Getting together and celebrating a special occasion with the family can be a wonderful time. It can also be a time when you begin noticing changes in your aging loved one. Perhaps as you celebrated the recent holidays, you noticed that your mother’s hygiene isn’t what it used to be. You may have noticed that her short term memory is declining or that she has been losing weight. Perhaps she mentioned being lonely during the day but being unable to get out of the house on her own due to physical ailments. You are working and taking care of your own busy family and can’t imagine taking on additional caregiving responsibilities even though you want to. So what do you do? Now is the time to call Home Care Assistance.
Home Care Assistance is a full service home care agency offering hourly services but with a specialty in live-in caregivers. Our caregivers are specifically trained in our exclusive Balanced Care MethodTM . Focusing on lifestyle and dietary choices, the Balanced Care MethodTM promotes healthy activity, stress reduction, and social interaction to help seniors live their best possible lives – in the comfort of home. But, what exactly does this mean for your mother?
1. When it comes to physical hygiene, our caregivers are able to provide assistance with bathing, dressing, and grooming. A little help here can go a long way in improving your mom’s willingness to interact with others and her own self-image.
2. From planning the menu to preparing the meal, the caregiver will ensure that your mother is eating three, well balanced meals per day. If your mother has food preferences or enjoys cooking, then she and her caregiver will enjoy doing this together.
3. Exercise. Not a word that most of us like to think about, but it’s a necessity nonetheless. Your mom isn’t going to be training for a marathon by any stretch, but the caregiver will work to improve her physical stamina. From simply doing stretches and chair exercises to walking to the mailbox or around the block, she won’t be sitting in her favorite chair all day long anymore!
4. You know the old saying, use it or lose it. It applies to short term memory, too! While our caregivers can’t reverse memory loss associated with dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease, they can provide social interaction, which has been shown to improve cognitive function. A game of cards, anyone?
When it comes to caring for your aging loved one, accept help from the professionals. While this is new to you, it isn’t new to us. For more information about Home Care Assistance, please visit our website at www.homecareassistance.com. To be directed to your local Home Care Assistance office, please call 1-866-4-LIVEIN.
Showing posts with label elder care. Show all posts
Showing posts with label elder care. Show all posts
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
The Perfect Holiday Caregiver: It’s All a State of Mind
by Anne Pagnoni
The holidays are always a wonderful time of year for family gatherings, reflection on what we have and the spirit of giving. The television is packed with specials showing relationships and families coming together for the holidays. But the holidays can also be a time of stress and sadness for those who are caring for family members that are struggling with health problems, frailty, dementia and loss. Those who care for these individuals may feel overwhelmed, frustrated, depressed or resentful as they watch “perfect” families enjoying the holidays. There are many surveys and documents that show that caregivers are highly susceptible to these feelings. If you are a caregiver, there are measures you can take to avoid this.
First: you are not alone.
If you are new to caregiving or have been caring for someone for a very long time, remember that the perfect family on television is not reality for many Americans. You are not the only one with these challenges. A recent study by the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP found that 44.4 million Americans age 18 or older are providing unpaid care to an adult. In fact according to the survey provided by the National Family Caregivers Association:
• The typical caregiver is a 46-year-old Baby Boomer woman with some college education who works and spends more than 20 hours per week caring for her mother who lives nearby.
• Female caregivers provide more hours of care and provide a higher level of care than male caregivers.
• Almost seven in ten 69%) caregivers say they help one person.
• The average length of caregiving is 4.3 years.
• Many caregivers fulfill multiple roles. Most caregivers are married or living with a partner (62%), and most have worked and managed caregiving responsibilities at the same time (74%).
Second: find help.
There are many resources available to a caregiver. Some of these include family members, friends, a local religious group, elder care agencies and homecare providers. The internet provides many great resources and help. The National Care Planning Council offers many articles, brochures and local referrals to help caregivers find the help that they need.
“When my husband’s stepfather was released from the hospital in December of 2009, he called us to give him a ride home. Once he was home, we quickly realized that he was not able to care for himself at all. He lived alone and we found ourselves driving back and forth three or four times a day to assist all of his needs. It was overwhelming and frightening to suddenly become a caregiver to a man we weren’t even that close to. With my husband working full time days, I became his primary caregiver. I would pack up my two little girls every day to come with me to take him to the doctor, do his laundry and feed him his meals, do his grocery shopping and help him with his bills. I had no idea what his finances were like or how to pay his medical bills. He was too sick to care or even understand what I was saying to him. I quickly realized I was going to have to find help. First I called his children. They were sympathetic, but gave all kinds of excuses as to why they could not help. Next, I went to the internet. I went to the website for National Care Planning Council www.longtermcarelink.net and found and contacted a Care planner in my area. The Care Planner came to my stepfather’s house and met with the two of us. They helped me get organized and set up time to meet with someone to explain his Medicare services and what my next steps would be. It was such a relief to have a plan and to know what to do.” MH- Salt Lake City, Utah
Most family members are willing to help, but just don’t know what to do. Many caregivers feel that they are the only one who can give the best care. It is important to communicate with other family members about what kind of help you need and let them know specifically what they can do.
A number of organizations and private companies will give you advice and guidance -- many for free. If your care recipient has a very low income, you might get free help from your local Area Agency on Aging. A lot depends on available funds. Click here for a nationwide list of agencies.
A good source for professional advice is the rapidly growing business of non-medical home care companies. Most will offer free consultations and will provide paid aides to help you with your loved-one with such things as bathing, dressing, shopping, household chores, transportation, companionship and much more. These people may also help you coordinate adult day care or other community services.
You may wish to pay for a formal assessment and care plan from a professional geriatric care manager. Even though it may cost you a little money to hire a care manager, this could be the best money you will ever spend. Care managers are valuable in helping find supporting resources, providing respite, saving money from care providers, finding money to pay for care, making arrangements with family or government providers and providing advice on issues that you may be struggling with.
Lastly: it is important to take care of yourself first in order to give effective and loving care.
Stephen Covey tells a story in his book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People about a man who is sawing a tree. A woman approaches and asks the obviously exhausted man how long he has been sawing the tree. He tells her that he has been there for hours.
She says “Well, I see that your saw is dull, if you would just sharpen your saw you would be able to saw it much faster and with less effort.”
He replies, “I don’t have time to stop and sharpen my saw, I need to chop this tree down now!”
It seems pretty silly that the man just doesn’t stop for a few minutes to make the work easier. It is common for caregivers to do the same thing. They focus on caring for their loved one and run themselves down instead of stopping to “sharpen their saw”.
Covey states that “sharpening the saw” is to take care of yourself by keeping your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual self balanced. There is joy and respite in balancing all of these areas in our life. This is what makes us efficient and happy. Here are some ways for you as a caregiver to sharpen your own saw:
• Maintain a positive attitude. Take time to be grateful for everything that is good in your life. There is always something. Adjust your expectations for the holiday season. If you aren’t expecting that perfect holiday family picture, then you won’t be angry and frustrated that it isn’t something you have right now. It is always possible to change your attitude and perceptions, but it is not always possible to change your circumstances.
• Eat healthy food and be sure to get some exercise. Do this in small increments if it is too overwhelming to plan menus. Drink more water, cut down on sugary snacks, pick up some vegetables and fruit to grab. Walk or do marching in place. Run or walk up and down stairs if that is all the time you have right now.
• Forgive and let go of frustrations, anger, resentment and guilt. These are common feelings for caregivers. The best thing a caregiver can do for their own emotional health is to clear out these negative thoughts and feelings. Get counseling, talk to a friend or family member or simply write down the negative feelings to get them out of your system. Never take your anger and frustrations out on those you care for.
• Take time to do something you enjoy and give yourself a little bit of rejuvenation everyday. Laughter is a great stress reliever. Find something funny to read or get on the internet and find a funny video to watch.
• During the holidays, be easy on yourself. If you enjoy holiday activities, then get out there and do them. Ask someone to help with your caregiving duties even if it is just for an hour or two to shop or to see a concert or movie. There are day care facilities or home care services available for short term care. See www.longtermcarelink.net for a service in your area.
Being a “perfect” caregiver during the holidays does not have to look like the perfect on-screen holiday family. How you handle your circumstance will be the key to creating your own peace, happiness and cheer during the holiday season. The holidays can be a time of reflection on good things. Your attitude and a little care for yourself can make a big difference in the care that you give in the coming year.
The holidays are always a wonderful time of year for family gatherings, reflection on what we have and the spirit of giving. The television is packed with specials showing relationships and families coming together for the holidays. But the holidays can also be a time of stress and sadness for those who are caring for family members that are struggling with health problems, frailty, dementia and loss. Those who care for these individuals may feel overwhelmed, frustrated, depressed or resentful as they watch “perfect” families enjoying the holidays. There are many surveys and documents that show that caregivers are highly susceptible to these feelings. If you are a caregiver, there are measures you can take to avoid this.
First: you are not alone.
If you are new to caregiving or have been caring for someone for a very long time, remember that the perfect family on television is not reality for many Americans. You are not the only one with these challenges. A recent study by the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP found that 44.4 million Americans age 18 or older are providing unpaid care to an adult. In fact according to the survey provided by the National Family Caregivers Association:
• The typical caregiver is a 46-year-old Baby Boomer woman with some college education who works and spends more than 20 hours per week caring for her mother who lives nearby.
• Female caregivers provide more hours of care and provide a higher level of care than male caregivers.
• Almost seven in ten 69%) caregivers say they help one person.
• The average length of caregiving is 4.3 years.
• Many caregivers fulfill multiple roles. Most caregivers are married or living with a partner (62%), and most have worked and managed caregiving responsibilities at the same time (74%).
Second: find help.
There are many resources available to a caregiver. Some of these include family members, friends, a local religious group, elder care agencies and homecare providers. The internet provides many great resources and help. The National Care Planning Council offers many articles, brochures and local referrals to help caregivers find the help that they need.
