Budda Oliver asked:




If you are close to an elderly individual or individuals, you should be aware of the time-specific risks that present themselves during the summer months. It is typically believed that the winter is the most difficult time of year for elderly individuals to weather. While there is some truth to this belief (surely the cold winter months pose their own dangerous obstacles) the summer months too, present a special set of problems to your aged loved ones.

One of the principal difficulties of safeguarding your loved ones against the heat and the danger of summer temperatures is the lack of awareness on the parts of those loved ones and other individuals who would support them. For all of the danger and difficulty of the winter months, providing care for loved ones (assuming that they desire this care) is a relatively easy process because of the fact that most people are aware of the serious damage that cold temperatures, snow, sleet, and rain can do to elderly individuals. It’s almost taken for granted in our society that the aged will be especially cautious during the winter months and will seek out shelter and companionship to help them weather the drop in temperatures.

During the summer months, however, elderly individuals and the people who care for them are comparatively in the dark about the dangers that face them. For one, in the absence of a properly working air conditioning system, aged individuals are no safer inside of their homes than they are outside of them. During the winter, caring for them can be as simple as making sure that they have a place to stay at night. It is assumed that if an individual has a home, some blankets, and a fireplace, they will be able to make it through the cold. In the summer, a shelter can mislead them and the people who care for them into thinking that they are in good hands.

One should not underestimate the fact that when the temperatures rise individuals have to take a proactive approach to protection. It is not enough to own a house and apartment, the aged have to be prepared to take shelter in a cool and comfortable place. Recognize that for the elderly, a lethal temperature is much lower than for a young and able person. What may seem like a typical, hot day, for a young person, could be a potential death threat for an aged person. Furthermore, the lethal temperature changes from individual to individual.

The safest way to go about protecting your elderly friend is to assume that any temperature above 80 degrees could pose a life threat. From this starting point, you should make sure that this individual has a properly functioning air conditioning system. If they cannot afford an air conditioner, do not allow them to feel satisfied with simple electronic fans. It would be wise to offer them a place to stay on days hotter than 80 degrees. If you yourself do not have an air conditioning system, or do not feel comfortable sharing your house with your friend, then you should arrange for a place for them to stay outside of your home. If worst comes to worst, you should arrange for your elderly friend to visit a public building where they can be looked after. Hospitals and restaurants can be a starting place.

The most important thing is that you do not allow your elderly friend to brush off your concerns. For the elderly, as for everyone, independence and dignity are extremely important. Voice your concerns, allow them to disagree, but continue to look after them despite their misgivings. Contact your local health services office for more information and guidance on this issue.

Janice

Fergal J Tully asked:

Caring at home for the elderly is a very important function as part of the overall health service all over the world. However it does put a huge burden on the home situation when it comes to looking after elderly parents or relatives. This burden can come in two ways one is the mental burden of looking after somebody every single day and having to do the same thing every single day; the other one is financial. Even if a parent or relative is not in the home care situation they are probably in a nursing home which has to be paid for. Having a relative in a nursing home can be very costly and as the recession deepens and more and more people lose their jobs it is getting harder for people to support their parents either at home or in a nursing home.

I was very taken aback by a show that I listened to on the radio this week where people were ringing up and pouring their hearts out about their own situations. It was a mixture of home carers and families supporting their love ones in a nursing home. People were talking about becoming unemployed and having no income coming in to the house wondering how they were going to live and also how they’re going to continue to pay for nursing home bills. The emotional burden that this was putting on people was enormous and families are really finding it hard to cope. The one sentence that really caught me was when a woman said that she almost wished her parent to die so that burden would be lifted and she could get on with her normal life. The pressure that somebody has to be under in order to say something like that must be enormous and is very hard to understand and also very hard to resolve. Especially where the relative is in a nursing home and the only thing that will resolve the situation is money and where is the money going to come from? Nobody was able to answer that question.

In fact I listened to the show for about two hours and I was glad that people had the chance to publicly raise the issue in the hope that something might be done but what I was disheartened about was the lack of possible solutions support that was aired on the show. There was very little answers to the problems people were having. Should the government step in and look after these people? Unfortunately the government don’t have the funds either.

