Published On: Jan 10 2012 10:47:04 AM EST
(NewsUSA) - Independence is paramount in the day-to-day lives of Americans, so it's no surprise that the fear of losing one's independence -- especially among the elderly -- is substantial.
In fact, a study titled "Aging in Place in America," by Clarity and The EAR Foundation, found that seniors fear moving into a nursing home and losing their independence more than they fear death. And while 89 percent of elderly individuals want to remain independent and in their own homes, 53 percent are concerned they may not be able to.
So, how can you or a loved one take steps to safeguard independent living? Here are a few tips that will keep you healthy and in control as you age:
* Get moving. The prevention or improvement of everything from chronic diseases to physical frailty and dementia can occur with regular exercise. The American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association suggest exercise guidelines for the elderly that include: aerobic exercise 30 minutes a day, five days a week at a moderately intense level; weight training two to three times a week with weights that allow for 10 to 15 repetitions; and flexibility training for at least 10 minutes a day.
* Secure your home. Proper maintenance of safety measures in the home is imperative to independence. As individuals age, they become more vulnerable to falls and bone fractures, making the bathroom a treacherous place with the risk of falls due to slipping. Products such as Premier Bathrooms' walk-in baths can help make the bathroom a safer place. This bathtub has a door built into its side, which allows for easy access into and out of the tub. Additionally, you can sit on the raised seat that is about the height of a standard chair, and the tub will fill to the top.
* Get from point "A" to point "B." For seniors who have lost their ability to drive or simply don't feel as comfortable behind the wheel, many states, counties and cities offer programs that can get you from place to place. Visit your area Web sites for more information.
* Take control of your medications. Believe it or not, proper management of your medications corresponds to independence. To stay on track, keep a drug diary that includes the date the medication was prescribed, both the brand and generic names of the drug, the number of pills in the prescription, directions for use, the name of the prescribing doctor and any side effects of the drug. Take this with you to all doctor visits.
Distributed by Internet Broadcasting. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
http://www.local10.com/thats-life/seniorsolutions/Tips-to-stay-independent-age-happily/-/2604076/7684134/-/dn9kv6z/-/index.html
"Learn About Senior In Home Health Care in Austin, Texas
Senior Helpers Provides Many services in the Austin, Texas area. We provide a full array of Home Care services for seniors and the elderly living in this beautiful area. Our Home Care Services are provided by bonded and insured employees and all employees pass a National Background check.
If you need Home Care services in Austin, Bartlett, Bertram, Briggs, Burnet, Cedar Park, Florence, Georgetown, Granger, Holland, Hutto, Jarrell, Johnson City, Killeen, Leander, Liberty Hill, Manor, Marble Falls, Pflugerville, Round Mountain, Round Rock, Salado, Spicewood, Taylor and the surrounding areas we are an excellent choice with impeccable references. Home Health Care for your elderly loved ones is never an easy choice but we can promise we will do our best to make it as painless as possible. From our family to yours we sincerely thank you for considering Senior Helpers of Austin Home Health Care Company. "
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Caregiving for loved ones the “new normal” for boomers
By Emanuella Grinberg, CNN
updated 1:35 PM EDT, Mon April 9, 2012
(CNN) -- Money was no object when the time came for Joan Lunden to find a senior care facility for her 88-year-old mother.
For years, the former host of "Good Morning America" had been a long-distance caregiver to her mother and brother in California, providing them with emotional and financial support from New York. After her brother's death in 2006 from complications from type II diabetes, Lunden needed to find a new home for her mother, who was suffering from the onset of dementia.
Trying to create the best possible quality of life for an aging relative is "the new normal" for 43.5 million Americans caring for someone older than 50, according to the Family Caregiver Alliance.
It's not just their parents: With about 10,000 baby boomers hitting age 65 each day, they're becoming caregivers and also those needing care. With people living longer than ever, this is the first generation that might care for its parents as long as it cared for its children, experts said.
