And not give into guilt. Like most people, I struggle with setting boundaries. It is especially hard with an aging parent who may feel vulnerable or frightened if you are not around. But setting boundaries with your parent, co-worker, or anyone in your life, is critical to the self-care that must be a high priority for caregivers. Request and expectations of others tug at … [Read more...]
Treat Your Aging Parents As Adults, With Love and Respect
When Parents Become More Like Your Child Not long after dad's hospital release, he looked at me panicked and almost in tears. He could not remember if he had re-applied for the grant that paid for his macular degeneration shots. Seeing my strong father scared, overwhelmed and so quickly reduced to tears broke my heart. Jump to Lessons Learned Coping with Problems Physical … [Read more...]
Personal Care and Home Care Services – What are the Differences?
Home Care services can be the solution to aging-in-place When dad was released from the hospital, it was clear he was not going to be able to continue doing the grocery shopping, housekeeping and caring for my mother at the level he had previously. So now what? Home Care was the answer. NOTE: This is the final of three installments on this topic. Jump to: Lessons … [Read more...]
How Alzheimer Caregivers Can Be Effective Advocates
Being a health advocate for parents with Alzheimers brings unique challenges. If you follow this blog, you know our family story is one of congestive heart failure and not dementia. But the sheer number of caregivers I meet dealing with parents that have dementia is staggering. Over 5 Million Americans are living with Alzheimers and this number climbs if you include all forms … [Read more...]
Caregivers Don’t Go It Alone. Practical Tips On Asking For Help.
Say YES to everyone! My parents generation does not ask for help or share personal information easily. When I heard my mother tell someone on the phone there was nothing they could do to help while dad was in the hospital, I knew something had to change. (Jump to Lessons Learned) Dad's first hospital stay quickly proved that I could not do it alone. I was at the hospital by … [Read more...]