Caring for Them. Caring for You.

For Glenn County adults caring for an aging parent or relative, and feeling stretched thin.

Many adults in Glenn County are caring for an aging parent while also working, raising children, or managing their own health. Driving to appointments in Willows or Orland, managing medications, handling paperwork, and checking in every day adds up. Most of that work is invisible to the people around you.

If you have Medi-Cal through Partnership HealthPlan, outpatient therapy for yourself is typically covered at no cost. PMHS also accepts Medicare and Medi-Medi. Stress, anxiety, depression, and grief related to caregiving are all valid reasons to start, and no referral is needed.

Sessions with PMHS take place over secure video or by phone, so you can fit them in during a quiet hour at home, on a lunch break, or after your parent is settled for the night. You do not need to arrange coverage to drive to an office.

Caregiving changes the relationship you had with your parent.

Caregiving changes the relationship you had with your parent. The person who once took care of you may now depend on you for daily tasks. That role reversal can bring tenderness, but also grief for the parent you remember and frustration that is hard to admit out loud.

Guilt is one of the most common feelings caregivers describe. Guilt for losing patience, for wanting a break, for considering outside help or a care facility, or for not doing enough. Therapy offers a place to sort through those feelings without judgment and make decisions you can live with.

Caregiver burnout often builds slowly. Signs include constant exhaustion, getting sick more often, trouble sleeping, irritability, losing interest in things you used to enjoy, and feeling numb. These are not character flaws. They are signs that you have been running on empty for too long.

Family conflict often comes with caregiving. Siblings may disagree about care decisions, or one person may end up carrying most of the load. A clinician can help you communicate more effectively with family and set limits that protect your own health.

Anticipatory grief, mourning someone who is still alive but declining, is common when a parent has dementia or a serious illness. That grief is real, and it deserves attention now, not only after a loss.

Practical support matters as much as emotional support. Asking about respite care, in-home support services, or other local resources can make a real difference. Your clinician can help you think through what you need and how to ask for it.

If you are caring for a spouse or partner rather than a parent, the same challenges apply, often with added grief about the changing relationship. Therapy is available for any family caregiver.

Caregiving can also strain your own health. Missed doctor appointments, poor sleep, and skipped meals are common when someone else’s needs always come first. Therapy can help you build small routines that protect your own wellbeing.

Some caregivers feel isolated because friends do not understand what their days look like. Having a regular time to talk with someone who does understand can reduce that sense of being alone in it.

Phone sessions are available if your internet is unreliable or if video feels like too much at the end of a long day. Covered sessions work the same either way.

Your sessions are private, separate from your parent’s medical care, and protected by the same confidentiality laws as any other health care.

To begin, submit our intake form at www.pacmhs.com/connect. We will verify your PHP coverage and reach out within one hour between 8am and 8pm, or by 9am the next morning to get your first session scheduled. You can also press the Get Started button below, which takes you to the same form.