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.

What didn’t get shipped to Chicago was placed on the back patio for the moving sale. Bedroom furniture, tables and chairs, sofas and recliners, millions of vases and knick-knacks and Tupperware, dishes and glasses, pots and pans, and unidentifiable items will be sold for a song or given away.

I want to cry so badly and I keep holding it in. If I lose it, Mom will, too. I am being stoic for her. It is so hard for me to see all of her once-beloved belongings spread out on make-shift plywood tables ready for strangers to buy at the sale. Each item tells a story of the stages of her life. Many are familiar items from my childhood that she has kept in her possession – until now. She no longer has a need for them. I must be strong and accept this.

In the meantime, Bill has done very little to help with the move. He does not want to move, and yet he has zero friends and family in Florida. I secretly wonder if Bill will figure out a way to get out of this relocation situation. If he does, it won’t be the first time that someone I knew sabotaged a move.

Last night, Mom and I sat outside on the back patio, amidst all her stuff that is on display for the moving sale, and I listened as she told me how much she will miss seeing the palm trees sway in the wind. She is very sad, and I will never forget this precious conversation and these past three days as long as I live.

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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 …

by Kaye Swain – Old-time TV. My senior parents grew up on it and my mom continues to enjoy the programs from back in the 40s and 50s. I still have fond memories of Our Miss Brooks and Father Knows Best. …

Reduce Risk of Dementia, Alzheimer’s with Healthy Eyesight

It’s all crystal clear: a new study from the University of Michigan suggests that good vision can help prevent the risk of dementia, Alzheimer’s.

5 Ways To Prevent Caregiver Stress– personaltrainerreport.com

Too much stress can take its toll on physical, mental, and emotional health. Relationships can suffer, and this just adds to the mountain of stress you’re already dealing with. Here are some ways to combat Caregiver Stress and tips to …

Don’t Forget yourself When Caring for Someone With a Mood Disorder …

Caregivers especially, are prone to thinking of themselves as an afterthought, if at all. Neglecting yourself over time can result in adverse consequences for the caregiver, including burnout, shame, increased stress, and anger, …

Caregiver Health Insurance

As Congress debates the healthcare overhaul legislation, Caregiverlist decided to find out if professional caregivers receive healthcare benefits, as oftentimes companies require caregivers to be full-time employees to qualify. …

Who Moved My Dentures? Essential Information for Boomers on …

Caregivers are known to care for others before they take care of their own needs. In fact, as I tell people in my keynotes, a high majority of caregivers die before the ones they take care of so t aking care of yourself must be your …

Caregiving.com: Helping You Help Family and Friends

The National Alliance for Caregiving is seeking family caregivers of Veterans for a new study. This study will provide an opportunity for caregivers of Veterans to be heard and improve services for caregivers and Veterans now and in the …

That concludes this edition. !  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.

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.

Answer: For starters, contact the Elderly Protective Services (EPS) and describe your situation. This agency protects adults who cannot physically or mentally protect themselves. To pursue a legal guardianship, contact the Public Guardian office and seek advice on how to proceed. Another source of assistance will be the state area agency on aging.

No matter what route you decide, think twice about taking your mother into your own home. If she is as disruptive as you describe, your family will suffer dearly. The professionals at the local agency on agency can help you with housing alternatives.

Question: I moved in with my father four months ago. I moved a whole house full of my, my husband and my child’s things from Montana to California because he said we could stay with him. There never was any set amount we were supposed to pay him, but we have given him what we can afford (over six hundred so far) Now he wants us to leave but we have no money saved yet. What are my rights?

Answer: For a variety of reasons, it’s hard for any of us to return to a parent’s home. I’m sorry things did not work out between you and your father.  That being said, your father is under no legal obligation to keep his word regarding housing you and your family. You are an adult, and his job of raising you and being a parent is complete.

The problem you describe is not an eldercare issue, but an unfortunate family situation, and it appears as though your father regrets allowing you to move into his home in the first place.  My hope is that you can talk things out – rationally — and that he’ll give you the time you need to pack up and make plans to live elsewhere. Your job is to get moving as quickly as you can. This is not a healthy situation for you and your entire family.   For the past four months, your father has taken you in. Move on, and thank him for all he has done.

