Elder Care ABC Created by caregivers for caregivers

Recently I helped a family find a private care home for their mother who was in her mid 80’s, living in a large assisted living facility and suffering from dementia, depression and loneliness. Her depression and loneliness had come on suddenly and she was talking about not wanting to live any longer.

Her doctor had told the family that her dementia was progressing and made the suggestion that she move to a smaller care home where she would have more one-on-one attention. Read More

by Joy Loverde

It’s 3 a.m. I can’t sleep in a pleasant sort of way. My body is tired but my mind is racing. Did I complete everything I set out to accomplish before I head back to the airport? For three days I’ve been working on the move non-stop, and I’m pretty sure my job here is done, at least for the time being.

Several days ago, I flew to Florida to help Mom and Bill pack up their belongings. I went through drawers, closets, attics, and cabinets, sorting and discarding along the way. The goal was to pack household goods and clothing that they will take with them to their new home. Twenty boxes later, Mom and I drove to the UPS Store to have their items shipped to me in Chicago. Who knew AAA would kick in with a discount? Nice surprise. I also sent the boxes to my home office and that qualified me for yet another discount (business versus residential). The money is going to start flying out the window and every dime counts. Read More

Welcome to this week’s EldercareABC’s  Blog carnival!

Here is what has been seen and heard this week at some of our favorite eldercare and caregiving  blogs:

Sandwich Generation Senior Parents Love Old Time Radio … Read More

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 family and I believe my mother to be schizophrenic.  She has a cyclic pattern that is very disruptive for the whole family.  She can not keep employment, housing, or an automobile because of her disruptive behavior.  Presently she has no where to stay and my husband and I invited her to stay with us on the condition that she went to see a therapist.  She exploded and told us that we no longer existed to her and that she would go and stay in a homeless shelter.  I know that she won’t do that because she is afraid to live by herself.  I would like to become her legal guardian to get her some help.  We both live in Louisiana – she is in Baton Rouge and we are in New Orleans. Read More

by Derrick Grant

Caregivers looking after someone with Alzheimer’s Disease or a related dementia should know that not all day services are the same. Adult Day services is a competitive business that often has a low-profit margin and a fast consumer turnover rate, so agencies offering the service will often cast a wide net in hopes of serving as many clients as possible. This makes smart business sense on the part of the agency, but caregivers should proceed with caution. The needs of one individual may differ from the needs of another, and there are times when the needs conflict.
Having worked as the Director of Adult Day Services for an Alzheimer’s specific center, I can tell you firsthand that the day service needs of a person with dementia are not the same as those for a person with straight physical limitations or mental retardation Read More

Exercise is important at any age. It keeps the body fit and able to fight disease. It helps you process the nutritional benefits of the foods you eat. It stimulates the mind and body for greater energy and awareness. As we age, however, the exercises we do need to fit our changing conditions. Elderly people need exercise programs that are both stimulating and gentle on the body. Rebounding is the perfect exercise for the elderly.

Rebounding is performed on a mini-trampoline. Bouncing is a fun exercise with many health benefits. Because the trampoline is designed to give with each jump, it is a low-impact exercise, gentle on the knees, hips, feet, and spine.

Rebounding utilizes three forces gravity, acceleration, and deceleration to provide its health benefits. As you jump on the mini-trampoline, your body experiences weightlessness at the top of the jump, acceleration as you descend, and enhanced gravity as you land on the trampoline. The effect of these three forces is to stimulate the body in ways that conventional exercises can’t. Read More

by Colleen Redman

Sleeping problems in the elderly may involve a number of factors such as: decreased energy output as a result of retirement,the age of the person, their state of health, and any prescription drugs they may be taking for health problems.

Illness disrupts sleeping patterns in the elderly, and may result in increased awakenings due to physical discomfort, caused by urinary urgency,cramps, angina, chronic obstructive airways disease, and left ventricular failure, these may be some of the many illnesses which cause sleeping problems in the elderly.

An elderly person may become very anxious about a change in their sleeping pattern, however, it will be necessary to thoroughly investigate the problem in order to ascertain if this perceived sleeping problem, causes dysfunction in their waking activities. Read More

by Cheryl Culbertson

Elder care is a growing area of healthcare concerned with providing medical and other services for the rapidly growing, aging population most often persons 65 years of age and older. Given the choice, most elders would prefer to continue to live in their own homes known as aging in place. Unfortunately the majority of elderly people gradually lose functioning ability and require either additional assistance in the home or a move to an eldercare facility. The adult children of these elders often face a difficult challenge in helping their parents make the right choices especially if they live a distance away.

Elder care encompasses a wide variety of issues, including choosing an appropriate physician to care for an aging patient, and making decisions about moving an elderly person from the home environment to a residential care setting. Elder care also refers to an array of care services such as adult day Read More