“When my husband’s stepfather was released from the hospital in December of 2009, he called us to give him a ride home. Once he was home, we quickly realized that he was not able to care for himself at all. He lived alone and we found ourselves driving back and forth three or four times a day to assist all of his needs. It was overwhelming and frightening to suddenly become a caregiver to a man we weren’t even that close to. With my husband working full time days, I became his primary caregiver. I would pack up my two little girls every day to come with me to take him to the doctor, do his laundry and feed him his meals, do his grocery shopping and help him with his bills. I had no idea what his finances were like or how to pay his medical bills. He was too sick to care or even understand what I was saying to him. I quickly realized I was going to have to find help. First I called his children. They were sympathetic, but gave all kinds of excuses as to why they could not help. Next, I went to the internet. I went to the website for National Care Planning Council www.longtermcarelink.net and found and contacted a Care planner in my area. The Care Planner came to my stepfather’s house and met with the two of us. They helped me get organized and set up time to meet with someone to explain his Medicare services and what my next steps would be. It was such a relief to have a plan and to know what to do.” MH- Salt Lake City, Utah
Most family members are willing to help, but just don’t know what to do. Many caregivers feel that they are the only one who can give the best care. It is important to communicate with other family members about what kind of help you need and let them know specifically what they can do.
A number of organizations and private companies will give you advice and guidance -- many for free. If your care recipient has a very low income, you might get free help from your local Area Agency on Aging. A lot depends on available funds. Click here for a nationwide list of agencies.
A good source for professional advice is the rapidly growing business of non-medical home care companies. Most will offer free consultations and will provide paid aides to help you with your loved-one with such things as bathing, dressing, shopping, household chores, transportation, companionship and much more. These people may also help you coordinate adult day care or other community services.
You may wish to pay for a formal assessment and care plan from a professional geriatric care manager. Even though it may cost you a little money to hire a care manager, this could be the best money you will ever spend. Care managers are valuable in helping find supporting resources, providing respite, saving money from care providers, finding money to pay for care, making arrangements with family or government providers and providing advice on issues that you may be struggling with.
Lastly: it is important to take care of yourself first in order to give effective and loving care.
Stephen Covey tells a story in his book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People about a man who is sawing a tree. A woman approaches and asks the obviously exhausted man how long he has been sawing the tree. He tells her that he has been there for hours.
She says “Well, I see that your saw is dull, if you would just sharpen your saw you would be able to saw it much faster and with less effort.”
He replies, “I don’t have time to stop and sharpen my saw, I need to chop this tree down now!”
It seems pretty silly that the man just doesn’t stop for a few minutes to make the work easier. It is common for caregivers to do the same thing. They focus on caring for their loved one and run themselves down instead of stopping to “sharpen their saw”.
Covey states that “sharpening the saw” is to take care of yourself by keeping your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual self balanced. There is joy and respite in balancing all of these areas in our life. This is what makes us efficient and happy. Here are some ways for you as a caregiver to sharpen your own saw:
• Maintain a positive attitude. Take time to be grateful for everything that is good in your life. There is always something. Adjust your expectations for the holiday season. If you aren’t expecting that perfect holiday family picture, then you won’t be angry and frustrated that it isn’t something you have right now. It is always possible to change your attitude and perceptions, but it is not always possible to change your circumstances.
• Eat healthy food and be sure to get some exercise. Do this in small increments if it is too overwhelming to plan menus. Drink more water, cut down on sugary snacks, pick up some vegetables and fruit to grab. Walk or do marching in place. Run or walk up and down stairs if that is all the time you have right now.
• Forgive and let go of frustrations, anger, resentment and guilt. These are common feelings for caregivers. The best thing a caregiver can do for their own emotional health is to clear out these negative thoughts and feelings. Get counseling, talk to a friend or family member or simply write down the negative feelings to get them out of your system. Never take your anger and frustrations out on those you care for.
• Take time to do something you enjoy and give yourself a little bit of rejuvenation everyday. Laughter is a great stress reliever. Find something funny to read or get on the internet and find a funny video to watch.
• During the holidays, be easy on yourself. If you enjoy holiday activities, then get out there and do them. Ask someone to help with your caregiving duties even if it is just for an hour or two to shop or to see a concert or movie. There are day care facilities or home care services available for short term care. See www.longtermcarelink.net for a service in your area.
Being a “perfect” caregiver during the holidays does not have to look like the perfect on-screen holiday family. How you handle your circumstance will be the key to creating your own peace, happiness and cheer during the holiday season. The holidays can be a time of reflection on good things. Your attitude and a little care for yourself can make a big difference in the care that you give in the coming year.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Legal Issues with Veterans Benefits
by Anne Pagnoni
Accreditation
Federal law dictates that no one may help a veteran in the preparation, presentation and prosecution of an initial claim for VA benefits unless that person is accredited. The only exception to this law is that any one person can help any veteran -- one-time only -- with a claim. To help any veteran a second time requires accreditation.
VA recognizes 3 types of individuals for purposes of accreditation.
(1) Accredited attorneys
(2) Accredited agents and
(3) Accredited representatives of service organizations. (Veterans Service Officers)
In order to be accredited to help veterans with new claims, an individual desiring this certification from VA must submit a formal application, must meet certain character requirements and work history requirements and -- except for attorneys -- must pass a comprehensive test relating to veterans claims and benefits. There are also requirements for ongoing continuing education.
Without accreditation no one may help a veteran with a claim more than one time.
What Does It Mean to Help a Veteran with a Claim?
VA interprets its prohibition on preparing, presenting and prosecuting a claim to mean that talking to a veteran or a veteran's qualifying spouse or dependent after that person has indicated an intent to file a specific claim for benefits requires accreditation. Anyone can talk about veterans benefits in general with any veteran and need not be accredited. The point at which discussion narrows down to specific information about the veteran's service record, medical conditions, financial situation including income and assets and other issues relating to a claim specific to a veteran or dependent triggers accreditation. According to VA, discussing the specifics of the claim means that the veteran has expressed an intent to file an application for veterans benefits, and at this point, the consultant helping the veteran must be accredited.
Stated again: An individual cannot advise a veteran or other eligible beneficiary about that person's specific claim for VA benefits unless that individual is accredited.
It does not matter whether physical help with filing the claim is provided or not. The need for accreditation occurs at a much earlier stage than becoming physically involved in the claim. For a better understanding of how VA General Counsel interprets the need for accreditation please go to the VA Office of General Counsel Website -- Frequently Asked Questions about Accreditation at http://www4.va.gov/ogc/accred_faqs.asp
Working under the Umbrella of an Accredited Attorney or Accredited Claims Agent
Many individuals or organizations who are not accredited and who are promoting and helping veterans obtain their benefits are often attempting to work under someone who is accredited. Most of these individuals are doing it wrong and not complying with the law.
These individuals make sure that the application is done by an accredited attorney or an accredited agent. In some cases, non-accredited individuals will refer veteran households to a local veterans service officer (an accredited representative of a service organization).
Unfortunately, most individuals who are not accredited and who are operating with someone who is accredited are still illegal. This is because the non-accredited individuals become involved in the claim by providing advice after an intent to file and in many cases they help gather documents and other pertinent information. As mentioned above, these activities require accreditation. The only way that a non-accredited individual can operate legally to assist someone who is accredited is to immediately refer a veteran or dependent to an accredited person when first understanding an intent to file a claim. No additional help or advice may be given after the intent to file has been recognized.
Many accredited attorneys are also not operating legally. Only an accredited attorney -- one-on-one with the client -- may be involved with a claim. Anyone else, inside or outside of the office, cannot assist with the claim except under certain limiting conditions. Specifically, in order to work under an attorney, a non-accredited assistant must either be another attorney in the office, a certified paralegal in the attorney's office or an office law student or an intern. The client must also sign a consent letter allowing this arrangement. This consent must be filed with the original application. No other arrangement is allowed. Please see 38 CFR § 14.629 for an explanation of this requirement.
Charging a Fee for Help with Filing a Claim
Generally, no individual or organization may charge a fee for help with filing an initial application for benefits. There is only one exception to this rule and that is under the third-party exemption in 38 CFR § 14.636 (d). The requirements under this exception are very specific. In our opinion, no one that we know of, who is charging a fee, thinking he or she is operating under this exception, is doing it legally. Here are the ways these people are violating this law. (In most cases those who are operating illegally are engaging in all 4 of these unlawful activities.)
(1) The person paying the fee is not a disinterested third party as required by law.
(2) The person filing the claim is not submitting the fee agreement to VA general counsel as required.
(3) The person filing the claim is not submitting the disclaimer to General Counsel as required.
(4) The fee is contingent upon a percentage of the amount of the approved benefit.
We are seeing various financial arrangements for filing claims that are disguised fees in one way or another. As a general rule, anyone who would directly benefit financially from helping a veteran file a claim -- whether a direct fee is charged or not -- is in essence charging a fee. We know from numerous discussions with representatives, this is the way VA General Counsel treats these arrangements.
If you are working with someone who is not operating legally as outlined above, you should stop using that person's services. If you yourself are operating in a manner that is not in accord with the conditions outlined above, you must stop doing that. You're not legal. Not only could unauthorized individuals get a notice to cease and desist but in some cases there could be fines or legal action involved as well. It's not worth it. For help with accreditation issues you can contact the National Care Planning Council at info@longtermcarelink.net.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Support Groups for Caregivers
By Anne Pagnoni
Being a caregiver for a loved one is an overwhelming responsibility. Many caregivers hold full time jobs; juggle children with their many extracurricular activities; and maintain their own household with laundry, bill paying, meal preparation, grocery shopping, yard work, cleaning, etc. In addition to their own familial responsibilities, they are responsible for the care of another adult individual, who typically has multiple physical and cognitive limitations. While initially the caregiving responsibilities may not be too taxing, as the aging loved one's limitations increase so does the time that the caregiver needs to spend caregiving. Overtime the caregiver will become overwhelmed and will need a support system in place to help him or her through the rough times.
