Shopping Guide for the Elderly

Thinking of gift ideas can be incredibly challenging, and it’s even more difficult when shopping for the elderly. They have almost everything they need, and, in some cases, they have too much of what they need and their home is cluttered! However, there are a lot of new technologies that are senior friendly, and there are innovative items out there that can help your elderly loved one with daily tasks. In addition to that, there are some traditional gifts that are great for seniors!

If you’re senior is adept with technology, here are some gift ideas for them:

· You could get your elderly loved on an eReader. With an eReader, they can adjust the size of the font, which is helpful for anyone with impairedvision. In addition to that, most eReaders are backlit and light-weight, so they are great for reading before bed.

· A tablet is also a great option for a senior. There are a lot of applications they can download such as medication reminders, fun brain exercises, and most of the social media applications can help them keep in touch with their family.

· A digital picture frame preloaded with pictures of you and your family can be a treasure to an elderly person.

· A Ninteno Wii is a wonderful option for an active senior. They have fun games that can be downloaded and it’s a great way to get your senior up and moving.

Adaptive equipment can make a wonderful gift for the elderly. Here are some ideas:

· A magnifying glass can come in handy for a senior with failing vision.

· OXO has a wide range of options for adaptive kitchen equipment. If your elderly loved one still loves to cook, consider purchasing them some good grip items.

· A grabber-reachercan be a great tool for seniors who have trouble bending down or raising their arms. It can help them grab things in hard to reach places.

Here are some traditional gifts that your elderly loved one will appreciate:

· Slippers and socks are always a great present, and they can be great for seniors whose feet can often become chilly. Non-skid socks are a great gift for seniors who like to wear them around the house.

· Mittens, gloves and hats are good gifts for the same reason – elderly often find their hands becoming chilly.

· In addition to that, blankets and throws are always a good addition to a seniors home.

If you’re all out of ideas, a giftcard can be a great present. You can get a giftcard to the grocery store, the gas station, or their favorite restaurant. Another great idea is to buy a giftcard for the pharmacy that your elderly loved one shops at. They can use this towards prescriptions and medications, which add up quickly!

Preparing Your Elderly Loved One for the Winter

Every year, we write about winter safety for the elderly. Why? It’s an incredibly important topic, for a couple of reasons. First, the harsh storms and cold weather associated with winter can be very dangerous for the elderly. Secondly, there is a lot of preparation work that needs to be done in and around the home to prepare for winter. This work can be physically taxing and difficult for the elderly, and they may not be able to complete it before winter sets in.

Tips for keeping outside walkways safe and clear: 

 • To avoid falls, put canisters full of kitty litter, sand, salt and gravel at the top of each set of outside stairs. This way, your elderly loved one can easily throw the mixture over any icy patches.

• Contact your elderly loved one’s neighbors. If you can’t be there following a snow storm, have their phone numbers handy and ask them to check on your senior. In addition, pay the neighbor’s son to shovel your ailing or aging loved one’s walkways after a storm.

• Go through your elderly loved one’s home and check all outside railings. Make sure that they are sturdy and that your elderly loved one can easily grab on to on them while walking on anything slippery.

Tips for preparing the house for winter:

• Give your elderly loved one extra blankets, scarves, hats and mittens. This way, if the heat goes out they will still remain warm.

• Check carbon monoxide and smoke detectors, and replace any old batteries.

• Have a professional check the heating system in your elderly loved one’s home. In addition to that, clear any clutter away from heating vents to prevent fires.

General safety tips:

• Stock up on non-perishable goods, and have at least a few gallons of water in an easily accessibly place.

• Make sure that all batteries in flashlights have been replaced, and make sure that candles and matches are easily accessible.

• Lastly, ensure that your elderly loved one has an extra prescription of any necessary medications available in case they get snowed in.

The most important thing to remember is to stay in constant communication with your ailing or aging loved one!

Why is caregiving especially important to employers during the holidays?

As we’ve discussed before, it’s nearly impossible to separate work life and personal life – especially when you are a caregiver. This becomes even more apparent during the holidays. For caregivers, this time of the year can be especially stressful. For employers, this translates into lost productivity, absenteeism and decreased profits as caregivers face emotional upset, stress and physical exhaustion.