"Now that more baby boomers are aging, the issue of family caregiving is becoming much more commonplace. We call it the 'new normal,'" said Lynn Feinberg, senior policy adviser for AARP.
Building relationships amid memory loss
Lunden flew from New York to Sacramento and drove around in search of a new home for her mom. She settled on an apartment in one of the fanciest senior communities in town, where her mother, Gladyce, would have the option of entertaining guests in her home or meeting other residents in a ballroom-style dining space.
It didn't take long for Lunden to realize that she'd chosen a place for the mother she knew 15 years ago, not the one who had been depending on her brother for the last decade. Her mother didn't want to spend time with other residents, nor was she capable of living on her own.
"On paper, it was spectacular, but it didn't serve her needs at all," Lunden said. "She was completely stressed out and her emotional situation was deteriorating because she didn't feel safe... she couldn't operate on her own on a daily basis."
It took several falls, a few broken bones and three more moves to find the right place. She now shares a ranch-style home with four others in a small residential care facility. There's a health care aide on site at all times to help her get dressed or take care of daily needs.
Suffering from 'Compassion Fatigue'
"She needed more hands-on, day-to-day care," Lunden said. "I didn't understand that because I wasn't living with her."
Caregiving responsibilities vary with each family. It could mean driving an aunt to physician appointments, managing medication for a spouse or keeping tabs on mom from afar using the latest technology.
The average caregiver in 2009 was a 49-year-old woman who had a job outside the home and spent nearly 20 hours per week providing unpaid care to her mother, according to a 2011 AARP Public Policy Institute study.
The report estimated the overall economic value of family caregiving at $450 billion, based on 42.1 million caregivers 18 or older providing an average of 18.4 hours of care per week.
Caregiver resources
• AARP: Tools, work sheets and tips on how to plan, prepare and succeed as a caregiver.
• Eldercare Locator: Connects families to community-based resources for senior care.
• Family Caregiver Alliance: Covers a wide range of issues, from how to talk to an attorney to federal and state legislation related to caregiving.
• Next Step in Care: Helps family caregivers of chronically or seriously ill patients navigate the health care system as they transition between care settings.
• A Place for Mom: Free referral service that directs families to housing and assisted living facilities.
• National Family Caregivers Association: Tips to help caregivers care for themselves.
• National Association of Area Agencies on Aging: Portal for options that allow people to choose home and community-based services and living arrangements that suit them best.
Many don't see themselves as caregivers but simply spouses, children or siblings doing what's expected. For that reason, they often fail to use resources that might help their relative or themselves, Lunden said.
The first step is acknowledging the need and seeking help, ideally, before entering crisis mode, she and other experts said.
"This is the nation's next big health crisis," Lunden said. "We have to get focused and tuned in because if we're clueless, we're going to get hit upside the head when it happens in the middle of a family emergency."
Caregiving is also much more complicated than it was in previous generations because of fragmentation within the health care system, with several doctors often required to treat one person, said AARP's Feinberg. Cutbacks in long-term and community-based services have also put a strain on families to do more individually.
"There is a greater awareness about these issues and the joys and struggles of family caregivers," Feinberg said. "But we have a long way to go to develop policy solutions to make life better for families."
Lunden's experience inspired her to share the trials, tribulations and rewards of family caregiving. She wrote a "Chicken Soup for Soul" on caregiving and tours the country giving talks on the topic.
It starts with a conversation, ideally, before a health crisis occurs, to get everyone on the same page, she said.
"Nobody wants to talk about their mortality or think about themselves getting old," Lunden said. "There's the thought that you go straight to the nursing home to die and that's not the case."
There are questions everyone should ask, she said.
Does your loved one have advanced health care insurance? How much does it cover and how long does it last? What about an advanced health care directive or a will? Where's the mortgage, the title to the car, stocks and bonds? Who in the family should have power of attorney, legal and medical, to keep track of end of life wishes and ensure they're carried out?
