Leaving Work to Be A Caregiver
Family Caregiver Council | Family Caregiver Blog
by Sally Abrahms
4y ago
What is it like when you have to quit work so you can be a caregiver to a parent, friend or spouse? Those who don’t know may soon find out. Between the aging of boomers—the oldest of the 74 million demographic turns 80 in seven years–the increase of male caregivers (40 percent), the 25 percent figure of Millennials in this role, and the projected dwindling ratio of caregivers to care recipients (7:1 in 2010, 4:1 in 2030, 3:1 in 2050), all generations are impacted. Currently, family members take on more than 95 percent of non-professional care for those not in nursing homes. A ..read more
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When You Can, But Maybe Shouldn’t, Stay In Your Home
Family Caregiver Council | Family Caregiver Blog
by Sally Abrahms
4y ago
If you had a choice between staying in your own home, in familiar surroundings, or moving when you get older, my guess is that you’d opt to stay. According to studies, most people are with you. It can beat other options, including long-term care—as in independent or assisted living or a nursing home. (Of course, there are some wonderful facilities with great activities, help if you need it, and companionship.) But what if your beloved house has steep steps, narrow doorways (where would a future walker go?), no first floor bedroom or full bathroom, hard-to-navigate bathtubs and ..read more
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The New Face of Family Caregiving
Family Caregiver Council | Family Caregiver Blog
by Sally Abrahms
5y ago
The role, look and capabilities of the family caregiver are changing. New technology, tasks and ways of thinking are driving this change, along with shifting demographics. The expectations are higher, and, in many cases, so is the stress level. John Schall, executive director of the advocacy group Caregiver Action Network (CAN) and member of the Family Caregiver Council, observes that “one of the biggest changes is how many men and millennials are now family caregivers.” Today, 40 percent are men; one in four informal caregivers is a millennial. No matter what g ..read more
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Do You Mind? Meditation for Caregivers
Family Caregiver Council | Family Caregiver Blog
by Sally Abrahms
5y ago
If you are a “typical” caregiver,then you are strapped for time and under way too much stress. You don’t need a study to know that many caregivers feel financial, physical and emotional fallout from their role. What you need is a way to remove some of that stress – and many caregivers are turning to mindfulness and meditation,. Sometimes referred to as “mindfulness meditation,” they relax the body and calm the mind. One mindfulness instructor I know describes it as “hitting the pause button.” I think of them more as putting the brakes on anxiety or “time-out” for the brain. You’re taking a ..read more
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Helping Aging Parents with Loneliness and Social Isolation
Family Caregiver Council | Family Caregiver Blog
by Sally Abrahms
5y ago
What do you consider the biggest health issue in our country? Cancer? Diabetes? Heart disease? Obesity? Smoking? If you’re Dr. Vivek Murthy, the Surgeon General of the United States, it is social isolation. Being isolated often leads to loneliness—another serious condition for aging parents. One scientific journal reports that 43 percent of elders are lonely. Fortunately, there is a movement afoot by physicians, researchers, geriatric specialists, social service professionals and other enlightened folks to get the word out—and offer ways to mitigate isolation and ..read more
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5 Questions Caregivers Must Ask Before Buying Technology
Family Caregiver Council | Family Caregiver Blog
by Sally Abrahms
5y ago
Technology for family caregivers can be a godsend or it can be overwhelming and unhelpful. It can give siblings updates, coordinate appointments and care, make sure Mom takes her medicine and ensure that she’s safe. On the other hand, family caregiver technology can be overly complicated and pricey. And, while customer support can be terrific, it can also be terrible. Gadgets abound like Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS) that let Dad get help 24/7, wireless sensors that track movement and alert you if something is out of the ordinary, or apps and websites tha ..read more
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Mental Health and Caregiving—Balancing the Unbalanceable
Family Caregiver Council | Family Caregiver Blog
by Sally Abrahms
5y ago
Take it from a former caregiver to my father, my mother and mother-in-law: caring for a parent can be depressing. Mom and Dad were once vital and maybe your rock or the family glue. But now you may feel powerless and hopeless. You can’t fix their dementia, illness or the inevitable cycle of life. Of course you love them, but you’re tired. It seems as if caregiving will never end. Taking care of more than one parent or an in-law and a parent in different places can put you over the edge. If you have had a difficult, or zero, relationship with them, it can feel untenable ..read more
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Hiring Help for Aging Parents: Know What to Ask Or Hiring Help for Aging Parents: Questions to Ask
Family Caregiver Council | Family Caregiver Blog
by Sally Abrahms
5y ago
I could staff a large employment agency with the number of people I have hired to help over the years with my father, mother and mother-in-law. They have ranged from outstanding to good enough, with a few being bigger pills than the ones they dispensed. Hiring help for your aging parents or spouse comes down to chemistry and competence. Of course, the most efficient person can be too talkative, bossy or mean. The delightfully affable might be inept. Sometimes, it’s hard to predict if it’s the right fit, but your chances are exponentially better if you ask the right questions ..read more
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Down for the Count: Preventing Falls
Family Caregiver Council | Family Caregiver Blog
by Sally Abrahms
5y ago
I’m fit (well, maybe not as a fiddle). I exercise regularly and walk distances daily. And yet, I’ve had four bad falls in a short period of time. There were 18 stitches in my head from tripping over a make-shift chicken wire fence with a puppy; a black eye, stitches in my mouth and torn jaw muscles from falling on cement; a very public face plant at the airport (in front of my son and his wife); and down once again on a raised walkway during rush hour. A friend with Parkinson’s asks me if I have a good sense of smell. When I tell her I don’t—in fact, it’s bad–she urges me t ..read more
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Moving Right Along: Alternative Transportation When Mom No Longer Drives
Family Caregiver Council | Family Caregiver Blog
by Sally Abrahms
5y ago
A parent stops driving and then what? If planned well, they will simply swap one set of wheels—their own—for someone else’s. They will still have their freedom. But finding alternative transportation for seniors is essential for that to happen and allows them to stay independent and engaged. It’s important to think about this before there’s an issue. When you can no longer drive—or your “chauffeur” can no longer take you, your world can shrink. Even if someone you know offers, you may not want to impose or feel guilty for having to ask so often. Here are some consequences o ..read more
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