Emotional Upset

How does it affect caregivers? Any caregiver can tell you that they’ve experienced guilt, and this can become worse during the holidays. Many caregivers experience guilt about disrupting the schedule of their ailing or aging loved one, not spending enough time with their family, and guilt about taking time to themselves. In addition to that, family events can bring up sadness and old wounds. Having all family members in one spot can remind people of how much has changed, and cause them to wish for the “good old days.” The holidays can be a very emotional time for caregivers.

How does it affect businesses? The caregivers who are feeling all of these difficult emotions need to feel supported by their employers during this difficult time. In an unsupported work environment, caregivers can easily feel overwhelmed, and this can result in absenteeism.

Stress

How does it affect caregivers? With holidays, there seems to be a never-ending list of to-do’s. For caregivers, this can be an issue because many caregivers have a strict schedule that they follow while providing care for their ailing or aging loved one. This schedule helps them to fulfill all of their caregiving responsibilities as well as their responsibilities to their employer, their family, and their friends. The holidays quickly interrupt to this schedule. These disruptions in this schedule cause stress for the caregiver and for the person they are providing care for.

How does it affect businesses? Employers are impacted because these high stress levels can result in presenteeism. Presenteeism is when an employee is physically at work, but they are not working at their highest potential. This is common among caregiver employees because they have an incredible amount of stress in all aspects of their life. Caring for somebody can be incredibly difficult, and during the holidays this stress is increased.

Physical Exhaustion

How does this affect caregivers? With all of the commitments around the holidays, caregivers can become physically exhausted. It’s exhausting for caregivers to maintain their responsibilities to their ailing or aging loved one, their employer and their family.

How does this affect businesses? Once again, this physical exhaustion can result in abseenteeism and presenteeism.

What can employers do? Employers can support their employees with programs such as WeCare+. At Long Term Solutions, we know how to work with caregivers and we are experts in eldercare. We will work with any caregiver employees you have and help them develop a plan of care and support them during their time as a caregiver. To learn more about WeCare+, visit our website by clicking here.

Happy Thanksgiving, from Long Term Solutions

With Thanksgiving just a day away, we would like to take some time to express our gratitude and appreciation for all of the incredible healthcare professionals that we work with, our amazing administrative and clinical staff, and all of the families and caregivers who we are able help through their eldercare process. At Long Term Solutions, we’re passionate about elder care, and we’re thankful that we have been able to help so many families in the process of graceful aging.

Furthermore, we would like to extend our thanks and appreciation to the 65.7 million caregivers who care for ailing or aging loved ones. Sadly, caregiving is usually a silent issue, so many of these caregivers don’t receive the praise and recognition that they deserve. It’s incredibly difficult to care for someone who is continuing to get worse and worse, but these caregivers continue to selflessly provide care and support through all of these emotional ups and downs. Caregivers are amazing and deserve thanks and praise for the amazing care they continue to provide. This year, remember to express your thanks and appreciation to any caregivers that you know.

With that said, we would like to wish everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

How Can WeCare+ Help? Part II

Brian contacted WeCare+ and Leanne, a registered nurse and a care coordinator with Long Term Solutions, became his primary resource for helping his mother. He felt comfortable disclosing all of his concerns with her as she was a registered nurse. He wasn’t sure his mother was being completely honest with him on the phone, and he was concerned there was a bigger issue going on. He knew eventually her dementia would worsen, but he hadn’t planned for this yet. She had been successfully living independently up until now, and he had become comfortable with that. He came to the conclusion that he hadn’t planned appropriately. After their conversation, Leanne contacted a local RN in Florida named Ashley to go to conduct an onsite assessment. She advised the RN that she needed to keep three goals in mind: assess her current living situation, make recommendations for her current care needs, and anticipate her future care needs.

Ashley conducting the assessment quickly realized that Brian’s concerns were genuine. What Brian wasn’t able to discern from a distance Ashley saw in an instant. Like many other people with cognitive impairments, Linda had been able to camouflage many of her symptoms. As an eldercare expert, these discrepancies were something that Ashley was trained to pick up on. She was quick to discern that Linda’s objections as an indication of something more: ‘oh I can’t recall that right now,’ ‘my son already knows about that,’ or ‘of course I take my medications.’ However, when Ashley looked at her medication box she noticed that the only pills missing were Saturday’s. These incongruities in her stories and the conversation with Brian indicated that the dementia had progressed.