AARP's 35 questions for an aging parent
Lunden didn't have the answers when she found herself urgently searching for a new residence for her mother. She realized later she spent time digging through piles of books and magazines looking for her mother's license when she should have been talking to her about what she wanted in a new home.
The situation took a turn for the better when she connected with a senior advocate. They talked about her mother's medical condition, level of independence, behavioral tics, nutritional needs and hobbies. They also talked about location and financial resources to narrow the options.
"It's a process and you need to become educated about what the options are [because] the first step is not likely to be the last step," said Carol Kalmanoff, an adviser with the referral service, "A Place for Mom," which helps families find the best senior living options for their needs and budget.
Options range from independent living communities to personal care homes to facilities for memory and dementia care, she said. The facility Lunden chose for her mother is an affiliate of "A Place for Mom," and Lunden is a spokeswoman for the company.
Many people only make the call during a medical emergency, and often, they don't know the extent of what they're dealing with.
"We talk about need to be persistent because the whole thought of change and moving is very scary and stressful for family members, too," she said. "We try to help them approach it one step at a time and keep a sense of humor. It's important to be able to do that."
And, with people living longer, healthier lives, retirement takes many forms, she said.
"What today's seniors associate a nursing home with is what they saw parents growing up with," she said. "But in reality, it could mean so many things."
When moving is not necessary or financially feasible, a variety of home-based options exist, said Lisa Winstel with the National Family Caregivers Association. Simple home modifications, like grab guards in the bathroom, can make a big contribution toward independent living. Virtual monitoring systems can also be used to transmit information such as blood pressure to caregivers living in other states or health care providers.
"People are living active lives longer and engaging in society," she said. "Family caregivers can make that possible even from a distance."
The National Family Caregivers Association is one of several groups designed to help caregivers find resources for loved ones and themselves. It also provides tips on how to communicate effectively with health care professionals and doctors, the best starting point for determining if assisted living might be necessary, she said.
Other resources, such as AARP and Local Area Agencies on Aging, part of the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, also provide community-based services and advice, she said.
Finding the right place not only improved her mother's quality of life, but Lunden's also. Symptoms associated with her mother's dementia have abated and she seems happy, Lunden said.
"When it's a parent or husband or wife, you just want to know they're going to go to sleep at night and feel safe," she said. "I know that every moment of the day and night she's safeguarded... it's the best gift a parent can give a caregiver."
http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/09/living/baby-boomer-caregivers/index.html
"Learn About Senior In Home Health Care in Austin, Texas
Senior Helpers Provides Many services in the Austin, Texas area. We provide a full array of Home Care services for seniors and the elderly living in this beautiful area. Our Home Care Services are provided by bonded and insured employees and all employees pass a National Background check.
If you need Home Care services in Austin, Bartlett, Bertram, Briggs, Burnet, Cedar Park, Florence, Georgetown, Granger, Holland, Hutto, Jarrell, Johnson City, Killeen, Leander, Liberty Hill, Manor, Marble Falls, Pflugerville, Round Mountain, Round Rock, Salado, Spicewood, Taylor and the surrounding areas we are an excellent choice with impeccable references. Home Health Care for your elderly loved ones is never an easy choice but we can promise we will do our best to make it as painless as possible. From our family to yours we sincerely thank you for considering Senior Helpers of Austin Home Health Care Company. "
updated 1:35 PM EDT, Mon April 9, 2012
(CNN) -- Money was no object when the time came for Joan Lunden to find a senior care facility for her 88-year-old mother.
For years, the former host of "Good Morning America" had been a long-distance caregiver to her mother and brother in California, providing them with emotional and financial support from New York. After her brother's death in 2006 from complications from type II diabetes, Lunden needed to find a new home for her mother, who was suffering from the onset of dementia.
Trying to create the best possible quality of life for an aging relative is "the new normal" for 43.5 million Americans caring for someone older than 50, according to the Family Caregiver Alliance.
It's not just their parents: With about 10,000 baby boomers hitting age 65 each day, they're becoming caregivers and also those needing care. With people living longer than ever, this is the first generation that might care for its parents as long as it cared for its children, experts said.
