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Family Caregivers Need Vacations Too

We talk about it all the time – the tremendous responsibilities that fall on family caregivers. Caring for an elderly parent can be emotionally and physically draining. And for primary caregivers, it is often a 24/7, 365-day-a-year job. Taking any kind of break – let alone an actual planned vacation – seems impossible. Then when you begin to think about all the planning and preparation that is involved, you wonder if it’s even worth doing. The thought of taking time off from your caregiving duties also brings much worry. What if Mom falls? What if she forgets to take her...

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In Home Dementia Care

If your loved one is one of the 5.3 million Americans suffering from dementia, you know the challenges of providing care. What may begin as initial, occasional forgetfulness can progress into impaired communication, poor judgement, disorientation, confusion, aggression, and problems with swallowing and walking. As our population ages, the increase in people with dementia will be startling – by 2025, 7.1 million people are expected to have this disease. [caption id="attachment_550" align="alignleft" width="300"] Family have options for their loved one with dementia.[/caption] The question arises: what type of care is best for a person suffering from dementia, also referred to...

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DEALING WITH ‘I WANT TO GO HOME’

Going home and “getting out of here” are common themes if you love someone with dementia. As family members we try to reassure by saying things like, “This is your home now,” or “You don’t live there anymore,” but often these reassurances have the opposite effect. Imagine if you woke up tomorrow in a home you vaguely recognize but know is not yours. You might see a few possessions you remember, but you know that the important stuff—your memories, the people you love most (your parents, your children as you remember them, your pets) are still somewhere else, in that...

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Sometimes Seniors Need Help, But Won't Ask

Aging is not for the faint of heart. I know, because I’m one of those difficult seniors who would like some help, but I don't ask. A recent survey from AARP reports that nearly 90 percent of seniors [caption id="attachment_569" align="alignright" width="300"] Caregivers provide peace of Mind[/caption] want to stay in their own home as they age, which is often referred to as "aging in place." Like everyone else, seniors have things to do, and places to go but hate to impose on others - so they don't ask. Life events, like the death of a spouse or an adult...

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In-Home Care versus Assisted Living Facilities

Most people are familiar with assisted living facilities. However, they are less familiar with in-home assisted living, also known as in-home care. Assisted Living Facilities Assisted living facilities offer lodging, usually with some housekeeping, meals, medication reminders and medication administration, recreation, and various levels of one-on-one scheduled assistance.  For example, a resident may contract, and pay an additional fee for someone to help them shower and dress.  Facilities also usually check in with their residents periodically throughout the day, but check-in schedules are subject to staffing levels and other duties.  In addition, facilities provide some type of emergency alarms and/or...

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Are Your Aging Parents Safe In Their Home?

[caption id="attachment_545" align="alignleft" width="277"] Caregivers Keep Seniors Safe[/caption] Statistics tell us that most seniors want to “age in place”, staying in their home among familiar surroundings and in the midst of their friends and family. However, according to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, falls are the number one cause of death and injury to those over 65. In fact, more than 1/3 of all seniors – approximately 11 million people – will fall each year, resulting in a dramatic loss to their mobility and independence. At FirstLight HomeCare of Southern Maine, we know the importance of keeping...

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Unfinished business: Mourning your dreams for the future or the life you expected to have.

In the business of senior care, we see firsthand how unfinished business can affect you both now and later. We see the beginning stages when an adult child can’t bring herself to visit her mom after a stroke, and we see the end result when she’s overcome with grief and guilt after Mom dies. Unfinished business creates the feelings of an "ambiguous loss." [caption id="attachment_558" align="alignleft" width="300"] Confronting losses create peace of mind.[/caption] Often, the biggest cause of our unfinished business is something called “ambiguous loss.” Ambiguous losses are those that don’t always involve a death but might be just...

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TIPS ON PRESCRIPTION DRUG SAFETY

If you are older, or the caregiver for someone that currently takes multiple prescription medications simultaneously to treat different conditions and symptoms, mismanagement of any medication can be harmful and could lead to hospitalization or even death. [caption id="attachment_565" align="alignright" width="300"] Medication Management[/caption] What can you do to prevent a medication mismanagement with an elderly family member. Here is some advice to keep in mind: Create and maintain an up-to-date medication list, including Providers: Keep an accurate list of both prescription and over-the-counter medication and herbal supplements being taken. Include the dosages, dosing frequency, reason for taking the drug, and...

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HOME CARE: ENHANCING THE LIVES OF PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

For an estimated 5 million people in communities across the United States, developmental disabilities are part of life. Their conditions – autism, Down syndrome, muscular dystrophy and cerebral palsy, to name a few – may impact physical capacity, language, learning or behavior, but not their spirit. When people with these different abilities are connected to the right opportunities and resources, they can live secure, fulfilling lives. March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. And the observance is an opportunity to explore how we can all do more to help our neighbors, friends and family members who have developmental disabilities live side-by-side with...

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RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS: GOOD FOR THE WORLD, AND GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH

Next Week, February 12 to 18, is Random Acts of Kindness Week. And it’s the perfect opportunity to shower some kindness on the people in your life — or maybe even a total stranger. We’ve all heard stories about the person at the drive-thru who bought coffee for the stranger who was next in line. Simple deed, big reward. Everyone could use a little boost from time to time to raise their spirits. Those who need a little extra support – an elderly neighbor, an adult with a disability, a loved one recuperating from surgery – could find even the smallest...

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