Ashley provided Leanne with her assessment, and Leanne followed up with Brian within 24 hours of the visit to discuss Linda’s current and future care needs. Leanne recommended home health aide services on a daily basis, as his mother needed help with medications, bills and other house tasks. There were also safety concerns that a home health aide would be able to address. For the future, Leanne encouraged Brian to consider some different types of facilities for his mother that would offer increased supervision and assistance. Together they put a plan in place for if her dementia worsened, and they successfully gave Brian comfort in knowing he was taking care of his mother. Leanne’s correspondence with Brian didn’t end there. They agreed to follow up every few months to see how his mother’s dementia was progressing, and alter her caregiver services if necessary.

How does WeCare+ help? Part I

Unless you have experience dealing with an elder care situation, it can be hard to completely understand just how complicated and overwhelming these situations can be. Here at Long Term Solutions, we work with caregivers on a daily basis. We understand how to support these caregivers, and guide individuals through these elder care crises. How can WeCare+ do this? Here's a story about Brian Smith, who's ailing mother is a plane ride away from him.

Brian Smith lives in San Diego, California, and far away from his elderly mother, Linda. She has mild dementia, and ever since his father passed away, he has been constantly worrying about her living alone. He wished he could be geographically closer to her, but that wasn’t an option with his career. Fortunately, she had been doing fine. She lived in a nice little apartment in Lantana, Florida. She had a part-time job at a little boutique downtown, and she had been able to independently manage everything from finances to grocery shopping.

Lately, it seemed like things weren’t quite right. Brian received several calls from her friends voicing concerns that she seemed slightly different. She had been missing lunches and not keeping in touch with them as regularly as she had; something was off. It seemed strange because whenever he spoke to his mom on the phone she said things were great. She admitted to missing a lunch or two, but she dismissed it as nothing more than that. Then Brian received a call from her employer, and he knew something was different. His mother had lost her job. She had missed work and was acting uncharacteristically. Brian didn’t have the freedom or time off from his job to fly out to Florida. He wasn’t quite sure that he would know what to do if he was there. He needed someone who was an expert in assessing and planning elder care. In addition to that, he wanted someone local. They needed to be able to visit his mother in her home. He looked for a solution, and he found WeCare+.

Anne Harrington Awarded The Eleanor K. Gill Outstanding Alumni Award for Clinical Excellence

Here at LTS, we are excited to share that Anne Harrington has been awarded the The Eleanor K. Gill Outstanding Alumni Award for Clinical Excellence in Nursing from University of Connecticut's School of Nursing. To read more about here award, click the link here.

Congratulations to Anne Harrington, Chief Operating Officer and co-founder of Long Term Solutions! 

5 Things Working Caregivers Should Do

As we’ve reiterated before, it’s incredibly hard to maintain a full-time job while providing care for an ailing or aging loved one. However, there are some things that working caregivers can do to help avoid burnout and promote balance in their life.

1. Working caregivers need to communicate honestly and openly with their employers. The only way employers can help their caregiver employees is if they know about their caregiving duties. Furthermore, most employers don’t completely understand what goes into full-time caregiving. Working caregivers should tell their employer everything that is going on in their caregiving situation, as well as the amount of time that they have to dedicate to their caregiver duties. Also, this communication needs to be continuous. Working caregivers need to keep their employers in the loop, and let them know when their ailing or aging loved one isn’t doing well. That way, there will be no unexpected surprises if the working caregiver has to leave to go to the hospital or bring their ailing or aging loved one to the doctor.

2. They can also talk to the person they’re caring for. Working caregivers need to remember to talk to their ailing or aging loved one. Usually, caregivers blame themselves and feel guilty if they aren’t dedicated 100% of their time to their ailing or aging loved one. However, if the working caregiver is regularly communicating with their ailing or aging loved one, they can take time for work or themselves without feeling guilty. Communicating their needs will help their ailing or aging loved one is incredibly important to avoiding burnout.

3. Working caregivers need to remember their friends and families. Working caregivers are usually so caught up in their responsibilities that they forget to ask for help. Remind any working caregivers that their friends and family are always available to help, even though they may not be the primary caregivers. If the caregiver isn’t comfortable relinquishing any of their caregiving duties, they can ask for help with running errands for themselves or picking up prescriptions.