"Now that more baby boomers are aging, the issue of family caregiving is becoming much more commonplace. We call it the 'new normal,'" said Lynn Feinberg, senior policy adviser for AARP.
Building relationships amid memory loss
Lunden flew from New York to Sacramento and drove around in search of a new home for her mom. She settled on an apartment in one of the fanciest senior communities in town, where her mother, Gladyce, would have the option of entertaining guests in her home or meeting other residents in a ballroom-style dining space.
It didn't take long for Lunden to realize that she'd chosen a place for the mother she knew 15 years ago, not the one who had been depending on her brother for the last decade. Her mother didn't want to spend time with other residents, nor was she capable of living on her own.
"On paper, it was spectacular, but it didn't serve her needs at all," Lunden said. "She was completely stressed out and her emotional situation was deteriorating because she didn't feel safe... she couldn't operate on her own on a daily basis."
It took several falls, a few broken bones and three more moves to find the right place. She now shares a ranch-style home with four others in a small residential care facility. There's a health care aide on site at all times to help her get dressed or take care of daily needs.
Suffering from 'Compassion Fatigue'
"She needed more hands-on, day-to-day care," Lunden said. "I didn't understand that because I wasn't living with her."
Caregiving responsibilities vary with each family. It could mean driving an aunt to physician appointments, managing medication for a spouse or keeping tabs on mom from afar using the latest technology.
The average caregiver in 2009 was a 49-year-old woman who had a job outside the home and spent nearly 20 hours per week providing unpaid care to her mother, according to a 2011 AARP Public Policy Institute study.
The report estimated the overall economic value of family caregiving at $450 billion, based on 42.1 million caregivers 18 or older providing an average of 18.4 hours of care per week.
Caregiver resources
• AARP: Tools, work sheets and tips on how to plan, prepare and succeed as a caregiver.
• Eldercare Locator: Connects families to community-based resources for senior care.
• Family Caregiver Alliance: Covers a wide range of issues, from how to talk to an attorney to federal and state legislation related to caregiving.
• Next Step in Care: Helps family caregivers of chronically or seriously ill patients navigate the health care system as they transition between care settings.
• A Place for Mom: Free referral service that directs families to housing and assisted living facilities.
• National Family Caregivers Association: Tips to help caregivers care for themselves.
• National Association of Area Agencies on Aging: Portal for options that allow people to choose home and community-based services and living arrangements that suit them best.
Many don't see themselves as caregivers but simply spouses, children or siblings doing what's expected. For that reason, they often fail to use resources that might help their relative or themselves, Lunden said.
The first step is acknowledging the need and seeking help, ideally, before entering crisis mode, she and other experts said.
"This is the nation's next big health crisis," Lunden said. "We have to get focused and tuned in because if we're clueless, we're going to get hit upside the head when it happens in the middle of a family emergency."
Caregiving is also much more complicated than it was in previous generations because of fragmentation within the health care system, with several doctors often required to treat one person, said AARP's Feinberg. Cutbacks in long-term and community-based services have also put a strain on families to do more individually.
"There is a greater awareness about these issues and the joys and struggles of family caregivers," Feinberg said. "But we have a long way to go to develop policy solutions to make life better for families."
Lunden's experience inspired her to share the trials, tribulations and rewards of family caregiving. She wrote a "Chicken Soup for Soul" on caregiving and tours the country giving talks on the topic.
It starts with a conversation, ideally, before a health crisis occurs, to get everyone on the same page, she said.
"Nobody wants to talk about their mortality or think about themselves getting old," Lunden said. "There's the thought that you go straight to the nursing home to die and that's not the case."
There are questions everyone should ask, she said.
Does your loved one have advanced health care insurance? How much does it cover and how long does it last? What about an advanced health care directive or a will? Where's the mortgage, the title to the car, stocks and bonds? Who in the family should have power of attorney, legal and medical, to keep track of end of life wishes and ensure they're carried out?