Professionally run support groups are an excellent resource for the caregiver. Caregivers have the opportunity to talk with each other and share tips on things that have and haven't worked. Professional facilitators are available to provide useful information on relevant caregiving topics and to steer caregivers in the right direction when looking for additional services. Support groups usually meet for a couple of hours either weekly or biweekly. But what about the caregivers who aren't able to make the meetings or caregivers who need support between meetings? How do they get the help that they need?
Home Care Assistance of New Jersey has teamed up with an online caregiver support group designed to provide resources to caregivers and link them with professionals, who can share insight on particular caregiving issues. On Wednesday, September 1st Home Care Assistance will be making an announcement regarding this partnership with information on how individuals can begin utilizing the site. Stay tuned for more information!
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Little-Known Government Program Pays the Cost of Elder Care
By Anne Pagnoni
WHAT IF 33% OF ALL SENIORS IN THIS COUNTRY could receive up to $1,949 a month in additional income from the government to help cover their elder care costs? THEY CAN!
Under the right circumstances, a little-known federal program will pay additional income to cover long term care costs for at least 1/3 of all US senior households -- that's how many war veterans or their surviving spouses there are in this country. But the provisions of this program are such a well-kept secret that only 4.7% of US seniors are actually receiving the benefit. The great news about this program is the Department of Veterans Affairs will pay you to hire your family, friends or just about anyone to take care of you (Caregiving spouses can't be paid under this program). The program is called "Veterans Pension."
Most people who have heard about Pension know that it will cover the costs of assisted living and, in some cases, cover nursing home costs as well. But the majority of those receiving long term care in this country are in their homes. Estimates are that approximately 70% to 80% of all long term care is being provided in the home. All of the information available about Pension overlooks the fact that this benefit can also be used to pay for home care.
It also comes as a surprise to most people that the Department of Veterans Affairs will allow veterans' households to include the annual cost of paying any person such as family members, friends or hired help for care when calculating the Pension benefit. This annual cost is deducted from household income and used to calculate a lower "countable income" which in turn enables families to receive this disability income from VA. Even though VA claims the benefit is for low income families, because of the special provision in the regulations -- allowing for deduction for care costs -- households earning between $3,000 to $6,000 a month or more can still qualify for Pension under the right conditions.
This extra income can be a welcome benefit for families struggling to provide eldercare for loved ones at home. Under the right circumstances, this annualized medical expense for the cost of family members, friends or any other person providing care, could create an additional household income of up to $1,056 a month for a single surviving spouse of a veteran, up to $1,644 a month for a single veteran or up to $1,949 a month for a couple.
If the disabled care recipient has been rated "housebound" or in need of "aid and attendance" by VA, all fees paid to an in-home attendant will be allowed as long as the attendant provides some medical or nursing services for the disabled person. The attendant does not have to be a licensed health professional. There is also no need to distinguish between medical and nonmedical services -- all are deductible.
For a disabled person who has been rated "in need of aid and attendance" or "housebound", a family member will be considered an in-home attendant, but that family member has to be paid for services duly rendered. There is potential for fraud here where a family member may move into the home and ostensibly receive payment as a caregiver but not actually provide the level of care paid for. Documentation for this care must be provided to VA, and it is reasonable for VA to question whether the services being purchased from a family member living in the household are legitimate. Such arrangements should be extensively documented and completely arm's-length.
The care arrangements and payment for home care must be made prior to application and there must be evidence that this care is needed on an ongoing and regular basis. We recommend a formal care contract and weekly invoice billing for services. Money must exchange hands and federal law requires employment taxes must be withheld and there must be evidence of this. All of this documentation must be provided as proof to VA when making application for the pension benefit. Costs for these services must be unreimbursed; meaning these costs are not paid by insurance, by contributions from the family or from other sources. VA will allow, however, family caregivers being paid by their loved ones, to turn around and pay the household bills for their loved ones to help defray the cost of the care.
Due to the need for a rating, documentation for annualizing care costs and the extensive proof needed to show the caregiver is indeed an employee of the care recipient, most people should not try this on their own. An expert in this area should be sought to help with the application in order to avoid lengthy delays in awarding a benefit or a possible denial of benefits. For a list of individuals or companies in your area who understand how to get this benefit go to http://www.longtermcarelink.net/ref_veterans_consultants.htm
Monday, June 21, 2010
Aftercare Tips for Elderly Patients Checking Out of the Hospital
Readmission into the hospital after surgery or another procedure is extremely common, costly and time consuming. Since it is one of our main priorities to keep our clients healthy and living at home rather than in the hospital, I wanted to share this article from The New York Times as it provides great tips for hospital checkout and avoiding readmission.
In 2009,The New England Journal of Medicine reported “one in five Medicare patients returns to the hospital within 30 days of being discharged.” Dr. Mark V. Williams, who worked on this study, suggests that part of the issue is due to the fact that doctors place much of their focus on the admission process, when the patient is most sick. When the patient leaves the hospital, they often have more medications and treatments to worry about than when they first entered. Some doctors suggest that this problem may also occur because it may benefit the hospital financially for patients to be readmitted.
Dr. Eric A. Coleman, professor of medicine at the University of Colorado Denver, has developed a program called Care Transitions Intervention to help seniors take initiative in their care after leaving the hospital. The steps of the program include taking charge of your care, checking the medication list for errors, making a comprehendible discharge plan and contacting your primary physician if you have any questions or concerns. To further help the cause, some medical centers are providing financial incentives for lowering readmission rates and are providing guidance for improving the discharge process.
In 2009,The New England Journal of Medicine reported “one in five Medicare patients returns to the hospital within 30 days of being discharged.” Dr. Mark V. Williams, who worked on this study, suggests that part of the issue is due to the fact that doctors place much of their focus on the admission process, when the patient is most sick. When the patient leaves the hospital, they often have more medications and treatments to worry about than when they first entered. Some doctors suggest that this problem may also occur because it may benefit the hospital financially for patients to be readmitted.
Dr. Eric A. Coleman, professor of medicine at the University of Colorado Denver, has developed a program called Care Transitions Intervention to help seniors take initiative in their care after leaving the hospital. The steps of the program include taking charge of your care, checking the medication list for errors, making a comprehendible discharge plan and contacting your primary physician if you have any questions or concerns. To further help the cause, some medical centers are providing financial incentives for lowering readmission rates and are providing guidance for improving the discharge process.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Recognizing Symptoms of Dementia
By Anne Pagnoni
The Brown family reunion has always been an event everyone looks forward to. Family visits, games, stories and everyone's favorite foods are always on the agenda. On the top of the menu is Grandma's Lemon Coconut Cake. Grandma always makes the traditional cake from her old family recipe. This year, however, the cake tasted a little on the salty side - perhaps a half cupful of salty.
Though the family was disappointed over the cake, of more concern was Grandma's confusion with the recipe and her similar confusion about the loved ones around her. Could something be wrong with grandma's mental state?
One might say that for an older adult a little forgetfulness or confusion is normal, but when do you know if there is a serious problem, such as dementia? An online article from FamilyDoctor.org outlines some common symptoms in recognizing dementia:
"Dementia causes many problems for the person who has it and for the person's family. Many of the problems are caused by memory loss. Some common symptoms of dementia are listed below. Not everyone who has dementia will experience all of these symptoms.
- Recent memory loss. All of us forget things for a while and then remember them later. People who have dementia often forget things, but they never remember them. They might ask you the same question over and over, each time forgetting that you've already given them the answer. They won't even remember that they already asked the question.
- Difficulty performing familiar tasks. People who have dementia might cook a meal but forget to serve it. They might even forget that they cooked it.
Problems with language. People who have dementia may forget simple words or use the wrong words. This makes it hard to understand what they want. - Time and place disorientation. People who have dementia may get lost on their own street. They may forget how they got to a certain place and how to get back home.
- Poor judgment. Even a person who doesn't have dementia might get distracted. But people who have dementia can forget simple things, like forgetting to put on a coat before going out in cold weather.
- Problems with abstract thinking. Anybody might have trouble balancing a checkbook, but people who have dementia may forget what the numbers are and what has to be done with them.
- Misplacing things. People who have dementia may put things in the wrong places. They might put an iron in the freezer or a wristwatch in the sugar bowl. Then they can't find these things later.
- Changes in mood. Everyone is moody at times, but people who have dementia may have fast mood swings, going from calm to tears to anger in a few minutes.
Personality changes. People who have dementia may have drastic changes in personality. They might become irritable, suspicious or fearful. - Loss of initiative. People who have dementia may become passive. They might not want to go places or see other people."
What can family members do if they suspect dementia? An appointment with the doctor or geriatric clinic is the first step to take. Depending on the cause and severity of the problem there are some medications that may help slow the process. Your doctor may recommend a care facility that specializes in dementia and Alzheimer's. These facilities offer a variety of care options from day care with stimulating activities to part or full-time live-in options. Sometimes if patients tend to wander off, a locked facility is needed.
In the beginning family members find part time caregivers for their loved one. At first, loved ones need only a little help with remembering to do daily activities or prepare meals. As dementia progresses, caregiving demands often progress to 24 hour care. Night and day become confused and normal routines of sleeping, eating and functioning become more difficult for the patient. The demented person feels frustrated and may lash out in anger or fear. It is not uncommon for a child or spouse giving the care to quickly become overwhelmed and discouraged.
Family gatherings provide an excellent opportunity to discuss caregiving plans and whole family support. It is most helpful if everyone in the family is united in supporting a family caregiver in some meaningful way. "The first step to holding a family meeting, and perhaps the most difficult one, is to get all interested persons together in one place at one time. If it's a family gathering, perhaps a birthday, an anniversary or another special event could be used as a way to get all to meet. Or maybe even a special dinner might be an incentive. The end of the meeting should consist of asking everyone present to make his or her commitment to support the plan. This might just simply be moral support and agreement to abide by the provisions or it is hoped that those attending will volunteer to do something constructive. This might mean commitments to providing care, transportation, financial support, making legal arrangements or some other tangible support." The Four Steps of Long Term Care Planning
Professional home care services are an option to help families in the home. These providers are trained and skilled to help with dementia patients.