4. Working caregivers have to take time to themselves. This is probably the most important thing that a working caregiver can do to prevent burnout. It doesn’t mean every working caregiver needs to take a week vacation immediately, but they do need to start committing at least 15 minutes a day to time alone.

 5. Talk to your employer about other options. Many employers offer eldercare support programs. Here at Long Term Solutions, we offer one of those programs to employers called WeCare+. It is a unique program that is specifically designed to help working caregivers find support and balance. While some employers don’t offer eldercare specific programs, they may offer flextime, telecommuting options, and more.

To learn more about Long Term Solutions and WeCare+, you can visit our website by clicking here.

New Technology for Caregivers: Planning with Apps

Caregivers assume an incredible amount of responsibility and a majority of their responsibilities revolve around planning and keeping track of most, if not all, of their loved one’s care needs. Usually, this is in the form of tracking doctor’s appointments, managing their loved one’s medications, and keeping track of important documents.  Fortunately, with almost everyone using a smartphone, there are a lot of technologies out there that can help caregivers with this planning.

Keeping Track of Doctor’s Appointments:

It’s incredibly easy to lose those small business cards that doctor’s offices give out for appointments. This can be especially difficult for a caregiver trying to track multiple appointments with multiple physicians and specialists. Tracking all of the appointments in a day planner is an option, but remembering to bring the planner to every appointment can be difficult. However, planning applications, such as Google Calendar, can be a great asset. Appointments can be organized by color, so a certain specialist can be assigned a specific color. This calendar can be accessed from multiple platforms, and can be quickly pulled up while scheduling.

Managing Medications:

There are multiple medication management applications, and most app stores allow users to browse through screenshots and reviews before committing to one. There is a great application called RxmindMe Prescription. This is a perfect application for caregivers. The application allows caregivers to set up alerts on a daily, hourly, or weekly basis. The app allows caregivers to be as specific or as general as they want. For example, a caregiver could put in an alert that says “call mom to reminder her about heart medication,” or the reminder could be more specific and state “remind mom to take 15 mg of Doxycycline.”  The best part of this application is the “Prescriptions” feature. This allows caregivers to group specific medications in categories. For example, heart medication, could be broken down into Lasix and Advair. In addition to this, the caregivers can upload pictures of the pills and dosing instructions for each medication to ensure that they are providing their loved one with the correct medication.

General Caregiver Information:

Eldercare 911 is an app designed by Dr. Marion Somers who is a Geriatric Care Manager, and it’s an incredible asset to caregivers. This is an incredibly helpful app that is designed to provide caregivers with all of the information needed while in an eldercare crisis. There is information regarding what to do before the crisis occurs, at the hospital, while planning for discharge, post-hospital care and while in recovery at home. Under each one of these categories are several sub-categories with even more resources. For example, if a caregiver is preparing for the discharge of your loved one from the hospital, this app provides information on how to hire help for your home, dealing with feelings of being overwhelmed, understanding adaptive equipment and more.  It’s incredibly easy to navigate, and the amount of resources in this app is astounding.

Currently, all of these applications are free in the iTunes store. Caregivers may have to try a couple of applications before finding one that works for them, but, in the time that they will save in the long run, it’s worth adopting these technologies.

Rising Cost of Nursing Homes

This year, Genworth Financial released their 9^th annual Cost of Care Survey. The results serve as a perfect microscope to examine the cost of care state by state, and to understand emerging trends in the cost of care. One of the most striking figures is the cost of a nursing home and their expected increase in price.

In the study, the facilities are broken down into three categories: assisted living facility, nursing home(semi-private room) and nursing home (private room). For this article, we are just focusing on nursing home stays in a semi-private room. Nationwide, the average nursing home costs $200 a day. This figure has increased 3.63% in 2011, and over the next five years it is expected to grow 4.5%.

 Across the United States, it looks like this trend stays true for each state, with some regions being more expensive than others:

•  The North East has some of the most expensive care. In Massachusetts a nursing home stay costs $322 a day, and $117,530 a year. 
•  The cost of care in the West Coast is cheaper than the North East, but is still above the national average. In California a nursing home stay costs $224 a day, and $81,760 a year. 
• Nursing homes in the South are slightly above the national average. 
• In Florida, a nursing home stay costs $215 a day, and $78,475 a year
• The Midwest also is slightly below the national average, with a nursing home in Indiana costing $187 a day, and $68,255 a year.
• The most expensive nursing homes can be found in Alaska, with a nursing home costing $273,750 a year.
• The cheapest nursing homes can be found in Texas with nursing homes costing $47,450 a year.