AARP's 35 questions for an aging parent
Lunden didn't have the answers when she found herself urgently searching for a new residence for her mother. She realized later she spent time digging through piles of books and magazines looking for her mother's license when she should have been talking to her about what she wanted in a new home.
The situation took a turn for the better when she connected with a senior advocate. They talked about her mother's medical condition, level of independence, behavioral tics, nutritional needs and hobbies. They also talked about location and financial resources to narrow the options.
"It's a process and you need to become educated about what the options are [because] the first step is not likely to be the last step," said Carol Kalmanoff, an adviser with the referral service, "A Place for Mom," which helps families find the best senior living options for their needs and budget.
Options range from independent living communities to personal care homes to facilities for memory and dementia care, she said. The facility Lunden chose for her mother is an affiliate of "A Place for Mom," and Lunden is a spokeswoman for the company.
Many people only make the call during a medical emergency, and often, they don't know the extent of what they're dealing with.
"We talk about need to be persistent because the whole thought of change and moving is very scary and stressful for family members, too," she said. "We try to help them approach it one step at a time and keep a sense of humor. It's important to be able to do that."
And, with people living longer, healthier lives, retirement takes many forms, she said.
"What today's seniors associate a nursing home with is what they saw parents growing up with," she said. "But in reality, it could mean so many things."
When moving is not necessary or financially feasible, a variety of home-based options exist, said Lisa Winstel with the National Family Caregivers Association. Simple home modifications, like grab guards in the bathroom, can make a big contribution toward independent living. Virtual monitoring systems can also be used to transmit information such as blood pressure to caregivers living in other states or health care providers.
"People are living active lives longer and engaging in society," she said. "Family caregivers can make that possible even from a distance."
The National Family Caregivers Association is one of several groups designed to help caregivers find resources for loved ones and themselves. It also provides tips on how to communicate effectively with health care professionals and doctors, the best starting point for determining if assisted living might be necessary, she said.
Other resources, such as AARP and Local Area Agencies on Aging, part of the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, also provide community-based services and advice, she said.
Finding the right place not only improved her mother's quality of life, but Lunden's also. Symptoms associated with her mother's dementia have abated and she seems happy, Lunden said.
"When it's a parent or husband or wife, you just want to know they're going to go to sleep at night and feel safe," she said. "I know that every moment of the day and night she's safeguarded... it's the best gift a parent can give a caregiver."
http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/09/living/baby-boomer-caregivers/index.html
"Learn About Senior In Home Health Care in Austin, Texas
Senior Helpers Provides Many services in the Austin, Texas area. We provide a full array of Home Care services for seniors and the elderly living in this beautiful area. Our Home Care Services are provided by bonded and insured employees and all employees pass a National Background check.
If you need Home Care services in Austin, Bartlett, Bertram, Briggs, Burnet, Cedar Park, Florence, Georgetown, Granger, Holland, Hutto, Jarrell, Johnson City, Killeen, Leander, Liberty Hill, Manor, Marble Falls, Pflugerville, Round Mountain, Round Rock, Salado, Spicewood, Taylor and the surrounding areas we are an excellent choice with impeccable references. Home Health Care for your elderly loved ones is never an easy choice but we can promise we will do our best to make it as painless as possible. From our family to yours we sincerely thank you for considering Senior Helpers of Austin Home Health Care Company. "
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Google Cambridge Pilots Age Engage Program to Help Connect Seniors to the Internet
April 10th, 2012 by Lisa DeCanio Posted in Google Cambridge
We've all had that conversation with our grandparents, in which we painstakingly try to instruct them – for the eighth time – how to open the internet browser to send an email. Recognizing this digital divide in the way seniors access the internet, Amanda Del Balso, Community Affairs Co-Lead and AdWords Account Manager at Google Cambridge, decided to take action.
After spending time in Dublin last year, Del Balso observed the Google team out there participating in the Age Engage program, which aims to equip seniors with basic internet skills to improve their quality of life. The program, she thought, would be well-suited for the Boston-area, and once returning stateside, Del Balso vetted out a pilot program with the local team at Google Cambridge.
