Caring for an elderly parent can be stressful. Dividing the responsibility between siblings can create conflict as well. It is best to talk about your options ahead of time to avoid tense situations. To ease your way into caregiving follow the tips below:
1. Be honest if taking the bulk of the responsibility is becoming overwhelming. Let your siblings know the things they can do to help.
2. Plan ahead for your parent’s wishes. Decide ahead of time how you will divide responsibilities amongst your siblings.
3. Be flexible when it comes to the needs of your parents and siblings. Consider schedules, skills and interests when it comes to dividing the responsibility.
4. Research options to determine the type of care that your parent needs and look for organizations and resources that can meet your needs.
5. Talk and listen to your parent because their independence is important to them. It is best to talk to your family before caregiving starts.
So when it comes to caring for your elderly parents following the tips above will help prevent any conflict. Just be sure to always communicate how you are feeling and make sure your parent’s wishes aren’t being ignored.
Technology can often be overwhelming, especially for a senior citizen. With each new invention comes confusion about how to use it or what it is. Rather than being afraid of technology, seniors should open up their minds to geriatric technologies. Many of these new gadgets and inventions made especially for seniors are not to be feared, but rather embraced. Here are a few things seniors may want to know about using geriatric technologies.
• Living a life of independence—Many seniors are limited in terms of independence, needing someone to drive them to appointments or remind them to take their pills every morning. However, geriatric technology helps the senior be more independence. Many of these inventions help the senior get by every day, while feeling independent at the same time.
• Caregivers can’t be replaced—While many geriatric inventions can help seniors, it is still important to have a caregiver or some sort of human helping out. Seniors should know their caregiver can’t be replaced with the latest shiny gadget for senior care.
• Elderly Lifestyles Can Be Enriched—Being a senior can be difficult at times with things to always remember and those normal aches and pains. At the same time, new elderly technologies can make a senior’s lifestyle better. General Electric and Intel have developed products for seniors that don’t hurt a senior’s everyday life, but make it easier and more enjoyable.
• Education on New Technology is key—Technology can be confusing to seniors, but it doesn’t have to be. Education is key when it comes to understanding the benefits of geriatric technology. Often seniors are afraid of new inventions and modern conveniences, but if you learn about these trends, they might not be so daunting and strange.
For those caregivers who are dealing with Alzheimer’s and dementia patients, there is a new program available that can connect caregivers with these diseases. The program is conducted in the caregiver’s home and involves teaching the caregiver various ways to improve the quality of life for the seniors they care for.
1. The program was developed by Ellen Phipps. Specialists will visit the home of a caregiver one time a week and teach them how to set up activity stations.
2. The stations can include painting, gardening or any activity that would be meaningful for the Alzheimer patient.
3. As the number of people with dementia and Alzheimer’s continue to grow, additional support for caregivers is needed. More than 85 percent of people receiving services from a caregiver are suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s.
4. It is believed that 1 in every 10 individuals over the age of 65 and 50% of those over 85 may have Alzheimer’s or dementia.
5. The goal of the new support program is to teach caregivers how to provide activities that can add meaning to the life of a senior.
6. The program is geared towards those with all levels of dementia and will help them improve their levels of functioning.
The role of a caregiver is far from glamorous and often includes extreme exhaustion, frustration, anxiety and stress. To help with these common problems, caregivers must learn how to care for themselves before they can effectively provide care to a senior. By taking the time to implement the following tips, you will be able to maintain your physical and emotional health.
1. Always watch for and observe the signs of burnout, lack of motivation and sadness. You should also be aware of your sleep patterns and how well you can maintain control over common situations.
2. Do not strive for perfection. This is not the time to be a stellar housekeeper or a hostess. It is a time to set priorities. Do not allow others to add to your list of priorities.
3. It is ok to put things off until later. Not everything can be done in a single day.
4. Learn how to ask for help. There is no reason for you to have to manage all of the responsibilities. Ask a family member or friend for help if you need it.
5. Make sure to learn about the illness you are dealing with. If the senior has Alzheimer’s, become familiar with the disease. This can help you provide better care and can reduce your own stress levels.