What does this mean for caregivers? Already, more and more family members are fulfilling the role of caregiver due to the cost of healthcare. With the costs of facility focused care expected to increase at an average of $15,300 a year, more and more family members will become caregivers because facility based care is just too unaffordable.

You can compare costs in your state and others at Genworth’s website, here

Balancing Caregiving and Employment

At LTS, we understand how caregiving responsibilities can impact careers. The nature of caregiving responsibilities can change from day to day, and, often times, caregivers find themselves doing a variety of tasks for their loved ones. Sometimes, employers aren’t aware of the different challenges caregivers face.

Here are some of the things that caregivers regularly find themselves helping with:

• Managing medications
• Communicating with their loved one’s physicians
• Scheduling doctors’ appointments
• Transporting their ailing or aging loved one to these appointments
• Grocery shopping for their ailing or aging loved one
• Cooking meals
• Managing finances
• Providing social interaction
• Providing emotional support

These are just some of the tasks that caregivers are involved in. Furthermore, their caregiving responsibilities are dependent upon the health of their ailing or aging loved ones, and the responsibilities increase if their loved one’s health begins to fail. With that in mind, let’s discuss some possible ways caregivers can help to balance some of the responsibilities involved with caregiving and their career.  
 
Communication is perhaps one of the most important things that a working caregiver can do to achieve balance. The communication works in two ways. First, working caregivers should keep their employers informed. This way, the employer will know what is going on and will not be blindsided or upset if the working caregiver has to step out for a family emergency. One important thing to note is that employers need to be open to this information, and employers need to be willing to help their employees through this difficult time. Secondly, working caregivers need to communicate their needs. Working caregivers can express what they need from the employer, whether it be more flexible scheduling, some time off, or a lighter workload. In addition to communicating with employers, working caregivers can find solace and, often, a helping hand if they keep their friends and family informed.   

The second most important tool in working to achieve caregiver work life balance is having time off. Any working caregiver will immediately say this is next to impossible, but it is truly a necessity for balance. A week-long vacation may be hard to schedule, but working caregivers must block out at least 15 minutes a day to themselves. This 15 minutes will allow the working caregivers time to get everything off of their mind, and, also, to avoid burnout. 

Lastly, working caregivers should ask for help. This is another form of communication, but it is usually more difficult for some caregivers to do than simply talking about what they’re going through. However, working caregivers need to ask for help when feeling overwhelmed. This help can come in a variety of ways and doesn’t necessarily have to be related to their caregiving responsibilities. Perhaps it is making a meal for them, running some errands around town, or picking up their children from school. All of these things help to reduce some of the burden put on working caregivers, and it will keep the caregivers from become burnt out.

Using these three tools can help working caregivers achieve balance with their careers and caregiving responsibilities.

Caring for the Elderly: Fall Risk: Part 1

Here in New England, fall is in full swing. We have beautiful fall foliage, chilly mornings and nights, and the days are getting shorter and shorter. While all of these are welcome parts of fall, the falling leaves, the changes in temperature, and the dwindling daylight can pose some safety hazards for the elderly.

Slippery Leaves 
The mild fall weather is a great opportunity to be outside, and many elderly take advantage of this by going on walks. However, the leaves on the ground can pose a serious fall risk. These dry leaves can absorb an incredibly large amount of water, and this makes them extremely slippery.

Please advise any of your elderly loved ones to practice caution while walking on a leaf covered sidewalk:

• Walk slowly over leaf covered areas 
• Always wear sneakers while walking to increase traction 
• If you are walking with an elderly loved one, support them by the arm while walking across any leaf covered areas 

Frost
The cold mornings and evenings create a second hazard: frost. The warm afternoon temperatures can quickly drop, and any condensation or moisture that is on the ground will turn into frost. This can be somewhat unexpected in months like September and October, but that is exactly why it is so dangerous. The elderly can avoid falls by taking several precautions:

• Walk slowly on the sidewalk 
• Avoid shaded areas as these are more likely to have frost 
• Try walking later in the day, as most of the frost is melted by noon 

Shorter days

Lastly, the shorter days can be a hazard to the elderly who may have difficulty seeing at night. Remember to remind your elderly loved ones about the time change. In addition to that, you can encourage them to alter their daily schedule by an hour or two, and advise them to plan all of their errands and appointments for the afternoon. That way, they can avoid being on the road after dark.