The National Care Planning Council supports caregiving services throughout the country. Visit www.longtermcarelink.net for more information.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Why Any and All Activity Matters
By Anne Pagnoni
The health benefits of exercise are extraordinarily well documented. Regular exercise lowers your risk of a stroke by 27%, reduces instances of both high blood pressure and Alzheimer's disease by 40%, cuts your chance of developing diabetes by 50%, and lowers your risk of developing colon cancer by a whopping 60%. As well, it obviously helps maintain a healthy weight. Plus, exercise has been shown to be just as effective at fighting depression as both SSRIs (like Prozac) and therapy.
A recent study from the Appalachian State University's Human Performance Lab even showed that people who took a brisk walk five days a week had fewer and less severe colds and flus than sedentary control subjects. So it's not just long-term chronic and fatal conditions that being fit staves off – regular exercise actually helps you battle the common cold, too!
Beyond full-on exercise, however, a recent study out of Australia also shows the health risk of being inactive. The study from the physical activity lab at the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute in Victoria, Australia found that the more television its subjects watched, the greater risk they had of dying at a younger age, particularly from heart disease.
Subjects in the study who watched four hours or more of television per day were 80% more likely to die from heart disease and 46% more likely to die from all causes, even when factors such as: education levels, overall health, age, past smoking, waist circumference, cholesterol levels, and blood pressure of the subjects was taken into account.
The study concluded that the real problem with television watching is that it is done while sitting, and sitting with extraordinarily little muscle movement. Such "extreme" inactivity affects metabolism overall, not just during the time spent inactive. A study from July 2008 showed that standing engages muscles and promotes the distribution of lipase, a fat-absorbing enzyme that triggers the body to process fat and cholesterol. Most important, the benefits of this regular, unremarkable movement are independent from the amount of time subjects spent exercising.
That same study found that the health consequences that develop from too much sitting are very different and independent from those that result from too little exercise. Along with the recent Australian study, it found that the negative health consequences of prolonged periods of sitting – larger waistlines, higher bad cholesterol levels, lower good cholesterol levels, heart disease risks – were not fully counteracted by regular exercise.
In other words, regular exercise – beneficial as it is – doesn't counteract the negative effects of long periods of inactivity.
Part of the issue is that television watching is fundamentally inactive. Harvard Health Publications estimates that, when it comes to calories burned, watching television (56 calories per hour) is closer to sleeping (46 calories per hour) than it is to sitting and reading (84 calories per hour), which itself is more akin to standing in line (94 calories per hour) than it is to watching television. (Note: calorie counts are for a 155-pound person.) In other words, watching television is an inactive as a person can get without sleeping.
Along with limiting television watching, these studies point to the importance of remaining active throughout the day. The good news is that it ends up that the simple physical movements of standing and moving between rooms has significant health benefits. When watching television, standing up during commercial breaks, going to get a glass of water, or even putting down the remote control and getting up to change channels and adjust volume the old-fashioned way can help people from staying in one extremely inactive position for extended periods of time.
Light household tasks and self-care – activities encouraged by the Balanced Care Method™ whenever clients are physically able – can help keep people moving. Not only does such daily activity help keep people physically active longer, we now know it also can help fight heart disease and other health risks.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Caregiver Stress: Hazardous to Your Health
By Anne Pagnoni
UNDERSTANDING CAREGIVER STRESS
A 2003 study of caregivers by a research team at Ohio State University has proven the off-repeated adage "stress can kill you" is true. The focus of the investigation was the effect the stress of caregiving had on caregivers. The team, led by Dr. Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, reports on a 6-year study of elderly people caring for spouses with Alzheimer's Disease. The study not only found a significant deterioration in the health of caregivers when compared to a similar group of non-caregivers but also found the caregivers had a 63% higher death rate than the control group.
The demands on a caregiver result in a great deal of stress. It is often observed in aging publications that stress can induce illness and depression. The resulting poor health can further decrease the effectiveness of the caregiver and in some cases, as proven by the study mentioned above, even cause premature death.
Stress can be defined as a physiological reaction to a threat. The greater the threat -- the greater the level of stress. A threat is a real or perceived action against our person. Threats may include the anticipated possibility of death or injury but may also include challenges to our self-esteem, social standing or relationships to others or a threat may simply be a potential or real disruption of our established routines. What is stressful to one person may not be to another. For example, bumper-to-bumper traffic might be stressful to the woman executive who is late for an important meeting but to the delivery man who has no deadline and is being paid by the hour, it may be a welcome respite to relax and listen to the radio.
Stress produces real physical changes. In some unknown way the fears in our mind, both conscious and unconscious, cause the hypothalamus and pituitary glands, deep in our brain, to initiate a cascade of hormones and immune system proteins that temporarily alter our physical body. This is a normal human physiological response inherent to the human body when a threat is perceived--real or not. It is often called the "fight-or-flight response" or the "stress response". The purpose is to give us clearer thought and increased strength as well as to activate the immune system to deal with potential injury and to repair potential wounds. When the perceived threat is removed, assuming no damage is done, the body returns to normal.
A team of researchers at Ohio State University Medical Center has found a chemical marker in the blood that shows a significant increase under chronic stress and is linked to an impaired immune system response in aging adults. The team, led by Dr. Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, reports in the June 30, 2003 issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on a 6-year study of elderly people caring for spouses with Alzheimer's Disease. With the caregivers, the team found a four-fold increase in an immune system protein -- interleukin 6 (IL-6) -- as compared to an identically matched control group of non-caregivers. Only the stress of caregiving correlated to the marked increase of IL-6 in the caregiver group. All other factors, including age, were not significant to the outcome. Even the younger caregivers saw an increase in IL-6.
The study also found that the caregivers had a 63% higher death rate than the control group. About 70% of the caregivers died before the end of the study and had to be replaced by new subjects. Another surprising result was that high levels of IL-6 continued even three years after the caregiving stopped. Dr. Glaser proposes the prolonged stress may have triggered a permanent abnormality of the immune system.
IL-6 is only one cytokine--an immune system mediator protein--in a cascade of endocrine hormones and cytokines that are released when the brain signals a person is threatened with harm, injury, undue mental or physical stress or death. The hormones prepare the body to react quickly by increasing heart rate, making muscles more reactive, stimulating thought, altering sugar metabolism and producing many more changes that result in the "rush" people experience when they think they may be harmed.
The cytokine release is mediated by IL-6, which takes the role of directing the immune system to gear up to prevent infection, promote wound healing and repair organs and muscles from any injury that may result from the imminent danger. The release of cytokines such as IL-1, IL-6, IL-8, TNF and other proteins such as CRP (C reactive protein) also promote development of inflammation, which is essential for blood cells to home in on injury or infection. In addition, these chemicals promote development of various types of immune system blood cells in bone marrow. This response to harm -- either real or perceived -- is an important and beneficial life-saving activity of a normally functioning body.
The problem is if this response is initiated over and over again, frequently, and over a long period; it can have a dangerous effect on the body. This constant initiation of the stress response is common among caregivers -- especially those caring for loved ones with dementia. Providing supervision or physical assistance many hours a week and over a period of years turns out to be extremely stressful. This type of stress is often unrelenting, occurring day after day and week after week. And the long-term effects of this stress are more pronounced in middle-aged and older people who are precisely the group most likely offering long term care to loved ones.
In most younger people, when the threat lessens or disappears, the body reacts fairly quickly to shut down the stress response and return things to normal. But numerous studies have shown, as people age, the chemical cascade from stress lingers. Over a period of time, this constant chemical stimulus impairs the immune system and results in early aging, development of debilitating disease and early death. In this altered state, the body maintains high, potentially harmful levels of IL-6. The body does not return to normal without intervention.
Prolonged high levels of IL-6 and the accompanying hormones and cytokines have been linked to: cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, frequent viral infections, intestinal, stomach and colon disorders, osteoporosis, periodontal disease, various cancers and auto immune disorders such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. Alzheimer's, dementia, nerve damage and mental problems are also linked to high IL-6. Wounds heal slower, vaccinations are less likely to take and recovery from infectious disease is impaired. People who have depression also have high levels of IL-6. Depression in caregivers is about 8 times higher than the non-cargiving population.
This debilitating response to chronic stress is not unique to humans. Animals are affected as well. A 2004 PBS Scientific American Frontiers Special entitled "Worried Sick", explored the effect of chronic stress on animals. Observations in the field and experiments on animals exposed to chronic stress, uncovered the same phenomenon of debilitating disease and early death found in humans. Blood tests on the affected animals confirmed high levels of IL-6. The work of Dr. Janice Kiecolt-Glaser's team was also followed in the Special.
STRATEGIES TO REDUCE CAREGIVER STRESS
Ask for help.
Most caregivers are reluctantly thrust into their role without preparation because the need for care usually comes with little warning. Caregivers end up operating in a "crisis" mode--arranging medical care and living arrangements, scheduling care time, providing meals and household chores and so forth. Because they are so stressed and burdened, they rarely take time to find out what resources are available to help them. Ironically, caregivers often sever ties with family, friends and support groups about this time just when help from these people is most needed.
As a caregiver you must ask for help. The stress of going it alone is dangerous to your health. If it's difficult to ask for yourself, use an advocate--a sibling, friend or professional care manager --to arrange a meeting and get formal, written commitments from those people who are willing to help you. The extra help will give you breathing room to find all those resources that are there to help you.
Seek care management advice.
A number of organizations and private companies will give you advice and guidance -- many for free. If your care recipient has a very low income, you might get free help from your local Area Agency on Aging. A lot depends on available funds. Go to http://www.longtermcarelink.net/eldercare/ref_state_aging_services.htm for statewide lists of agencies.