While it’s not a solution but if there is family support there might be a way to ease the pressure and this could make a huge difference. Without families getting together to do what they can it is almost impossible for one person to take on the burden. I don’t see any other short-term solution to the problem. The one thing that people have more of is time. Because of the recession more people are out of work but also they should have the ability to give their time when in the past they didn’t. Just in the same way as children are being minded in the home a lot more as more people are out of work the same should apply for the week and the vulnerable.

Erica

Martha Paulson asked:

One day you realize that mom or dad can no longer live in their own home alone. It seems like yesterday your parents made all the decisions and cared for you. Suddenly, you are faced with caring for them. You want your parent to stay happy and comfortable. together you made the decision not to move them into an assisted living or nursing facility. After discussing living options with your parent, you decide that mom or dad should move in with your family.

This is no easy task. Many choices have to be made. You have to understand that many changes will take place in everyone’s lives. Many changes will take place in your families schedule and living arrangements. No matter how good your relationship is with your parent, living together will at times become uncomfortable and difficult. It can bring on added stress, tension and conflicts.

Rearranging your family household and way of life will not be easy. Staying calm in trying situations is the best thing to do. Separate your emotions from the situation that may be bothering you. Remember this is just as stressful, if not more stressful for mom or dad. Make them feel involved. Let them help, if they can, with easy tasks around the house. Invite neighbors and friends to visit, giving you some time for you. Help them retain their dignity and make them feel comfortable like they did in their own home. Years of their own way of life have just been turned upside down. Now they have to depend on someone else. For years they were independent. Now they need a helping hand. Reaching out and giving them that helping hand means the world to them.

Set up some boundaries. Give everyone their own space. Make sure that everyone has private time. This will help the whole family feel more comfortable. Most important, keep the lines of communication open between you and your parent. By simple communication you can always address issues that arise that may be bothering you or your parent. Retain a sense of humor, or at least try. Always treat each other with respect and love. It is always good to get things in the open instead of keeping it inside.

If mom or dad needs supervision, it may be more difficult on your family. Days may have to be rescheduled to ensure that someone is always home. If you find that you are having a difficult time handling the situation, in-home care services are a good option to assist in the care of a parent. Home care can reduce some of the burden on you and your family. In home care can help you maintain your way of life, your scedule and let you continue to live your live like you used to. Don’t allow yourself to become physically and emotionally depleted. Supplemental in-home care can help families overcome some hurdles when caring for a loved one. In-home care is a more affordable option to a nursing facility as well.

As oppose to assited living or nursing facilities, a loving family home provides the much important social setting our elderly parents need to continue living a healthy, comfortable, joyful way of life. Sharing your home with a parent is the most caring, loving and rewarding experience you will ever have. Even though you may feel crazy, emotional, depressed and angry at times. The great memories you are making will last for the rest of your life.

Elderly people live a healthier and better quality of life when they are surrounded by their family. Grandchildren can spend precious time with grandma or grandpa that can never be replaced. Always remember they are your parent. They are reaching out to you now. They love you very much. Let them continue to share their love with you and your family.

Jesus

Jonathon Hardcastle asked:




Caring for the elderly is one of the most challenging and rewarding jobs in nursing. Demanding a great deal of tact and care, looking after elderly patients is a trying and testing job, although it is one of the most necessary and most sought after positions in modern times. Elderly patients require care for a number of reasons, and these each carry their own complexities and challenges which must be met by the carer.

For some elderly patients, care is a round the clock affair, and this means you also have to be dedicated to patient’s well being. On top of that, patients require genuine attention, which extends beyond the hours of the job. A carer for the elderly must be a genuinely caring person, willing to commit to a career in people. At times it can be a demoralising and depressing job, but at the end of the day, the difference good care can make to quality of life is substantial.

Amongst other things, elderly patients need human company and companionship, and a good carer should have the ability to listen and interact on many different levels. It is a good idea to come with plenty anecdotes, and a good knowledge of current affairs to keep your patients amused whilst you provide them with essential care to improve the quality of their lives. Additionally, it requires patience. Elderly patients can, at times, be set in their ways, and can find it hard to accept help and treatment from someone younger than themselves. However, it is essential to remember that the patients are people too, with their own opinions and dignity. In nursing the elderly, it is a case of striking a balance between offering care and assistance and understanding the mindset of the patient, and this is arguably one of the most difficult things about the job.

