setting to the home.

Oklahoma Able Tech, okabletech.okstate.edu, 1-800-257-1705

• This program connects individuals with disabilities to the assistive technology they need.

Private Caregiving

• Providing services similar to home health and hospice, these individuals or small businesses are also easy to find with an internet search for Stillwater or Payne County, OK private caregivers.

Stillwater Interfaith Counseling Center, sifcc.org, 405-624-5840       

• Offers professional counseling, consultation and education to individuals, couples and families.

Stillwater Cares, stillwatercares.org, 405-332-5533                

• A nonprofit community organization that is dedicated to helping people who help people, the Stillwater Cares website provides an excellent listing of local resources for all individuals.

In addition to their stated services, the above entities help connect Payne County caregivers to what they need from the vast array of additional financial, medical, spiritual, educational, and recreational resources, including state/federal support, meals on wheels, local and national organizations, and support groups tailored to individual needs.