6. Allow time for yourself and know it is okay to take a break.
When a caregiver does not live close by, there can be many concerns about the well being of the senior. When seniors with dementia require the help of a caregiver, the long distance caregiver may benefit from hiring someone close to provide the services needed by the senior. The following list contains some information that can help make being a long distance caregiver a simpler task.
1. Make sure to be aware of what services are needed. People with dementia may need assistance doing daily tasks. When visiting the home, be sure to notice what they can do on their own. This will provide a better sense of what kind of services could help.
2. Check the food in the refrigerator to make sure there is enough and that it is not spoiled. Watch how they function in the kitchen.
3. If the home is messy, they may need help maintaining the inside and outside of the home. Laundry can also be a chore for many seniors. Those with dementia will have even more problems. If the senior needs help with laundry and other things around the home, hiring a PCA can be beneficial.
4. Create a list of support contacts. This should include individuals and resources that can help coordinate care from a distance.
5. Keep a current list with names and numbers and note what kind of services they provide.
6. Keep in touch with their doctor so you will always be updated on medical conditions.
7. Make the best of physical visits. While visiting, make necessary appointments, talk with friends and other family members about how the senior is doing and make sure to make time to reconnect with the senior.
Replacing damaged joints will not only help individuals function more effectively, but it can reduce a lot of pain seniors experience on a daily basis. One of the most common replacement surgeries now being performed is a knuckle replacement. This procedure can eliminate the pain felt in the joints f the hands in older adults. Below is more information on the surgery.
1. The procedure is pretty quick and has a fast recovery time. This surgery is not for every senior however, and there could be a risk of failure or complications.
2. The surgery will remove damaged tissue, bone and cartilage and an artificial replacement joint will be inserted. The new joint will not completely restore mobility, but it will almost completely eliminate pain.
3. There are two options, a complete knuckle replacement or the cleaning away of damaged bone and cartilage.
4. Rheumatoid arthritis patients may not be able to have the bottom knuckles replaced.
5. Most replacement knuckles are made from silicone rubber, which allows flexibility. However, these replacements can break or slip. Researchers are working on a metal and plastic replacement that will eliminate this problem.
6. Each knuckle replacement will take around 30 minutes. Medicare will cover the procedure. 90% of patients report immediate relief from pain.
7. Recovery will consist of physical therapy, lasting from 6 to 12 weeks.
Most people believe that pessimism is a learned behavior and that people will continue to look at things in a negative light. A recent study has revealed that there is a molecule in the brain that has an effect on the way people view things. In addition, this molecule could be tied to depression in seniors. The following information is related to the findings of the study and how this molecule could make seniors pessimistic.
1. The molecule is called neuropeptide Y, also referred to as NPY. Low levels of this may be the reason many seniors have difficulty coping with stress.
2. The study revealed that low levels of NPY resulted in an increased activity in the prefrontal cortex of the brain. This is what processes emotion. The increase was seen when participants in the study were exposed to negative words.
3. People with low levels of NPY are more apt to have a negative outlook on things and experience more negative feelings.
4. The reaction due to the levels of the molecule may be directly related to depression. Studies are being conducted to determine if using this molecule could be a treatment for severe depression.
5. At this time, the study does not show how pessimists can become more positive.
Many older adults are being cared for by an adult child. When there are siblings, most of them will want to be involved in the care in some way. While it is great that there is an interest, the involvement of more than one person can create conflicts in the family. Siblings who are caring for an aging parent often do not split the caretaking responsibilities equally.
1. To address some of the common problems experienced when siblings are sharing care responsibilities, The Home Instead Senior Care Network has introduced a 50-50 Rule Program to offer assistance to these caregivers.
2. The first 50 represents the average age of most caregivers caring for a parent. The second 50 refers to how adult siblings can divide the responsibilities.
3. Research has shown that 43% of families that have shared caregiving responsibilities will have disagreements and problems relating to the care of an aging parent.
4. One study revealed that a surprising 2% of all siblings in the United States who are caring for an aging parent are actually splitting the caregiving equally.
5. CaregiverStress.com is a great website offering valuable tips for siblings who are sharing the role of a caregiver.