A good source of free professional advice is the rapidly growing business of non-medical home care companies. Most will offer free consultations and these companies will also provide paid aides to help you with your loved-one…such things as bathing, dressing, shopping, household chores, transportation, companionship and much more. These people may also help you coordinate adult daycare or other community services. Go to http://www.longtermcarelink.net/a7homecare.htm for a nationwide list.
You may wish to pay for a formal assessment and care plan from a professional geriatric care manager. Go to http://www.longtermcarelink.net/a2bfindmanager.htm for a nationwide list of these valuable care specialists. Even though it may cost you a little money to hire a care manager, this could be the best money you will ever spend. Care managers are valuable in helping find supporting resources, providing respite, saving money from care providers, finding money to pay for care, making arrangements with family or government providers and providing advice on issues that you may be struggling with.
Take time off--find temporary substitutes.
Taking a break from caregiving is just as important as taking a break at work or taking that long-awaited vacation. A care manager may be of help in selecting the best temporary help to give you a break. Or you may make arrangements with family or friends to give you a break from caregiving.
Make plans for funding future care arrangements for you or for a healthy parent.
The analysis of data from three national surveys (Mature Market Institute, National Alliance for Caregiving and LifePlans, Inc) points out that employees caring for disabled elders who have long term care insurance (LTCI) are nearly two times more likely to be able to continue working than those caring for non-insured relatives. In addition, working caregivers of those with long term care insurance said that they were less likely to experience some type of stress, such as having to give constant attention to the care recipient or having to provide care while not feeling well themselves. Also, the group with insurance devoted more "quality time"--more companionship and less hands-on assistance--than the group without.
See if your healthy parent can still buy insurance. If he or she can't afford it, see if other family members might contribute to premiums. There are also useful strategies using a reverse mortgage to buy long-term care insurance and life insurance for your loved ones. You should also consider insurance for yourself so when you need care someday, it won't be so stressful on your caregivers. To learn all about long term care insurance and reverse mortgages go to www.longtermcarelink.net.
Use assistive technology.
There are a number of technologies to make sure your loved-ones are safe while you're away. Such things as emergency alert bracelets and pendants, GPS tracking for wandering, remote video surveillance, telehomecare, sensory augmentation and all sorts of assistive devices to help disabled people cope on their own. Go to www.longtermcarelink.net for more information.
FINDING RESOURCES FOR CAREGIVERS
The free resources of www.longtermcarelink.net are designed to provide you with government provider lists, free care assessments, information and care provider lists for reducing your eldercare burden and the attending stress. The site is a non-commercial source of help. It is the largest and most comprehensive free source of long term care information on the Internet. There are no ads or solicitations or pop-ups. A related site for the veterans aid and attendance benefit is found at www.veteransaidbenefit.org. This is a benefit that could be available to up to one third of all US residents over the age of 65 under certain conditions. It could provide an additional monthly income of up to $1,843 a month for qualifying veterans households.
Stay tuned for additional options that are available to managing caregiver stress!
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Happy Holidays?
By Anne Pagnoni
Getting together and celebrating a special occasion with the family can be a wonderful time. It can also be a time when you begin noticing changes in your aging loved one. Perhaps as you celebrated the recent holidays, you noticed that your mother's hygiene isn't what it used to be. You may have noticed that her short term memory is declining or that she has been losing weight. Perhaps she mentioned being lonely during the day but being unable to get out of the house on her own due to physical ailments. You are working and taking care of your own busy family and can't imagine taking on additional caregiving responsibilities even though you want to. So what do you do? Now is the time to call Home Care Assistance.
Home Care Assistance is a full service home care agency offering hourly services but with a specialty in live-in caregivers. Our caregivers are specifically trained in our exclusive Balanced Care MethodTM . Focusing on lifestyle and dietary choices, the Balanced Care MethodTM promotes healthy activity, stress reduction, and social interaction to help seniors live their best possible lives – in the comfort of home. But, what exactly does this mean for your mother?
- When it comes to physical hygiene, our caregivers are able to provide assistance with bathing, dressing, and grooming. A little help here can go a long way in improving your mom's willingness to interact with others and her own self-image.
- From planning the menu to preparing the meal, the caregiver will ensure that your mother is eating three, well balanced meals per day. If your mother has food preferences or enjoys cooking, then she and her caregiver will enjoy doing this together.
- Exercise. Not a word that most of us like to think about, but it's a necessity nonetheless. Your mom isn't going to be training for a marathon by any stretch, but the caregiver will work to improve her physical stamina. From simply doing stretches and chair exercises to walking to the mailbox or around the block, she won't be sitting in her favorite chair all day long anymore!
- You know the old saying, use it or lose it. It applies to short term memory, too! While our caregivers can't reverse memory loss associated with dementia and Alzheimer's Disease, they can provide social interaction, which has been shown to improve cognitive function. A game of cards, anyone?
When it comes to caring for your aging loved one, accept help from the professionals. While this is new to you, it isn't new to us. For more information about Home Care Assistance, please visit our website at www.homecareassistance.com. To be directed to your local Home Care Assistance office, please call 1-866-4-LIVEIN.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Difficulties Facing Stressed & Overwhelmed Family Caregivers
by Anne Pagnoni
Many family caregivers find themselves unprepared for the physical and emotional demands of caring for a loved one and quickly become stressed and overloaded. When this occurs many caregivers find themselves unable to provide the level of care necessary to nurture their loved one at home.
Situation One: The care receiver lives with the care provider
If the caregiver is working outside of the home or has a very active social calendar, then the care receiver often finds him or herself at home alone for the greater part of the day. As a result the care receiver quite often becomes imprisoned by the home environment due to functional limitation. Receiving little or no social stimulus, the care recipient spends day after day sleeping and watching television. Physical exercise consists of moving to or from the bathroom. The care receiver typically will not prepare a meal. Many times drinking and eating are deliberately avoided to lessen trips to the bathroom. When the care receiver lacks adequate food and fluid intake the result is malnutrition and dehydration both of which result in poor mental reasoning and stupor; hence, the cycle of sleeping and television watching continues.
Solution: A home health aide is a great option if you wish to have your loved one remain in your home while being properly care for during your daily absences. In addition to a home health aide, consider having your loved one attend an adult day care center either daily or several times per week. An assisted living community is another viable option if you feel that your home is no longer an appropriate setting for your loved one.
Situation Two: The care receiver lives alone
Care recipients who live alone can be guilty of self-neglect. Self-neglect is when the care recipient is not interested or is incapable of taking care of his or her own needs. Examples of self-neglect include not eating or drinking enough; not tending to personal hygiene including bathing and grooming; allowing garbage to accumulate within the home; having unattended pets, which urinate and defecate in living spaces; and refusing assistance. When a caregiver is providing care to a care recipient who lives alone, it is imperative that the caregiver work to provide a stimulating environment for the care receiver. Self-neglect with or without a caregiver is a form of elder abuse and in some states it is required by law that its existence be reported. A caregiver allowing self-neglect to happen could be criminally charged.
Solution: A home health aide can assist your loved one with meal preparation, bathing, dressing, grooming, and housekeeping. Many live-in caregivers will tend to family pets. For social interaction have your loved one attend an adult day care center or senior center. Seek out the services of a Geriatric Care Manager for guidance on how to make your loved one safe at home.
Situation Three: Failure to bring in outside help
The biggest mistake made by caregivers is not asking for help. The reasons for this vary. Sometimes the caregiver is a child, who is a long distance caregiver, and doesn't fully appreciate the severity of the situation. Other times money can be the big motivator. Stressed and overwhelmed caregivers become so involved with their loved one that they isolate themselves from others. This isolation makes them reluctant to contact those who can help. Regardless of the cause, failure to ask for help or to hire help can have dire consequences on the welfare of the care recipient and the caregiver.
Solution: Ask for help!! Talk to a local home care agency about available options. While you may think that home care services aren't affordable, you may find yourself pleasantly surprised. Contact your local area agency on aging. If you are a long distance caregiver, then enlist the services of a Geriatric Care Manager so that there is someone locally managing your loved one's care.
If you are the primary caregiver for another individual, then please do not allow yourself and your loved one to fall into one of the situations described above. Ask for help. Be involved. Know your options.
Please direct comments or questions on this post to apagnoni@homecareassistance.com. For more information on Home Care Assistance, please visit us at http://www.homecareassistance.com/ or call 1-866-4-LIVEIN.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Travel Tips for Seniors on the Go!
by Dr. Kathy Johnson, PhD, CMC
Going on a trip? Are you traveling by plane, train or bus and you want to pack light? Here are some great travel suggestions for Seniors Citizens who plan to travel for a one week stay to almost anywhere for two:
» If you have to take shampoos, lotions, tooth paste, mouth wash, etc. either buy the small traveler sizes or, if small bottles are available, transfer liquids to these.
» Pack only cotton underwear (3) and cotton socks (men 3 pr.- women one pr. panty-hose, one pr. knee-highs one pr. cotton socks), and roll these to save space (they can be placed into shoes). Note: you can wash these items while there.
» Pack items of clothing to ‘layer’, i.e. one light-weight cotton knit cardigan to wear over two or three different cotton knit shirts or blouses (NO bulky sweaters).
» No more than TWO pairs of shoes (one pr. comfortable walking and one pr. dress), the comfortable clothes will probably be worn in travel.
» Two pairs slacks (you'll be wearing the third pair) or skirts (if preferred). Choose items that can mix/match with everything packed.
» Pack medicines, book/magazine, snack, flat slippers (in case the feet swell) and only other necessary items in the carry-on tote. If there is a necessity for dress clothes, pack these in the fold-up hanging bag; shoes can fit in these, also, along with odd/end items.