In a partnership with Cambridge Community Television (CCTV), Google Cambridge launched the Age Engage pilot program in December with about 20 seniors attending two, 2-hour class sessions. The classes are unique in that they level the intense love Googlers have for the internet and channel that into one-to-one training for seniors. The curriculum is loose, explains Del Balso, and while the team aims to establish general search and email skills, each student possess a different skill level, and the classes are really tailored to their individual needs.
"The levels of people that come in really vary, so that's where the beauty of one-to-one pairing comes in," says Del Balso. "That student walks away with four hours of one-to-one, intensive tutoring."
As you can imagine, the stories behind Age Engage are pretty inspiring and demonstrate a true sense of community-building that comes with the program. Del Balso describes a story of a Googler helping tutor a woman on Google Maps, and after a few searches, they discovered they live within blocks of one another. In another example, Del Balso helped teach a woman how to upload photos into a program that would allow her and her mother to virtually try on glasses.
"We work on the computer all the time," says Del Balso of the Age Engage staff of Google volunteers. "I think it's a really nice marriage of Google's values of making the internet accessible to all people in a really easy way…It's quality of life improvement in such an engaging way."
The program will be ramping up more classes in the coming months, with the ultimate goal of providing one-on-one tutoring to 250 local seniors before the end of the year. "Moving forward, we're really going to try to focus on improving the in-class experience for the students already coming, and see how we can make it bigger or better," says Del Balso.
For more on the Age Engage program, check out the video below, and feel free to contact googleinthehub@google.com. Oh, and sign up your grandparents!
http://bostinno.com/2012/04/10/google-cambridge-pilots-age-engage-program-to-help-connect-seniors-to-the-internet/
"Learn About Senior In Home Health Care in Austin, Texas
Senior Helpers Provides Many services in the Austin, Texas area. We provide a full array of Home Care services for seniors and the elderly living in this beautiful area. Our Home Care Services are provided by bonded and insured employees and all employees pass a National Background check.
If you need Home Care services in Austin, Bartlett, Bertram, Briggs, Burnet, Cedar Park, Florence, Georgetown, Granger, Holland, Hutto, Jarrell, Johnson City, Killeen, Leander, Liberty Hill, Manor, Marble Falls, Pflugerville, Round Mountain, Round Rock, Salado, Spicewood, Taylor and the surrounding areas we are an excellent choice with impeccable references. Home Health Care for your elderly loved ones is never an easy choice but we can promise we will do our best to make it as painless as possible. From our family to yours we sincerely thank you for considering Senior Helpers of Austin Home Health Care Company. "
We've all had that conversation with our grandparents, in which we painstakingly try to instruct them – for the eighth time – how to open the internet browser to send an email. Recognizing this digital divide in the way seniors access the internet, Amanda Del Balso, Community Affairs Co-Lead and AdWords Account Manager at Google Cambridge, decided to take action.
After spending time in Dublin last year, Del Balso observed the Google team out there participating in the Age Engage program, which aims to equip seniors with basic internet skills to improve their quality of life. The program, she thought, would be well-suited for the Boston-area, and once returning stateside, Del Balso vetted out a pilot program with the local team at Google Cambridge.
In a partnership with Cambridge Community Television (CCTV), Google Cambridge launched the Age Engage pilot program in December with about 20 seniors attending two, 2-hour class sessions. The classes are unique in that they level the intense love Googlers have for the internet and channel that into one-to-one training for seniors. The curriculum is loose, explains Del Balso, and while the team aims to establish general search and email skills, each student possess a different skill level, and the classes are really tailored to their individual needs.
"The levels of people that come in really vary, so that's where the beauty of one-to-one pairing comes in," says Del Balso. "That student walks away with four hours of one-to-one, intensive tutoring."