Caring for the elderly is not a job for everyone, but it is a job that many would find appealing. Working with the elderly can be very rewarding, and the loyalty and respect you can expect in return for your help is heart-warming. Furthermore, many patients will adopt you and care for you as their own, creating a uniquely bonded two-way relationship. It is this relationship which makes caring a job that is worth far more than any wage, and is something which can provide the real sense of job satisfaction which can’t be found anywhere.

Bertha

Connor R Sullivan asked:

Have you ever had a grandmother or grandfather who needed special assistance outside of their own home? If they were living in a nursing home or at a facility where assistance was readily available then they probably were taken care of by people with jobs in CNA. Caregiver jobs are nurses who are specifically trained to work with the elderly and make sure that they are comfortable and taken care of correctly. There are lots of great benefits and rewards that come along with this job and it is very easy to start the job, even if you are young.

First of all, to be a CNA nurse, you do not have to have a college education. This opens up a lot of doors for people because this means that you could start working while you are in college, or if you never went to college, you can still get a job. The certification process to become a certified CNA nurse is very simple and all it takes is a little bit of studying and approximately five dollars to take the state test. After you have passed everything and received a certificate you are ready to become a nurse and start applying to all of your possibilities.

If you feel like a normal hospital is a little too overwhelming for you and you would like to try something else as a beginner then a nursing home or a senior citizen facility may be perfect for you. It is relatively quiet, even when there are a lot of patients, the hours are not too long, and the pay is pretty good just starting out. These places are great because there will not be a whole of crazy things happening and you will, for the most part, be working in a very calm environment.

Some people are worried about the bad side of nursing where one gets to meet and spend a lot of time with a person and then that person has an illness or happens to die and then you never get to see them ever again. This is only one downside to so many good things that come along with nursing though, and there is a lot than you can do to ensure that your patients love you and that they are getting the best care by simply showing that through your work. Then they will know forever that you were their nurse and that you did a wonderful job.

Being a nurse offers wonderful opportunities, some that you would never imagine, and with the door wide open simply waiting for applicants, it is important to at least understand and look into the opportunity before you completely pass it up. Whether you are a college student or just someone who needs a job, look into nursing because you may find something that you love to do and that is worth more than anything when you are stuck and do not know which path to take on the road through your life.

Hector

Harriet Hodgson asked:

Stroke cause my mother’s dementia. She did not have Alzheimer’s, but her doctor said the diagnosis did not matter; the results were the same. I moved my mother to Minnesota and was her family caregiver for nine years. Though she had an apartment in an assisted living high rise, I had daily contact with her.

I also had regular conferences with the staff. My mother’s increasing memory problems worried me. At each conference I asked, “Is it time to transfer my mother to nursing care?”

“Not yet,” was the answer. “We will tell you when.”

Caring for my mother became increasingly difficult. She was angry all the time, kept getting lost, threw out two sets of hearing aids, stole from other residents, hoarded food on the window sill, and became an addictive spender. All this while I was trying to make her meager funds last. Sometimes I thought I would die before my mother.

One winter evening, when the wind chill was 70 degrees below zero, my mother decided to leave. Mom called to tell me the news. “You don’t want me any more,” she shouted, “so I’m going to visit friends on Long Island.” But the friends she mentioned had all died. I called her physician and he wrote orders transferring her to nursing care.

Observing my mother’s steady decline taught me about Alzheimer’s and other memory diseases. What are the early warning signs? The Alzheimer’s Association has 10 warnings on its Website. They include problems with short-term memory, difficulty with problem-solving, losing the ability to do familiar tasks, time and space problems, inability to read, speech problems, losing things, poor judgment, social withdrawl, and personality changes.

Mom had all of these symptoms, but changes in her personality were hardest for me. During my childhood years we were more like sisters than mother and daughter. Dementia made us adversaries and it broke my heart. Your heart may be breaking now if your loved one’s personality is changing.

The National Institute on Aging lists other symptoms of memory disease. One, asking the same question over and over again, made me think of my mother. Her recurring question: “Will you take me shopping?” Every time I heard the question I winced. Telling Mom she she was out of money had no effect at all. She kept opening charge accounts and I kept closing them.

The problem with early warning signs of Alzheimer’s is that many of them are characteristic of normal aging, according to a World Science Website article, “Alzheimer’s Warning Signs Show Up Years Before Diagnosis.” The article notes that Alzheimer’s “causes general deterioration and tends to follow a stable preclinical stage with a sharp drop in function.”