» Don’t carry on board anything but the tote and a jacket/coat (when necessary-but don’t pack them); leave the ‘handling’ to others. If going to visit friends/family, and want to take gifts, box them and mail ahead of time; let the postal dept. help! Pack your needs, but pack them wisely! Happy traveling!
Airport Security Measures
Before you go on that senior travel tour make sure to check security measures and what you can and cannot take on board with you. Go to www.tsa.gov and click on “travel and consumers.” You will find a list of prohibited and permitted items for checked and carry-on luggage.
Invest in Portable Luggage
How many of us are still dragging around those heavy pieces of luggage? Well, it’s time for some new pieces! You know the kind that has the expandable tote-handle and wheels! Ah, what relief for our backs! I found these sizes to be so handy: 21″/22″ Carry-on (but don’t carry on :o) 27″ Upright, then add the 15″ Tote (to carry with you containing your medications and other absolute senior travel necessities), and the hang-up/zip-close ’suitor’ that has great extra compartments. These latter two MUST have handles, so you can lap these over either the Upright or Carry-on extended handles, and shuffle along your way! Don’t throw out the old luggage, however; use to store old keepsakes, clothing, books, whatever, and place in the attic to one day give to your grandchildren!
Traveling Off Season, The Senior Way!
Remember when we were younger and took the kids on vacation? And how crowded places of interest were? We had to make reservations far in advance to get a motel room. I’ve enjoyed a much slower pace of senior citizen travel and find it not hard to get reservation when traveling in the ‘off-season’; that is, when kids are back in school! We’ll also be giving families a break by not competing with their ‘time’. So try to plan your trips around this time of year (school summer vacations); you’ll find your trips more relaxing and easier to make plans.
Going on a trip? Are you traveling by plane, train or bus and you want to pack light? Here are some great travel suggestions for Seniors Citizens who plan to travel for a one week stay to almost anywhere for two:
» If you have to take shampoos, lotions, tooth paste, mouth wash, etc. either buy the small traveler sizes or, if small bottles are available, transfer liquids to these.
» Pack only cotton underwear (3) and cotton socks (men 3 pr.- women one pr. panty-hose, one pr. knee-highs one pr. cotton socks), and roll these to save space (they can be placed into shoes). Note: you can wash these items while there.
» Pack items of clothing to ‘layer’, i.e. one light-weight cotton knit cardigan to wear over two or three different cotton knit shirts or blouses (NO bulky sweaters).
» No more than TWO pairs of shoes (one pr. comfortable walking and one pr. dress), the comfortable clothes will probably be worn in travel.
» Two pairs slacks (you'll be wearing the third pair) or skirts (if preferred). Choose items that can mix/match with everything packed.
» Pack medicines, book/magazine, snack, flat slippers (in case the feet swell) and only other necessary items in the carry-on tote. If there is a necessity for dress clothes, pack these in the fold-up hanging bag; shoes can fit in these, also, along with odd/end items.
» Don’t carry on board anything but the tote and a jacket/coat (when necessary-but don’t pack them); leave the ‘handling’ to others. If going to visit friends/family, and want to take gifts, box them and mail ahead of time; let the postal dept. help! Pack your needs, but pack them wisely! Happy traveling!
Airport Security Measures
Before you go on that senior travel tour make sure to check security measures and what you can and cannot take on board with you. Go to www.tsa.gov and click on “travel and consumers.” You will find a list of prohibited and permitted items for checked and carry-on luggage.
Invest in Portable Luggage
How many of us are still dragging around those heavy pieces of luggage? Well, it’s time for some new pieces! You know the kind that has the expandable tote-handle and wheels! Ah, what relief for our backs! I found these sizes to be so handy: 21″/22″ Carry-on (but don’t carry on :o) 27″ Upright, then add the 15″ Tote (to carry with you containing your medications and other absolute senior travel necessities), and the hang-up/zip-close ’suitor’ that has great extra compartments. These latter two MUST have handles, so you can lap these over either the Upright or Carry-on extended handles, and shuffle along your way! Don’t throw out the old luggage, however; use to store old keepsakes, clothing, books, whatever, and place in the attic to one day give to your grandchildren!
Traveling Off Season, The Senior Way!
Remember when we were younger and took the kids on vacation? And how crowded places of interest were? We had to make reservations far in advance to get a motel room. I’ve enjoyed a much slower pace of senior citizen travel and find it not hard to get reservation when traveling in the ‘off-season’; that is, when kids are back in school! We’ll also be giving families a break by not competing with their ‘time’. So try to plan your trips around this time of year (school summer vacations); you’ll find your trips more relaxing and easier to make plans.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
How to Improve Senior Sleep Patterns
How to improve senior sleep patterns.
-Dr. Kathy Johnson, PhD CMC
Naps and medication are two of the most frequently cited ways seniors and their caregivers try to solve their sleep problems. Either (or both) may be appropriate, but each carries its own ability to disrupt sleep further. Each must be used carefully and purposefully, and in conjunction with healthy sleep habits (a.k.a. “sleep hygiene”) as outlined below.
Naps can be either the cause or the cure, depending on how and when they happen. For seniors who struggle to stay alert all day, a short nap may be the bridge they need to get them from a convenient waking time to a reasonable bedtime. Good, healthy, restorative naps are short – just 15 to 30 minutes – since longer naps can lead to drowiness and an inability to fall asleep at bedtime, relatively early in the afternoon so they don’t conflict with bedtime, and physically comfortable in a quiet and dimly lit place.
Many seniors turn to the ever-growing numbers of sleep aids – both prescription and over-the-counter – that are available. One of the potential problems with this route is that sleep aids can interact negatively with a range of medications the senior may already be taking and/or they can cause drowsiness that itself leads to accidents and falls. Worse, many sleep aids can cause confusion and disorientation even in younger, healthier people. For seniors with any level of dementia, this potential side effect must be closely monitored and avoided since it can lead to night fears, heightened anxiety, and even worse: sleep problems.
For seniors having trouble getting to sleep and staying asleep long enough to feel rested and refreshed in the morning, these “sleep hygiene” tips and habits are the first steps to take:
Gradually eliminate caffeine from your diet, or at least limit caffeine intake to one caffeinated beverage in the morning. Avoid all caffeine after lunch.
1.Eat a big meal at lunchtime, and have a lighter dinner.
2.Avoid alcohol, or at least limit alcohol consumption to one drink, preferably with a meal and not right before bedtime.
3.Do some sort of physical activity every day, preferably outside where you can get direct daylight. Exercise early in the day since physical exertion too close to bedtime can be stimulating.
4.Establish and maintain a set bedtime and waking time. If you choose to take a nap (see guidelines above), do so at a regular, set time.
5.Establish a pre-bedtime calming routine. This may include a warm bath, reading, or listening to restful music.
6.Avoid television right before bed.
7.Write down or simply state aloud any fears, worries, or concerns that are on your mind as part of your bedtime routine – giving voice to such concerns can help reduce their ability to negatively impact sleep.
8.Use your bed (and preferably the whole bedroom) only for sleeping, do not read or watch television in bed.
If you don’t fall asleep after 15 – 20 minutes, get out of bed and do something quiet and calm, read or listen to restful music or a book on tape. Serious or long-term sleep disorders should always, of course, be brought to the attention of a health care provider.
-Dr. Kathy Johnson, PhD CMC
Naps and medication are two of the most frequently cited ways seniors and their caregivers try to solve their sleep problems. Either (or both) may be appropriate, but each carries its own ability to disrupt sleep further. Each must be used carefully and purposefully, and in conjunction with healthy sleep habits (a.k.a. “sleep hygiene”) as outlined below.
Naps can be either the cause or the cure, depending on how and when they happen. For seniors who struggle to stay alert all day, a short nap may be the bridge they need to get them from a convenient waking time to a reasonable bedtime. Good, healthy, restorative naps are short – just 15 to 30 minutes – since longer naps can lead to drowiness and an inability to fall asleep at bedtime, relatively early in the afternoon so they don’t conflict with bedtime, and physically comfortable in a quiet and dimly lit place.
Many seniors turn to the ever-growing numbers of sleep aids – both prescription and over-the-counter – that are available. One of the potential problems with this route is that sleep aids can interact negatively with a range of medications the senior may already be taking and/or they can cause drowsiness that itself leads to accidents and falls. Worse, many sleep aids can cause confusion and disorientation even in younger, healthier people. For seniors with any level of dementia, this potential side effect must be closely monitored and avoided since it can lead to night fears, heightened anxiety, and even worse: sleep problems.
For seniors having trouble getting to sleep and staying asleep long enough to feel rested and refreshed in the morning, these “sleep hygiene” tips and habits are the first steps to take:
Gradually eliminate caffeine from your diet, or at least limit caffeine intake to one caffeinated beverage in the morning. Avoid all caffeine after lunch.
1.Eat a big meal at lunchtime, and have a lighter dinner.
2.Avoid alcohol, or at least limit alcohol consumption to one drink, preferably with a meal and not right before bedtime.
3.Do some sort of physical activity every day, preferably outside where you can get direct daylight. Exercise early in the day since physical exertion too close to bedtime can be stimulating.
4.Establish and maintain a set bedtime and waking time. If you choose to take a nap (see guidelines above), do so at a regular, set time.
5.Establish a pre-bedtime calming routine. This may include a warm bath, reading, or listening to restful music.
6.Avoid television right before bed.
7.Write down or simply state aloud any fears, worries, or concerns that are on your mind as part of your bedtime routine – giving voice to such concerns can help reduce their ability to negatively impact sleep.
8.Use your bed (and preferably the whole bedroom) only for sleeping, do not read or watch television in bed.
If you don’t fall asleep after 15 – 20 minutes, get out of bed and do something quiet and calm, read or listen to restful music or a book on tape. Serious or long-term sleep disorders should always, of course, be brought to the attention of a health care provider.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
The Need for Outside Help in Family Caregiving
by Anne Pagnoni
Being a family caregiver for a loved one makes for a very stressful situation especially in the long-term. After a prolonged period of time, caregiving can become too difficult to endure any longer, and the caregiver reaches a crisis point. At this point outside help is typically needed.
When someone initially takes on the role of caregiver, he or she is confident and has everything under control. The caregiver is coping well with the situation. However, as time continues and the care recipient begins needing more help, the caregiver may begin to isolate from family and friends. The caregiver starts to feel alone and helpless. If the caregiver doesn’t look for outside help at this point, then the caregiver may begin to find his or her physical health deteriorating. Once the physical health of the caregiver is compromised, the caregiver loses focus and extreme fatigue will cloud judgment resulting in the caregiver being unable to make rational decisions or ask for help. Without intervention, the caregiver may find him or herself requiring care.
When assuming the responsibility of a family caregiver, it is important to enlist the help of outside professionals. A financial planner or reverse mortgage specialist may find funds to pay for professional in-home care services. An elder law attorney can help stave off future legal issues. A geriatric care manager can be a guide through the maze of long-term care issues. A home care agency can provide care services to allow the primary caregiver to take a much-needed break. Having a strong support system in place at the beginning will often make the difference between allowing a loved one to remain at home and needing to relocate to a nursing facility.
Family caregivers need the support of family, friends, and professionals. Doing it alone almost never works. If you find yourself in the position of being a family caregiver for a loved one, take the necessary steps at the beginning to get a support system in place. In the long run you’ll be happy that you did!
Being a family caregiver for a loved one makes for a very stressful situation especially in the long-term. After a prolonged period of time, caregiving can become too difficult to endure any longer, and the caregiver reaches a crisis point. At this point outside help is typically needed.
When someone initially takes on the role of caregiver, he or she is confident and has everything under control. The caregiver is coping well with the situation. However, as time continues and the care recipient begins needing more help, the caregiver may begin to isolate from family and friends. The caregiver starts to feel alone and helpless. If the caregiver doesn’t look for outside help at this point, then the caregiver may begin to find his or her physical health deteriorating. Once the physical health of the caregiver is compromised, the caregiver loses focus and extreme fatigue will cloud judgment resulting in the caregiver being unable to make rational decisions or ask for help. Without intervention, the caregiver may find him or herself requiring care.
When assuming the responsibility of a family caregiver, it is important to enlist the help of outside professionals. A financial planner or reverse mortgage specialist may find funds to pay for professional in-home care services. An elder law attorney can help stave off future legal issues. A geriatric care manager can be a guide through the maze of long-term care issues. A home care agency can provide care services to allow the primary caregiver to take a much-needed break. Having a strong support system in place at the beginning will often make the difference between allowing a loved one to remain at home and needing to relocate to a nursing facility.
Family caregivers need the support of family, friends, and professionals. Doing it alone almost never works. If you find yourself in the position of being a family caregiver for a loved one, take the necessary steps at the beginning to get a support system in place. In the long run you’ll be happy that you did!
Monday, February 22, 2010
The Benefits of Elderly Home Care
The Benefits of Elderly Home Care
by Suzan Love
As your parents and grandparents grow older, you may become concerned about their safety at home. Placing them in an assisted living facility is often considered as an option. However, homecare is an alternative that has many benefits.
1. Seniors who live at home are able to maintain a level of freedom that would not be possible at an assisted living residence. For many, this freedom is synonymous with maintaining dignity, which is something many individuals fear loosing as they age. Similarly, those who receive homecare can come and go as they please-for whatever reason. They can also choose their own meal times.
2. Elderly individuals do not have to part with any of their beloved possessions if they continue to live at home. Having the things they love physically close at hand can help keep stress levels to a minimum, as those possessions are tied to invaluable memories. Seniors can also keep their pets when living at home, and caring for an animal has been scientifically proven to have positive health benefits.
3. Those who live at home can have visitors whenever they please and are not restricted by visiting hours. This can lead to more fulfilling relationships with friends and family, as they are able to visit more frequently.
4. Living at home has physical health benefits, as it is easier to avoid those who are sick. When living in a place with many people, such as an assisted living facility, one person’s illness spreads like wildfire. At home it is also possible to request that sick people visit only after they are fully recovered.
5. Home care allows the elderly to avoid the emotional stress of moving to a new place with new people and a new routine. Maintaining continuity leads to psychological wellbeing.
6. Assisted living facilities can be very expensive and, in some cases, far away from other family members’ homes, especially in less populated areas. In many cases, seniors have already completely paid off their off mortgage, which can substantially reduce the costs of caregiving at home. The stressors related to the actual moving process are also eliminated.
7. As a final point, those who live at home are often happier than they would be living at a retirement home. The familiarity and comforts of home are irreplaceable.
There are now many products and services that make living at home both feasible and affordable. Enhanced security systems, emergency panic buttons, and home delivered meals are just a few of the options to choose from. If your elderly family member wants to live at home, honoring that wish is now easier than ever before.
by Suzan Love
As your parents and grandparents grow older, you may become concerned about their safety at home. Placing them in an assisted living facility is often considered as an option. However, homecare is an alternative that has many benefits.
1. Seniors who live at home are able to maintain a level of freedom that would not be possible at an assisted living residence. For many, this freedom is synonymous with maintaining dignity, which is something many individuals fear loosing as they age. Similarly, those who receive homecare can come and go as they please-for whatever reason. They can also choose their own meal times.
2. Elderly individuals do not have to part with any of their beloved possessions if they continue to live at home. Having the things they love physically close at hand can help keep stress levels to a minimum, as those possessions are tied to invaluable memories. Seniors can also keep their pets when living at home, and caring for an animal has been scientifically proven to have positive health benefits.
3. Those who live at home can have visitors whenever they please and are not restricted by visiting hours. This can lead to more fulfilling relationships with friends and family, as they are able to visit more frequently.
4. Living at home has physical health benefits, as it is easier to avoid those who are sick. When living in a place with many people, such as an assisted living facility, one person’s illness spreads like wildfire. At home it is also possible to request that sick people visit only after they are fully recovered.
5. Home care allows the elderly to avoid the emotional stress of moving to a new place with new people and a new routine. Maintaining continuity leads to psychological wellbeing.
6. Assisted living facilities can be very expensive and, in some cases, far away from other family members’ homes, especially in less populated areas. In many cases, seniors have already completely paid off their off mortgage, which can substantially reduce the costs of caregiving at home. The stressors related to the actual moving process are also eliminated.
7. As a final point, those who live at home are often happier than they would be living at a retirement home. The familiarity and comforts of home are irreplaceable.
There are now many products and services that make living at home both feasible and affordable. Enhanced security systems, emergency panic buttons, and home delivered meals are just a few of the options to choose from. If your elderly family member wants to live at home, honoring that wish is now easier than ever before.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Elderly Home Care Service Can Help Your Loved One Maintain Independence
Elderly Home Care Service Can Help Your Loved One Maintain Independence
by: Thao Nguyan
Elderly home care services are growing at an accelerated rate, and this particular industry is only poised to continue to grow as the population of the United States ages. The number of people of retirement age and older is expected to double by the year 2030, and by the middle of this century, there will be more elderly people in this country than any other age group.
While a few people are lucky and stay healthy enough to be able to take care of themselves without help for their entire lives, others are not so fortunate. With advances in preventive medicine and anti-aging technologies, the number of elderly who live alone will rise, but there will always be a need for help for those who have difficulties maintaining their independence. Family members are not always able to attend to every need of the aging parent or grandparent, especially if that person needs frequent assistance. No one wants to go the nursing home route if other alternatives are available, and that is the reason why elderly home care companies provide such an essential service.
The elderly home care agency you choose can usually help with a variety of personal care services and chores around the house. Depending on the needs and wants of your elderly relative, you can find elderly home care services that can send people out to check on him or her once a day, once a week, round the clock or however often is required. These elderly care assistants can do minor household chores, help with bathing and dressing, and administer medications. Having such a service available and on call can make the difference between your relative remaining in his or her own home and having to go into an assisted living or nursing facility.
If you decide to use elderly home care services, help your loved one interview and select the paid caregiver. Have the agency send someone over to spend some time with your relative, so they can see if the match is a good one. Not every match is right and you might have to through many different elderly care assistants before finding the right person. The whole experience of using an elderly home care service will be much more successful for everyone if you determine the needs and wants of your loved one and involve him or her in the process of finding the most suitable elderly care assistant.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Thao_Nguyen
by: Thao Nguyan
Elderly home care services are growing at an accelerated rate, and this particular industry is only poised to continue to grow as the population of the United States ages. The number of people of retirement age and older is expected to double by the year 2030, and by the middle of this century, there will be more elderly people in this country than any other age group.
While a few people are lucky and stay healthy enough to be able to take care of themselves without help for their entire lives, others are not so fortunate. With advances in preventive medicine and anti-aging technologies, the number of elderly who live alone will rise, but there will always be a need for help for those who have difficulties maintaining their independence. Family members are not always able to attend to every need of the aging parent or grandparent, especially if that person needs frequent assistance. No one wants to go the nursing home route if other alternatives are available, and that is the reason why elderly home care companies provide such an essential service.
The elderly home care agency you choose can usually help with a variety of personal care services and chores around the house. Depending on the needs and wants of your elderly relative, you can find elderly home care services that can send people out to check on him or her once a day, once a week, round the clock or however often is required. These elderly care assistants can do minor household chores, help with bathing and dressing, and administer medications. Having such a service available and on call can make the difference between your relative remaining in his or her own home and having to go into an assisted living or nursing facility.
If you decide to use elderly home care services, help your loved one interview and select the paid caregiver. Have the agency send someone over to spend some time with your relative, so they can see if the match is a good one. Not every match is right and you might have to through many different elderly care assistants before finding the right person. The whole experience of using an elderly home care service will be much more successful for everyone if you determine the needs and wants of your loved one and involve him or her in the process of finding the most suitable elderly care assistant.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Thao_Nguyen
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Keep an Eye on the Family Caregiver - Part III
Keep an Eye on the Family Caregiver – Part III
Posted on Jan. 14th, 2010
by Joy Loverde
In Part I & II of Keep an Eye on the Family Caregiver, we discussed that there are no blueprints in caregiving and we each must find our way. We also looked at the importance of keeping a realistic view of our demands to make sure we don’t sabotage the caregiving process. Let’s continue taking a look at caregiving and make sure we are taking care of ourselves to better help others.
Are you a walking time bomb?
Is your life already filled to capacity? Are you currently handling major, time-consuming obligations between parenting, your own career, and other commitments? How much time can you afford to devote to your elders? Eldercare requires patience, and tolerance for this kind of work may not be part of your emotional makeup. For example, if you’ve never assisted an older adult with bathing and dressing for the day, you may not realize that this seemingly simple activity could eat up the better part of the morning. What might be your reaction to an elder who asks you the same question over and over again in a matter of minutes?
Are you thick-skinned?
Disappointment, loneliness and frustration come with the job of caregiving. Your circle of friends may start to shrink; siblings and relatives will find excuses to keep their distance from you and your elders. Are you good at deflecting criticism? Can you bounce back after a hard day’s work? Can you forgive others for their shortcomings? Are you willing to get help if you suspect that you are becoming increasingly depressed?
Are you an effective money manager?
Eldercare is a bottomless pit of ongoing expenses. Beyond health care, there are other eldercare-related costs that will quickly drain the money supply: senior housing, special diets, medications, transportation, and more. Are you proactive rather than reactive when it comes to managing money? Will you seek financial advice? Will you stick to a budget in order to avoid a family financial crisis? Are you willing to talk to other family members about paying for long-term care?
Is it possible that you will have to quit your job to perform eldercare duties?
Most people cannot afford to give up their own primary means of support. Are you willing to research your company’s work-life eldercare programs? Will you be risking your job security by being candid with your boss about your eldercare situation? If your employer offers work-life benefits are you making good use of them now?
Once you know where the caregiving roller coaster is going, are you still in for the ride? Millions of us are facing this question. We all have limitations — getting help is the smart thing to do. Sometimes love is best served when we do not place ourselves in a position of resentment
Posted on Jan. 14th, 2010
by Joy Loverde
In Part I & II of Keep an Eye on the Family Caregiver, we discussed that there are no blueprints in caregiving and we each must find our way. We also looked at the importance of keeping a realistic view of our demands to make sure we don’t sabotage the caregiving process. Let’s continue taking a look at caregiving and make sure we are taking care of ourselves to better help others.
Are you a walking time bomb?
Is your life already filled to capacity? Are you currently handling major, time-consuming obligations between parenting, your own career, and other commitments? How much time can you afford to devote to your elders? Eldercare requires patience, and tolerance for this kind of work may not be part of your emotional makeup. For example, if you’ve never assisted an older adult with bathing and dressing for the day, you may not realize that this seemingly simple activity could eat up the better part of the morning. What might be your reaction to an elder who asks you the same question over and over again in a matter of minutes?
Are you thick-skinned?
Disappointment, loneliness and frustration come with the job of caregiving. Your circle of friends may start to shrink; siblings and relatives will find excuses to keep their distance from you and your elders. Are you good at deflecting criticism? Can you bounce back after a hard day’s work? Can you forgive others for their shortcomings? Are you willing to get help if you suspect that you are becoming increasingly depressed?
Are you an effective money manager?
Eldercare is a bottomless pit of ongoing expenses. Beyond health care, there are other eldercare-related costs that will quickly drain the money supply: senior housing, special diets, medications, transportation, and more. Are you proactive rather than reactive when it comes to managing money? Will you seek financial advice? Will you stick to a budget in order to avoid a family financial crisis? Are you willing to talk to other family members about paying for long-term care?
Is it possible that you will have to quit your job to perform eldercare duties?
Most people cannot afford to give up their own primary means of support. Are you willing to research your company’s work-life eldercare programs? Will you be risking your job security by being candid with your boss about your eldercare situation? If your employer offers work-life benefits are you making good use of them now?
Once you know where the caregiving roller coaster is going, are you still in for the ride? Millions of us are facing this question. We all have limitations — getting help is the smart thing to do. Sometimes love is best served when we do not place ourselves in a position of resentment
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Keep an Eye on the Family Caregiver - Part II
Keep an Eye on the Family Caregiver – Part II
by Joy Loverde
There are no blueprints in caregiving. Each of us will carve our own path. The following self-assessment questionnaire is meant to help guide you to better choices. If anything else, the answers to these questions and the questions in Keep an Eye on the Family Caregiver – Part III will reveal when it’s time for you to supplement your care plans.
Do you get along with your elders, and have a fair amount of influence over them?
Perhaps at times your sister gets along with Mom better than you do. People outside the family circle or an “authority figure” may be more influential and able to accomplish what you cannot – it might be a doctor, a member of the clergy, a geriatric case manager or an attorney who may be able to step in on your behalf.
Do you live far away?
Be realistic about your ability to handle all of the eldercare details from a distance. Are there some things you simply cannot accomplish from far away? Is it realistic right now for you to pick up and move or ask your elder to do the same? Can you share duties with someone who lives closer?
Are you willing to ask for and accept help?
There is no getting around this one. If you have trouble delegating tasks or accepting help from others, then it’s simply a matter of time before the quality of your own life will begin to crumble.
Do you have strong problem-solving abilities?
Day-to-day eldercare problems are complex, multi-dimensional and sure to challenge the brightest of minds. If your confidence in researching options and making difficult decisions is low, you are better off surrounding yourself with professional advisors and, in some cases, letting geriatric case managers assess the situation and supplement the care and decision-making process.
Are you good at learning new things and taking advice?
Everybody — from health care professionals to the neighbor down the street — will have a strong opinion on how your elder should be cared for. While some of their suggestions may be off target, others may be worth considering. How flexible and open-minded are you? Are you will to make changes in mid-stream?
by Joy Loverde
There are no blueprints in caregiving. Each of us will carve our own path. The following self-assessment questionnaire is meant to help guide you to better choices. If anything else, the answers to these questions and the questions in Keep an Eye on the Family Caregiver – Part III will reveal when it’s time for you to supplement your care plans.
Do you get along with your elders, and have a fair amount of influence over them?
Perhaps at times your sister gets along with Mom better than you do. People outside the family circle or an “authority figure” may be more influential and able to accomplish what you cannot – it might be a doctor, a member of the clergy, a geriatric case manager or an attorney who may be able to step in on your behalf.
Do you live far away?
Be realistic about your ability to handle all of the eldercare details from a distance. Are there some things you simply cannot accomplish from far away? Is it realistic right now for you to pick up and move or ask your elder to do the same? Can you share duties with someone who lives closer?
Are you willing to ask for and accept help?
There is no getting around this one. If you have trouble delegating tasks or accepting help from others, then it’s simply a matter of time before the quality of your own life will begin to crumble.
Do you have strong problem-solving abilities?
Day-to-day eldercare problems are complex, multi-dimensional and sure to challenge the brightest of minds. If your confidence in researching options and making difficult decisions is low, you are better off surrounding yourself with professional advisors and, in some cases, letting geriatric case managers assess the situation and supplement the care and decision-making process.
Are you good at learning new things and taking advice?
Everybody — from health care professionals to the neighbor down the street — will have a strong opinion on how your elder should be cared for. While some of their suggestions may be off target, others may be worth considering. How flexible and open-minded are you? Are you will to make changes in mid-stream?
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Keep an Eye on the Family Caregiver – Part I
by Joy Loverde
If I had to create a “Help Wanted” ad as a way to hire a family caregiver, this is how the advertisement would read:
HELP WANTED
Person available and on-call seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day with no days off and little or no financial compensation. Qualifications:
Too often, family caregivers have rigid beliefs on who does the care and how it should be implemented. Making hasty statements like, “My mother will never go to a nursing home!” and taking pride in not asking others to pitch in will surely get the best of you.
Unrealistic goals and unhealthy attitudes can sabotage the caregiving process. When we come face-to-face with our own limitations and can’t provide the kind of care we wish we could, we feel it’s our own fault. The truth is we may not be the most qualified person to take on all of the caregiving responsibilities all of the time. Limitations of relationships, time, stamina, and skill dictate how much help we can realistically offer.
Keep an Eye on the Family Caregiver – Part II and Part III will offer a self-assessment questionnaire.
by Joy Loverde
If I had to create a “Help Wanted” ad as a way to hire a family caregiver, this is how the advertisement would read:
HELP WANTED
Person available and on-call seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day with no days off and little or no financial compensation. Qualifications:
- Can speak medical, insurance, and legalese
- Financial planning and bookkeeping
- Juggle multiple scheduling systems
- Car with valid driver’s license
- Heavy lifting
- Expertise in home maintenance and repairs
- Dietician, meal planning, and chef
- Medication management
- Limitless patience
- Ability to change plans in mid-stream
- Social worker and spiritual director
- Willingness to sacrifice personal time and put career plans on hold
- Can withstand criticism and ongoing feelings of isolation
- Loves surprises
Seasoned family caregivers know all too well about the stresses of eldercare even under the best of circumstances, and family caregiving is not necessarily a short-term commitment. Responsibilities very often last for decades.
Too often, family caregivers have rigid beliefs on who does the care and how it should be implemented. Making hasty statements like, “My mother will never go to a nursing home!” and taking pride in not asking others to pitch in will surely get the best of you.
Unrealistic goals and unhealthy attitudes can sabotage the caregiving process. When we come face-to-face with our own limitations and can’t provide the kind of care we wish we could, we feel it’s our own fault. The truth is we may not be the most qualified person to take on all of the caregiving responsibilities all of the time. Limitations of relationships, time, stamina, and skill dictate how much help we can realistically offer.
Keep an Eye on the Family Caregiver – Part II and Part III will offer a self-assessment questionnaire.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
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