For the elderly, falls are incredibly dangerous. The elderly are at a much higher risk for suffering a broken bone or serious injury as the result of a fall. Furthermore, hospital stays can lead to an increased risk of pneumonia, cognitive decline, and other diseases. This season, please be sure to keep your elderly loved one safe from harm.

Why is caregiving relevant to employers?

It’s hard to understand how much of an impact caregiving will have on businesses because baby boomers are just beginning to retire. In order to understand how businesses will be affected, we need to first understand how many individuals will become caregivers.

In 1997, AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving teamed up to research the impact of caregiving in the U.S. They found that about 22.4 million households they contacted provided some sort of caregiving, and of this, 51.8% of these individuals were employed full-time[i]. In 2009, AARP conducted this same research, and there were 42.1 million caregivers. Of this number, 58% are employed either full-time or part time[ii]. According to MetLife, the number of caregivers has tripled in the past 15 years. That is an incredibly high number of caregivers, and, with this number tripling, many businesses will be affected by this.

How does all of this impact employers? In AARP’s Report, “Valuing the Invaluable: 2011 Update,” they found that nearly seven in ten, or 69%, of caregivers have to make work accommodations because of their caregiving responsibilities. These work place accommodations include things such as working from home, creating a more flexible schedule, staying late to make up missed hours and using sick time for caregiving responsibilities.However, these work place accommodations do not always provide the best type of support for caregivers.

While these changes can provide caregivers with more time to attend to their caregiving responsibilities, they do not address some of the emotional stressors involved with caregiving. In addition to being confusing and overwhelming, caring for an ailing or aging loved one is extremely emotionally taxing. As a result, caregivers work at the office can be impacted by anxiety, depression, fear and some of the other emotions associated with caregiving.

According to AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving, caregiving can directly affect productivity in six ways:

Replacement costs to cover employees who quit as a result of caregiving responsibilities
Absenteeism
Presenteeism costs 
The costs associated with work day interruptions
Costs as a result of eldercare crises
The costs associated with supervising employed caregivers

What can employers do? Employers can support their employees through specific programs, such as WeCare+, that are designed to guide caregivers through this process. In addition to providing resources, we will provide guidance and support after conducting an on-site needs based assessments. A field clinician will then follow up with the caregiver and their family to provide support and guidance. To learn more about WeCare+, visit our website here: http://www.longtermsol.com/programs/wecare

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[i] http://www.caregiving.org/pdf/research/employercosts.pdf

[ii] http://assets.aarp.org/rgcenter/ppi/ltc/i51-caregiving.pdf

A Day in the Life of a Working Caregiver

According to the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP, 65 million people provide an average of 20 hours of care to ailing or aging loved ones in the United States. With about 10,000 baby boomers reaching retirement age every day, this number is expected to increase drastically. This dilemma is worsened by the fact that few resources are available for working caregivers and that each caregiving situation is highly unique.

Who are these caregivers? According to statistics provided by the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP, the typical caregiver is a 49-year-old woman who is married and employed. She provides care to her mother, who does not live with her.

Why are caregiving situations so stressful? Caregiving situations are incredibly stressful because they are emotionally and physically taxing. The best way to understand the amount of stress caregivers are under is by living through a caregiving experience, but looking at a typical day for a caregiver can provide a lot of insight.

This is what life is like as a working caregiver:

Kelly is a 49-year-old woman who, like the typical caregiver, is married, has children, and is providing care for her aging mother, Mary. Mary is mostly independent, but she recently had to have surgery after falling and breaking her hip. She is fortunate enough to be able to stay at home during her recovery.

5:45 a.m. Kelly wakes up to start getting her two children ready for school. She prepares breakfast for the entire family, makes two lunches, and packs the children’s backpacks.

7:00 a.m. She brings the children to the bus stop, and gets them on their way to school. She quickly stops back at her house to get ready for her day at the office.

7:30 a.m. While driving to work, Kelly calls to check on her mother, Mary. Mary says she is doing well, but that she’s concerned about the physical therapist coming to see her. She lives alone, and is somewhat hesitant about letting a new person into her home. She requests that Kelly be there when the physical therapist arrives. Kelly agrees to go over on her lunch break to see her mother then.