As you can imagine, the stories behind Age Engage are pretty inspiring and demonstrate a true sense of community-building that comes with the program. Del Balso describes a story of a Googler helping tutor a woman on Google Maps, and after a few searches, they discovered they live within blocks of one another. In another example, Del Balso helped teach a woman how to upload photos into a program that would allow her and her mother to virtually try on glasses.
"We work on the computer all the time," says Del Balso of the Age Engage staff of Google volunteers. "I think it's a really nice marriage of Google's values of making the internet accessible to all people in a really easy way…It's quality of life improvement in such an engaging way."
The program will be ramping up more classes in the coming months, with the ultimate goal of providing one-on-one tutoring to 250 local seniors before the end of the year. "Moving forward, we're really going to try to focus on improving the in-class experience for the students already coming, and see how we can make it bigger or better," says Del Balso.
For more on the Age Engage program, check out the video below, and feel free to contact googleinthehub@google.com. Oh, and sign up your grandparents!
http://bostinno.com/2012/04/10/google-cambridge-pilots-age-engage-program-to-help-connect-seniors-to-the-internet/
"Learn About Senior In Home Health Care in Austin, Texas
Senior Helpers Provides Many services in the Austin, Texas area. We provide a full array of Home Care services for seniors and the elderly living in this beautiful area. Our Home Care Services are provided by bonded and insured employees and all employees pass a National Background check.
If you need Home Care services in Austin, Bartlett, Bertram, Briggs, Burnet, Cedar Park, Florence, Georgetown, Granger, Holland, Hutto, Jarrell, Johnson City, Killeen, Leander, Liberty Hill, Manor, Marble Falls, Pflugerville, Round Mountain, Round Rock, Salado, Spicewood, Taylor and the surrounding areas we are an excellent choice with impeccable references. Home Health Care for your elderly loved ones is never an easy choice but we can promise we will do our best to make it as painless as possible. From our family to yours we sincerely thank you for considering Senior Helpers of Austin Home Health Care Company. "
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Bring on the Caregiving Talk
Posted on 02/29/2012 by Sally Abrahms // AARP Blog Author // 7 Comments
The email is intriguing: My friend is gathering a group who are grappling with caregiving issues for a brainstorming dinner at her home. She feels overwhelmed, with a job and husband in Boston and very ill parents in Connecticut.
Not only do I write about caregivers, but I've been one for 14 years straight (first my father, then my mother, now my mother-in-law).
I've never met the others at the dinner table. At 58, I'm the baby, while one of the guests is turning eighty. Some of us have downsized, others have big houses they vow never to leave (that would be the 79-year-old who works full-time).
I think the conversation is going to be about how hard it is to be in this role—the exhaustion, the guilt, resentment, worry, and time drain, for starters. But, it's really about how we can avoid finding ourselves in many of our parents' positions when we're their age, and how we make it easier on our kids.
The host mentions the mistakes she thinks her parents have made: Refusing to leave their house so that now, even with full-time help, her dad feels isolated. (Her mother has Alzheimer's, her dad, late stage cancer.)
She wants to know what others think about moving near their adult children when they can no longer take care of themselves. (Most of us raise our hands.)
A guest says that as soon as she or her husband die, the other will move out of state near one of their two daughters. The daughters have already scouted out places and she's seen them in each city. "What does she think?" we ask. She says, "It's fine, I will make friends. But most important, I will be close to my child so my kids don't have to worry about me"—the way she did with her long-distance parents.
How considerate, I think. My husband asks why we are so reluctant to lean on our kids when we need them, just as they have leaned on us (and still do) for so long?
A male in his 60s talks about how his parents died in a retirement community, in their own beds surrounded by friends and family. He says he, too, wants to grow old with caring people.
He has an idea: What if a group of friends buys a building rehab it and live together in separate units so they can help support one another?
I don't have my life as an older person mapped out. I do know, though, that there are options (Cohousing? Live near a university?)– some yet to be invented: Assisted living on a cruise ship?
As I write this, I get a phone call from another friend in the throes of caregiving. How about getting a group together for lunch to talk about it?
We're meeting next week. You can do the same.
http://blog.aarp.org/2012/02/29/caregivers-talking-to-each-other/
"Learn About Senior In Home Health Care in Austin, Texas
Senior Helpers Provides Many services in the Austin, Texas area. We provide a full array of Home Care services for seniors and the elderly living in this beautiful area. Our Home Care Services are provided by bonded and insured employees and all employees pass a National Background check.
If you need Home Care services in Austin, Bartlett, Bertram, Briggs, Burnet, Cedar Park, Florence, Georgetown, Granger, Holland, Hutto, Jarrell, Johnson City, Killeen, Leander, Liberty Hill, Manor, Marble Falls, Pflugerville, Round Mountain, Round Rock, Salado, Spicewood, Taylor and the surrounding areas we are an excellent choice with impeccable references. Home Health Care for your elderly loved ones is never an easy choice but we can promise we will do our best to make it as painless as possible. From our family to yours we sincerely thank you for considering Senior Helpers of Austin Home Health Care Company. "
The email is intriguing: My friend is gathering a group who are grappling with caregiving issues for a brainstorming dinner at her home. She feels overwhelmed, with a job and husband in Boston and very ill parents in Connecticut.
Not only do I write about caregivers, but I've been one for 14 years straight (first my father, then my mother, now my mother-in-law).
I've never met the others at the dinner table. At 58, I'm the baby, while one of the guests is turning eighty. Some of us have downsized, others have big houses they vow never to leave (that would be the 79-year-old who works full-time).
I think the conversation is going to be about how hard it is to be in this role—the exhaustion, the guilt, resentment, worry, and time drain, for starters. But, it's really about how we can avoid finding ourselves in many of our parents' positions when we're their age, and how we make it easier on our kids.
The host mentions the mistakes she thinks her parents have made: Refusing to leave their house so that now, even with full-time help, her dad feels isolated. (Her mother has Alzheimer's, her dad, late stage cancer.)
She wants to know what others think about moving near their adult children when they can no longer take care of themselves. (Most of us raise our hands.)
A guest says that as soon as she or her husband die, the other will move out of state near one of their two daughters. The daughters have already scouted out places and she's seen them in each city. "What does she think?" we ask. She says, "It's fine, I will make friends. But most important, I will be close to my child so my kids don't have to worry about me"—the way she did with her long-distance parents.
How considerate, I think. My husband asks why we are so reluctant to lean on our kids when we need them, just as they have leaned on us (and still do) for so long?
A male in his 60s talks about how his parents died in a retirement community, in their own beds surrounded by friends and family. He says he, too, wants to grow old with caring people.
He has an idea: What if a group of friends buys a building rehab it and live together in separate units so they can help support one another?
I don't have my life as an older person mapped out. I do know, though, that there are options (Cohousing? Live near a university?)– some yet to be invented: Assisted living on a cruise ship?
As I write this, I get a phone call from another friend in the throes of caregiving. How about getting a group together for lunch to talk about it?
We're meeting next week. You can do the same.
http://blog.aarp.org/2012/02/29/caregivers-talking-to-each-other/
"Learn About Senior In Home Health Care in Austin, Texas
Senior Helpers Provides Many services in the Austin, Texas area. We provide a full array of Home Care services for seniors and the elderly living in this beautiful area. Our Home Care Services are provided by bonded and insured employees and all employees pass a National Background check.
If you need Home Care services in Austin, Bartlett, Bertram, Briggs, Burnet, Cedar Park, Florence, Georgetown, Granger, Holland, Hutto, Jarrell, Johnson City, Killeen, Leander, Liberty Hill, Manor, Marble Falls, Pflugerville, Round Mountain, Round Rock, Salado, Spicewood, Taylor and the surrounding areas we are an excellent choice with impeccable references. Home Health Care for your elderly loved ones is never an easy choice but we can promise we will do our best to make it as painless as possible. From our family to yours we sincerely thank you for considering Senior Helpers of Austin Home Health Care Company. "
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