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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. One of our biggest sources of referrals were actually other non-Alzheimer’s specific adult day centers that were servicing people with dementia and found the individuals’ needs could no longer be met at their facility. We welcomed the opportunity to serve these individuals, but it was often my opinion that the individual would have been served better had he/she come to our center in the first place.
This is not to discredit the work of our day service competition, but when an individual with Alzheimer’s Disease is admitted for day services, it’s typically still early enough in the disease process for the individual to become acquainted with the staff and building, to build relationships, and for the staff to get to know the individual; as the disease progresses, the ability to develop such relationships decreases. If the individual came to our center after leaving another center, he/she was likely to experience confusion and discomfort. Had the individual come to our center in the first place, the relationship would have been established and as the disease progressed, staff would know the individual’s preferences prior to his/her inability to communicate them, and the individual would have at least some familiarity with the environment.
A day service center that caters to Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias should have the following characteristics:

• activity programs specific to this population
• staff with Alzheimer’s experience and training
• secure environment (door alarms, ankle bracelets, etc. to prevent wandering)
• building design conducive to dementia
• medical monitoring services (as opposed to strictly social services)

The advice in this post depends on the notion that multiple day service centers exist near the caregiver’s home. It’s entirely possible that this is not the case, and that the caregiver may have to settle for day services at a non-Alzheimer’s specific facility. There is nothing wrong with this idea. Most day services do incorporate some type of dementia services for their client pool, and are often more than open to adjusting services to meet individual needs. If you are unsure how your loved one will do at such a center, ask for a free visit and leave your loved one there for a day. Any decent facility will offer the first visit for free as a trial run.
****
Derrick Grant is the author of ElderGuru.com, offering insight and information on aging services. He has worked as a Licensed Social Worker in a nursing home, as the Social Services Manager at an Area Agency on Aging, as the Director of Adult Day Services, and most recently as a government Policy Analyst and Policy Writer.

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.

Rebounding oxygenates the blood. This exercise is shown to be 68% more effective in oxygenating the blood than other exercises. This is important for the elderly, who spend much of their time sitting. A few minutes rebounding brings oxygen back to the brain and body. It also gets the circulation going, moving blood to the vital organs and extremities and helping the body process food and eliminate waste.

What’s more, rebounding stimulates the lymphatic system, the system that is instrumental in removing toxins from the body. The elderly have special needs when it comes to toxin removal because of illnesses and the medications they may be taking. Rebounding will also increase white blood cell counts, thus working as a shield against new disease and illnesses. The shock-absorbing springs of the mini-trampoline allow for 87% shock-free movement. This means that it is gentle on both the muscles and the bones. At the same time, the exercise provided by rebounding builds muscle mass and strengthens the bones. These are especially important considerations for people looking to maintain muscle and bone strength as they age.

Because rebounding is such an efficient exercise, 68% more effective than other exercises, rebounding just 5 minutes a day can help restore and maintain health. This means even those with major health problems or limited mobility can gain the benefits of rebounding. The mini-trampolines can be fit with special safety rails to prevent falls. Because the mini trampolines are built low to the ground, all they require is one short step to climb aboard.

Research has shown that regular exercise is not only beneficial for the body but for the mind as well. Exercise brings oxygen to the brain, keeping us alert and sharp. Because rebounding is so efficient in providing oxygen to the blood, it is a great way to stimulate the mind. Exercise also makes us feel better about ourselves, leading to greater satisfaction throughout our lives and into our elder years.

The health benefits of rebounding are unparalleled. It is easy to do for people of any age. What’s more, it’s fun! Bounce your way to fitness, vitality, and long life.

Published At: Isnare.com Free Articles Directory - http://www.isnare.com/

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=381261&ca=Wellness%2C+Fitness+and+Diet

* About Juliet White

For more information on rebounding or to order a needak rebounder visit iRebounder at: http://www.irebounder.com Or call 1-800-644-045

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. If the elderly person has a carer, or lives with family then the problem may be easier to assess, for what appears to be a problem may only be a normal change in sleeping pattern for the age.

The most frequently occurring sleeping problem in the elderly is sleep latency, the person may spend some hours in bed before sleep occurs. The elderly person may view this as a problem and request sleeping pills, whereas, all that is needed is to teach them how to reorganize their lives to cope with the changes in sleeping patterns they are experiencing.

Reduced energy output as a result of retirement with an increased opportunity to take naps, either as a result of boredom or just plain exhaustion, may contribute to reduced quality of night-time sleep.

The pressure of a normal working day has been taken away, so the energy output is considerably less, while this may be offered as a possible reason for sleep latency, many others factors may be involved.

There may be much confusion about sleep latency, the difficulty may be exaggerated because the person who experiences it may be convinced that unless they have 8 hours of quality sleep, they will become ill. Sometimes it is difficult to convince an elderly person that they no longer require 8 hours of unbroken sleep, but may be better served by a shorter night time sleep supplemented with day time naps.

So how can sleeping problems in the elderly be resolved? Firstly it is necessary to provide a warm comfortable noise free environment, if this is available then the addition of regular exercise, combined with a healthy diet may be all that is needed to resolve the sleeping problem. However, if the previous measures fail to help, many other modalities are available to help the person .