8:00 a.m. Kelly arrives to work, and sits down at her desk. She begins to go through her emails and missed calls from the past weekend.

10:00 a.m. Kelly notices a missed call on her cellphone. It’s from her mother. She calls her back to find out that her mother is becoming increasingly anxious about the visit from the physical therapist, and isn’t sure what paperwork she needs to have prepared or what identification she needs. Kelly talks to her for a half an hour, trying to calm her down. She does some quick online research to give her mother direction about what documentation she will need.

10:30 a.m. Kelly sits back down at her desk, still somewhat worried about her mother’s mental state. She wishes she could go to be with her mother now, but she has to stay at work until her lunch break and she already has some catching up to do after the phone call with her mother.

12:00 p.m. Kelly takes her lunch break, and goes to see her mother and the physical therapist. When she arrives, she finds that her mother is not very happy about having someone come into her home. She talks with her mother before the physical therapist arrives and calms her down.

12:15 p.m. The physical therapist arrives, and she is very kind and helpful. Mary goes through with her scheduled appointment, but it runs a little late because Kelly has a lot to discuss with the physical therapist about her mother’s health, insurance, and her exercises. She has to keep track of this information because her mother will easily lose or forget it.

1:00 p.m. Kelly arrives back to work, and sits down to try to finish her work before she has to leave to pick up her children. She apologizes to her manager for taking a long lunch break.

2:55 p.m. Kelly receives a phone call from her mother. With all of the commotion of the day, her mother didn’t prepare any dinner. She asks if Kelly could bring her over some food after their family dinner. Kelly agrees to take her mother dinner after she sits down with her family.

3:00 p.m. Kelly has to leave work to pick up her children from school. She brings the kids back home, but has to go back to the office to work on a project she wasn’t able to complete earlier because of her mother’s physical therapy appointment.

5:00 p.m. With only an hour to go before dinner, Kelly rushes out of the office and stops by the grocery store to pick up food for the family.

6:00 p.m. The family sits down to eat, and Kelly realizes she has to help her son with a math project that is due the next day. She puts aside some dinner for her mother to bring to her later.

7:00 p.m. Kelly drives over to her mother’s house to bring her dinner. Her mother is somewhat lonely, so she talks to Kelly about her day and the children for an hour.

8:00 p.m. Kelly comes home to help her son with his math project. It takes about two hours.

10:00 p.m. Kelly finally has an hour or two to herself. She takes out her laptop and tries to work on that project she didn’t finish today.

11:00 p.m. Kelly finally decides it’s time to go to sleep, and she isn’t able to do much work on her project anyways because she’s worried about her mother.

As you can see, a working caregiver’s hours are primarily devoted to caring for their ailing or aging loved one and providing care for their family. Kelly barely has any time for herself, and, she spends most of the day racing between appointments and trying to provide support for her family. In addition to physically spending time with her mother, Kelly spends a lot of time struggling with the emotional aspect of caregiving. She is worried, upset, and saddened by the situation. Work is the last thing that Kelly can worry about while she’s caregiving. All of this affects Kelly's productivity and her ability to focus on her work.

How can employers support caregivers? At Long Term Solutions, we’re trying to do that. We have a unique program, WeCare+ that is designed for employers. With WeCare+, Long Term Solutions provides support to working caregivers. To learn more about WeCare+, please click here.

Caregivers at LTS: Brenda

“What I really love about working on the administrative side of Long Term Solutions is that at the end of the day I know the work we do is helping someone,” explained Brenda. “At the other end of the phone or on the other end of the assessment is someone who we’re helping. There’s a person behind every claim number.”

Caregiving is something Brenda has been doing full-time since 2000, and, because of this, she is really able to relate to the adult caregivers she talks to on the phone every day.

“Caregiving is very hard, but I’ve found that one line really helps the adult caregivers: 'it’s not easy raising a parent,'” said Brenda laughing.

This lighthearted humor is a part of her family, and she’s incorporated this into her caregiving duties. In 2001, when Brenda was just 36, her mother was diagnosed with sarcoidosis of the lungs, and eventually became wheelchair bound and required constant oxygen. Her father’s vision started failing and he was legally blind by 2001. Between 2001 and 2004, Brenda primarily looked after her mother because her mother continued to help with her father’s care, despite her worsening condition.

