Elder Care ABC Created by caregivers for caregivers

by Joy Loverde

Part II of the Moving an Aging Parent from Long Distance blog series talked about my doing homework regarding finding real estate agents for Mom and Bill. The next step is to help them with the interview process when the agents come to the house.

Who knew there were so many questions to ask realtors before you choose the one who is right for the job?  I created a list of questions, and suggested that Mom and Bill print the questions, and then write down the answers from each agent they interview. Here are the questions:

• How many homes in this area have you sold in the past two years?

• For recent sales what is the average number of days on market, and average selling price?

• How many active listings do you have now for homes in the P.C. area, and how long they have been listed?

• How many of such homes that would be considered “comparables” to ours? Read More

James L. Ferry is a Geriatric Care Manager based in Deerfield, Massachusetts.  Jim entered Geriatric Care Management in 1992 and established Coaching Caregivers LLC, in 2003.

Jim agreed to talk to us about his Geriatric Care Management career and to give us some caregiving tips and tricks.

I began the interview by asking Jim to tell us a bit more about himself:

Jim: I have been a GCM for 17 years.  I first began on a part-time basis but over time built my practice to a full-time endeavor.  In addition, I am a doctoral candidate at the State University of New York at Albany in Social Work.  I have written several articles pertaining to geriatric care management (GCM) in both professional and scholarly journals and my brand new book, “How to Start a Home-Based Senior Care Business”Globe Pequot Press 2010), is now available.

On a personal note I am a husband, father and musician.

Mary: Please tell us how and why you became a geriatric care manager. Read More

The New Year prompts a lot of people to make resolutions. Now is a good time to include ones that keep you healthy. Thanksgiving is when we appreciate those things that we are grateful for. Most people give thanks for good health, however good health and quality of life are not just handed to us. We must work at it. It’s true that genes play a role in how our bodies function, and how long we live, but we can do certain things that counteract the bad genes.

For instance exercise, healthy eating habits, proper sleep, and supplements all add to a quality of life. By that I mean that chronic illness and debilitating conditions can be avoided or lessened if we include those things in our everyday lives. Prevention is always better than treatment if possible. If this philosophy was more prevalent, we would have a lot of active, energetic, and mentally sharp senior citizens.

Smokers and obese people start out the New Year with pledges to change for the better. Gamblers can be unhealthy if they lack sleep and exercise and don’t eat right. So besides beating the urge to gamble, they could aim to be more healthy.Workaholics are notorious for long hours and stress related jobs. They too could resolve to follow healthy habits. Read More

My mother will celebrate her eighty-ninth birthday this year. I feel fortunate that she is in good health and able to live independently and enjoy her life.

As I watch her doing housework, playing with her great grandchildren and taking walks, I am reminded of how four years ago my father called to tell me that my mother was in the hospital. I cannot recall ever hearing his voice sound so broken and sad. At first I could not grasp the significance of what he was saying – something about, “If only I had fixed the hallway carpet.” Read More

High blood pressure is an epidemic health problem the world over. The statistics for the year 2007 included an approximate count of 1 billion people the world over who suffer from this condition. Of the 1 billion, the US is home to 73.6 million of these people. Like heart disease, high blood pressure is sometimes known as the `silent killer`. An even more dangerous issue is that many do not even know they have it, as there are often no visible symptoms until it is too late. It can also lead to heart or failure and stroke if allowed to get out of control. It can also lead to other conditions that are not generally public knowledge; these are kidney failure, dementia and blindness.

People generally discover that they have high blood pressure at a standard doctor’s visit as this is routine at the beginning of a visit. Many people do not visit their doctor regularly, and having a home kit can make it possible to become aware of hypertension in a safe amount of time to start treating it. Sometimes people’s pressure and heart rate are elevated when the reading is done at the doctor’s office, which would result in distorted results. This can be alleviated by using a home blood pressure kit. Read More

by Joy Loverde

Mom sounds exhausted over the phone and we haven’t even begun the moving process yet. The thought of what lies ahead is causing her stress and anguish. She assures me that this is a long-distance move that is wanted and needed. The problem, Mom explains, lies with her husband, Bill who is irritable and short-tempered by nature. Mom keeps saying she has to walk on eggshells and take it slow with him. I understand.

What must it really be like for these two mid-eighty-year-olds to face a move of this magnitude? Physically they can no more pack a box than run a mile. Emotionally must be experiencing a deep sense of loss that this long-time dream lifestyle (living in a warm climate in a home they love) is coming to an end. I have promised myself to be sensitive to their current state of mind at all times no matter how swiftly I want this moving project over and done. Read More

Welcome to the EldercareABC Blog  Carnival – February 3, 2010

Thanks for stopping by to visit the EldercareABC Blog Carnival.  Before we begin, we would like to congratulate Derrick Grant of ElderGuru.com. Derrick answered the question for the Jonathan Paul Eyewear fitover glasses  contest last week and is the winner.  The question for the contest was,  “What date was the premier edition of EldercareABC  Blog Carnival first published?”  Derrick correctly answered, March 24th, 2009.

Derrick, please contact us at here so we can make arrangements for those to be sent to you.

Derrick Grant presents President Obama to Announce Caregiver Assistance Initiatives in State of the Union Address posted at ElderGuru.com.

June Tree presents Domt Want To Work Forever? Retire On Time With These 10 Tips! posted at The Digerati Life, saying, “How to retire on time.”

TSW Blog presents Develop Financial Strategies, Make Financial Decisions Without Emotion posted at The Smarter Wallet, saying, “Some thoughts on financial issues for the elderly.”

Other posts seen and heard around the blogosphere  this week:

Family Caregiving – Radio Interview – ALS/MND Support Group Forums

Voice America ran a show called Family Caregivers Unite – where they discuss Family caregiving with ALS . The two people interviewed are 1) an ALS.

Mabel Romick – Feb 03,2010

Caregiver of the Year award winner Mabel Romick joins us for a discussion about caregiving, writing and holding onto dreams. mabel romick | caregiver of the year award | family caregiver | caregiving | eldercare.

Week 3: The Hard Costs of Caregiving | Caring.com

Week 3: The Hard Costs of Caregiving. Read this and other related eldercare articles in the Caring.com Dad Has Dementia section.

Who Moved My Dentures? Essential Information for Boomers on …

Who Moved My Dentures? Essential Information for Boomers on Healthcare, Aging and Caregiving. Tuesday, February 2, 2010. Prevent Fraility in Later Life By Starting Healthy Habits Now. Dr. Linda P. Fried, dean and DeLamar professor of …

That concludes this edition. Thanks to everyone for participating, stopping by, commenting, reading and special thanks to Jonathan Paul Eyewear for their donation!

Submit your blog article to the next edition of eldercareabc carnival using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

by Joy Loverde

As the author of The Complete Eldercare Planner and online elder care columnist geared toward people who are caring for aging parents, I’ve been asked some interesting questions. The depth of where our caregiving journeys will lead us never ceases to amaze me. This blog offers insights into the complex elder care process.

Question: My wife and I are the sole caregivers for her mother. She is 90 years old and nearly blind and unable to walk. She lives in an apartment near us and we visit daily. We are both in our 70`s ourselves and get no cooperation from mom allowing us to get assistance. Don’t know where to start but she will not cooperate on any matter including paper signing. Read More