Reflexology offers a very gentle and effective aid to sleep , and aromatherapy has proven to be very successful to assist relaxation and sleep in the elderly. Both of these modalities have been used in nursing homes and have been found to assist not only sleep, but the general well-being of the patients.

Sleeping problems in the elderly should be thoroughly investigated before any medications are prescribed. Unfortunately this is not always the procedure that is adopted, for often a script is written for what has been described as insomnia by the elderly person, however, such is mostly not the case, but rather it’s a normal progression or a resetting of the circadian rhythms as people age which requires education, not medication.

Provided that there is no evidence of disease of the central nervous system, such as dementia, Parkinson’s disease, post-traumatic brain damage, and chronic pain, then sleeping problems in the elderly are far better managed conservatively.

Published At: Isnare.com Free Articles Directory – Permanent Link

* About Colleen Redman

Colleen Redman webmaster and publisher of http://www.sleep-problems-nomore.com, a site offering sleep aids and articles showing you how quality sleep, not more sleep improves your energy levels.

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 service, assisted living facilities, hospice care, skilled nursing facilities, home health care and specialized care services such as geriatric care management.

In home elder care includes a wide range of services that are provided over an extended period of time to people who need help to perform normal activities of daily living such as eating, dressing and bathing because of cognitive impairment or loss of muscular strength or control. They may also need assistance with meal planning and preparation, laundry, obtaining medical care, paying their bills paid, transportation to and from their doctor appointments as well as to the grocery store.

Medical elder care can include rehabilitative therapies, skilled nursing care, palliative care, and social services, as well as supervision and a wide range of supportive personal care provided by family caregivers and/or home health care agencies. Elder care can be long-term or short-term depending on the needs and situation.

Cheryl Culbertson, Founder of Elder Options of Texas has worked in the senior housing and elder care industry since the late 80’s. She started her Texas elder care site based on three factors:

One – The aging of Texans. According to the US Census Bureau more than 2.3 million Texans, aged 65 or older in 2006, accounted for 9.9 percent of the state’s population. That share is expected to rise to 11.7 percent of the total by 2015. Additionally, the Texas baby boomer population (those age 55 – 64) totals over 5.6 million or about 28 percent of the total Texas population.

Two, families today too often are living miles apart and are unable to be available due to these logistics to provide care or assistance when needed by their elder loved one.

Three, Baby boomers! This Internet savvy generation is more accustomed to going on line to find and learn about the elder care services available in the city or small town their elder loved one lives in.

www.elderoptionsoftexas.com

Mom and Bill’s house is showing well (Mom has always prided herself as the keeper of a spotless house).  In less than three days there are two offers on the house from two serious buyers. One of the buyers immediately offers $600 over the asking price and voila! The house is under contract. Wow! That was quick.

In fact, the house sale went down so fast that Mom is instantly relieved and Bill is stunned (he’s the reluctant party in this relocation idea). Now the move is inevitable and he’s digging in his heels anyway he can. At the same time Mom is on task and not letting Bill get away with any of his mind games.

Over the phone, Mom sounds tired. She knows what lies ahead in terms of getting rid of two decades of stuff. She tells me Bill is not helping at all, sitting in front of the television all day and night and not lifting a finger. I’m wondering if Mom is physically up to the task of sorting and discarding.

It’s now been several weeks since Mom began the process of downsizing their belongings and, wouldn’t you know it, she’s laughing more than ever, and tells me she is feeling physically stronger than she has in years. She has not stopped moving in the past three weeks — going to the grocery store and picking up boxes, calling friends and telling them to come over and buy furniture, and she’s giving a lot away. She sounds giddy and childlike over the phone. She’s happy and looking forward to coming home to her children.

Every once in awhile, Bill continues to express his desire to stay put. He explains to Mom that there’s nothing for him in Chicago and he doesn’t want to move. Mom’s response, “Go buy a condo in Florida, and live by yourself. See how many people come to visit you. I’m going home to my children.” And when she’s finished snapping him back into reality, he pretty much clams up and goes back to watching television. Go Mom!

I’m traveling to Mom’s house this week to help her pack and ship belongings to her new apartment in Chicago. I know that when I arrive, she’s going to be so relieved, and she will be pleasantly surprised that I will be able to “finish” the job that she began.

In two weeks, Mom is coming to Chicago to start the process of shopping for household goods and furniture for their new apartment. My sisters will take on that job. It’s important that I keep delegating responsibilities otherwise I will get stuck doing everything. Mom and Bill are moving into an apartment that my husband and I own, and it’s in the same building where we live (Old Town). My goal is to have Mom and Bill’ apartment furnished and in move-in condition in six weeks. Can I do it? We’ll see.

In the meantime, I’m still surprised at how well everything is going so far, and I wouldn’t put it past Bill to pull a fast one.

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