“They really complimented each other and that’s why their marriage was so successful. They were best friends. As they aged, their joke was that my mother was my father’s eyes, and my father was my mother’s legs, so together they would be a complete person,” said Brenda smiling.

Unfortunately, Brenda’s mother’s condition worsened in 2004 and she became very ill. Before she passed away, Brenda promised to watch after her mother’s husband and best friend. 

“I said ‘you can go and be at peace, I will always take care of dad. I want you to know that,’” explained Brenda. “I feel like it is an honor to do, as much as it can sometimes be frustrating.”

That is a promise that Brenda has fulfilled two-fold, and in 2004 she became the full-time caregiver for her father. Prior to her mother’s passing, she had moved in with her parents to provide better care for them. They lived in a home in Connecticut, and then together in a ranch house in Florida. After Brenda’s mother passed away, it was very painful for her father to live in the house he had shared with his wife. Brenda decided that they should move back to New England. They moved to Massachusetts in December 2006.

“Now we’re in a condo, and in a condo, you don’t have a lot of personal space,” said Brenda laughing. “It’s difficult at times. For example, if you don’t want to listen to the music my dad is listening to you don’t really have a choice. I’ve listened to a lot of Eva Cassidy.”

With her father’s diagnosis, it can be difficult for him to leave the house. He gave up driving about six months after he realized his vision was failing. Brenda has a difficult time encouraging him to leave the house because he has a natural tendency to be somewhat reclusive.

“He isolates himself at home, so, in a lot of ways, I’m his only social outlet in addition to being his full-time caretaker. I don’t get upset, but sometimes it gets to you.”

Instead of finding activities at the local senior center, he opts to spend most of his time with their miniature schnauzer, Maddie. She is 12-years-old, and also lost her vision this past year. The pair spends their day together, and they’ve worked out quite a schedule. The two go outside walking, and her father will take his seated walker and watch Maddie as she walks around. The two then make their way down the road to the gas station to buy scratch tickets, and then to Dunkin Donuts for lunch. In addition to their outside activities, they spend some of their day watching Home Shopping Network and researching their family tree with a computer that has been adapted to compensate for his reduced vision.

“I never realized that, until my mom passed away, my mom kept my father really in control and grounded. Without her, if left to his own devices, he will really do some silly, silly things,” joked Brenda. 

However, Brenda has worked incredibly hard to help her father maintain a sense of independence.

“That’s one of the things I always think about. How can I provide him with some independence? I always give him options for dinner, for example. I like him to have some control. It’s very hard to feel like you’re losing your independence, especially for men.”

From ensuring that the carpeting in their condo was flush with the walls and level with the hardwood floors so that her father wouldn’t trip, to hunting down a specialized stove to allow her father to cook, Brenda has actively pushed to provide her father with this independence. Brenda is now preparing to remodel their bathroom to make the shower more accessible.

“Well, the most rewarding thing about caregiving is knowing that my dad is happy where he is, and knowing that the quality of life that I’m able to give him is appreciated,” explained Brenda.

It’s this perspective and appreciation that has helped Brenda while working with other adult caregivers.

“My experience with my dad has really helped me. When the caregivers are stressed out, I know it helps just to have someone listening to them and telling them that we are there for them. I always say how lucky their parents are to have them as an advocate, and how wonderful it is that they take the time to be involved in their parent’s care,” explained Brenda. “It’s not easy for them. But, it can help if you put it into perspective – how much your parents did for you, and how much you can give back.”

Caregiving and the Importance of Balanced Eating

Caregivers, you need to take care of yourself! One of the first steps towards doing this is maintaining a nutritionally balanced diet. Unfortunately, eating can be one of the first thing affected by caregiving. Eating an imbalanced diet can lead to malnutrition, erratic blood sugar levels, fat storage, fatigue and more. There are a couple of pitfalls that can impact how and when you eat. Be sure to know how to recognize these and avoid them.

First, most caregivers are guilty of skipping meals. A jam packed schedule and a never-ending to do list can quickly push meal time to last priority. The demands of the feeding schedule of the person you are taking care of can also impact how you support your own eating. When preparing meals and shopping constantly for someone else, it’s easy to forget your own nutritional needs. