Caring For Aging Relatives
|
It happens somewhat slowly in the beginning, maybe with a small cough that gets worse as time goes on. It might simply begin with absent mindedness which is totally out of character, followed by total memory lapses. What do we do when our parents eventually need taking care of after they have spent so much of their adult lives taking care of us? What precisely is a child's responsibility to them? Is it self-centered to relocate them into an assisted home? And which siblings should shoulder the responsibility? These are questions which plague families whenever a parent happens to become sick.
It is certainly very normal for feelings of guilt and even occasionally depression to happen to you because of a deteriorating parent. But happily there are some good associations that do offer expert advice on coping with these problems. And there are specialists in this arena who can work with you to help you through the hard times.
Local hospitals, hospices and nursing homes usually have such names and numbers to assist you in this regard. If your dad feels certain that someone has broken into the house just to steal his chocolate when he has in fact eaten it himself, do not argue with him or say that his theories are irrational. Just calmly acknowledge how he feels and make him feel safe and loved. Do small things to alleviate his fears like simply letting him see you lock the doors or secure the windows at night before going to bed. If you get an unsatisfactory attitude from his physician, take him to a geriatric psychiatrist for further examination.
Erratic behavior is one of the earlies warning signals of dementia. If your mom starts cussing at the dinner table in front of the kids just because her steak is a bit undercooked, correct her calmly by teaching her the appropriate behavior: "Excuse me, my steak is a little undercooked, can you put it back on the grill for me please?"
Never resort to bad language yourself, as this will just perpetuate the unwanted behavior. If you feel yourself losing your own temper, take a few deep breaths until you are able to control your emotions. If you are being verbally assualted then it may be best to detach from being called offensive names. Give 3 warnings, use the silent treatment and then just walk away if the behavior goes on.
This can be one of the touphest problems to cope with, particularly for a very stubborn parent. Driving is so commonly related to having freedom and yet if you get reports that your dad is passing stop signs or driving on the wrong side of the street you have to deal with it. If you take his keys away from him, he may resent you, so it may be best to take a more indirect approach.
Take him or her for a "normal" checkup to check his vision, then ask the physician for a note expressing that the patient should not be driving anymore. Send the letter to the DMV requesting that his license be taken away. This may take a few weeks, but when the DMV takes away his license, be sympathetic and do research on transportation for seniors in the area, which is usually inexpensive and efficient.
For further information go to Fish Oil News and find out some additional facts about aging and the possible effect of fish oil on Alzheimers.
Ryan Joseph is a writer/researcher. For more info. visit http://www.omega3fishoil.org/
|
|
|
Nursing Home Staffing Levels: How Much Is Enough?
During the week of February 17, 2002, headlines screamed the news - more than 92% of US nursing homes fail to have an adequate number of staff to provide quality care for elderly residents. Newspapers and radio prog...(related: Senior Home Care Franchises)
Whos Gonna Take Care Of You When Youre Old?
I finally went to the doctor this morning for my bad cold. My appointment was for 9:30 am and yet I didn't get home until after 1:00 pm.I'd asked the doctor to call in my prescription so I stopped at the store to pick it up on my way home. I was standing in line coughing and making people frown at me when I noticed this elderly couple. The woman got out of line and took her husband (he was blind) to sit in one of the chairs that are off to the side. And she started walking away. Well, I'm not paying much attention to them, I just want to get my medicine and go home and get back in the bed. I get my prescription and go ...(related: Senior Home Care Franchises)
Florida Senior Housing: Care Options For Seniors Who Can No Longer Live Alone
The following are a few of the care options available for seniors who can no longer live on their own and require assistance with their Activities of Daily Living (ADL), or require skilled nursing care. Every state is a little different in terms of availability and cost, state regulations, and the specific names used for each care option:Assisted Living Home- A facility consisting of...(related: Senior Home Care Franchises)
What Most Long Term Care Professionals Don?t Know
Medicare recognizes this need and, therefore reimburses your residents to receive advanced behavioral health services? making them free to your facility!Psychologists provide a wide variety of valuable and testedclinical services that can provide a big shot in the arm to yournursing home care. For example:1. Psychotherapy is a treatment approach, which in many cases is equally, if not more, effective than drug therapies in nursing home care. Cognitiveand interpersonal psychotherapies, for example, are effectivetreatmen...(related: Senior Home Care Franchises)
Honey, Where Are The Car Keys?
Q: My mother is always losing, hiding and hoarding things, I am losing my mind! What can I do to get her to stop?A: This is a great question and I have a lot of material to work with.My grand mother had made me the most beautiful doilies. One resident in my adult family home insisted that they were the ones she had made and took them when I wasn't looking. I would put her in bed at night only to find my doilies hidden in her diaper.After dinner one evening we discovered a client's $3000.00 dollar pair of hearing aids wrapped up in a nice little napkin and stuffed in her drinking cup.Some residents would go through others belongings, when I would suggest that they stop because the purse belonged to someone else, they would reply, "I know that" and would continue digging.The weirdest experience I had was...(related: Senior Home Care Franchises)
Caregiving Across The Miles?tips For Successful Long Distance Caregiving
Caring for a parent or a loved one is a difficult job. Your duties as a caregiver become increasingly difficult as the miles increase between you and your loved one. The following are a few helpful tips in order to plan ahead in the event your loved one needs your help, ...(related: Senior Home Care Franchises)
The Dryer Ate Your Underwear!
Q: My mom is in the early stages of dementia and she is also incontinent we have tried to get her to stop wearing her underpants and have her start wearing pull-up diapers, she throws the Depends out the door and puts her underpants on. Of coarse we have a lot of laundr...(related: Senior Home Care Franchises)
Stairlifts ? Take The Struggle Out Of Climbing The Stairs
Buying a stairlift can have huge benefits for your quality of life, giving you back some freedom and independence. Stairlifts can be adapted to your individual needs, so no matter what your requirements are, there'll be one to suit you. The stairlift company representative who visits your home can assess what type of design would be best for you. There are two main sorts. Straight stairlifts are suitable for staircases that don't have any bends. They glide in a straight line up and down the stairs. If...(related: Senior Home Care Franchises)
Florida Assisted Living: Resident Rights
According to the Florida Administrative Code (R9-10-710), those who reside in assisted living facilities in Florida have certain rights. In addition to having the right to live in an environment that promotes dignity, independence, self-determination, individuality, privacy and the right of choice, the following are a few of the rights given to residents who reside in assisted living facilities:1. The right to be free from physical and chemical restraints.2. The right to privacy regarding correspondence, visitation, communications, financial and personal affairs, hygiene and health related services.3. The right to be involved in the creation of a written service plan and t...(related: Senior Home Care Franchises)
site-map - Copyright © 2006 | Contact Miami Web Design | All Rights Reserved. | Senior Home Care Franchises