You may already know this. One thing you may not know — people with Alzheimer’s often plateau for a while, and then cognition drops again. This may cause you to question your observations, and indeed, your sanity. So when you see an early warning sign of Alzheimer’s write it down and date it.

Knowing the early warning signs of Alzheimer’s helps you, the caregiver, and other family members prepare for what is ahead. You may have to sort household goods, arrange for smaller living space, update a will, track investments, change banks, get Power of Attorney, and take other steps to protect your loved one. These are hard times, but they are loving times. You are returning the love you were given so long ago.

Copyright 2009 by Harriet Hodgson

Viola

Alicia Rockmore asked:




As we get older, one of the tougher things we must come to grips with is the fact that our parents are getting older as well, and after years and years of being taken care of by them, it is now our turn to return the favor.

It’s a task that goes much deeper than just organizing, and will probably involve more feelings than anything you’ve had to tackle in a long time. No matter how hard it gets, however, the choices you make will go a long way in making both your life, and the lives of your parents, much easier, happier, and productive. Whether it is something as simple and straightforward as helping them organize their belongings and their home, or as complex and gut wrenching as dealing with Alzheimer’s or nursing homes, you’ll be glad that you came to the task prepared and knowledgeable as to what choices there are.

Alicia on “Keeping Them In The Loop”

“Control. It’s one of the biggest issues that looms over the whole process of taking care of your elderly parents. Nobody wants to relinquish control over their own well being, especially when they still feel like they can do everything on their own. Ideally you will come to a philosophical decision with your family well before it needs to be implemented so it will be easier to act on when the time comes. Keep in mind that illnesses such as dementia and Alzheimer’s will wreak havoc with parents memories, so they may not remember the decisions you made when they were cogent. I learned this the hard way with my mother, who now needs around the clock care but can’t remember she signed up for Assisted Living a few years ago. It’s hard being the bad guy some days, but it’s easier knowing that it was what she said she wanted when she still had her memory.”

Sarah on “Check In With Yourself”

“Growing older is a tough reality, not just for your parents, but also for yourself, as the knowledge that the role of caretaker has suddenly switched places can be overwhelming and oftentimes depressing. So, in the middle of all the day-to-day care-giving you are now compelled to do, you also have to come to grips with the fact that you too are getting older. Understanding your own feelings about aging is just as important as taking care of your parents. So make sure you set aside some “Me Time” to think, to relax, to bring perspective to the situation. The stronger and more confident you are, the better care you can take of your parents, and the better care you can take of yourself.”

Remember, the process isn’t going to be easy. But here are a few first steps to help you make it easier:

1: Talk to Your Friends

Every family is different, of course, but this is one instance when getting advice from friends is invaluable. Talk to anyone you know who has gone through the same process and see what worked, what didn’t work, where you should start, and what to expect. By getting in touch with others in the same situation, you are not only getting great firsthand information, you’re also getting a sympathetic ear to which you can turn at every stage.

2: Get Everyone Involved

Don’t feel like you have to take on every decision by yourself. If you’ve got brothers and sisters, uncles or aunts, get them involved in the process as early and as often as possible. By sharing the load with others in the family, nobody gets “surprised” by any decisions, nobody feels left out, and the chance that you can be viewed as the bad guy is eliminated.

3: Remember: They’re Still Your Parents

After spending a long period of time dealing with everything from wills, to property, to nursing homes, to insurance coverage, etc., etc., it’s easy to lose track that you’re dealing with people here. Not just people, your parents! Remember that they’re going through a process that’s scary and very humbling, and your love, caring, and attention to them is more important now than it has ever been.

Lucy

mysticalkfae037 asked:


How much does it cost to get the certificate for the non-medical in home care for the elderly? Do you have to have one? I worked for a company before and the caregivers didn’t have one.Can you take the class online? How long is the course? Thanks!

Alfred

kn08046 asked:


What is it called when you have an elderly person or disabled person live with you and you help with thier care? And how can I get into that field? I live in Franklin County PA.

Hannah

Love truth, set your self free! asked:


So if Granny gets hit by a bus will she get medical treatment or will she get robed by Obama’s reinstated 46% death tax soon to 53%?
If you love your granny give me a star! And let the world know why this new health care plan is WHACK!

Omar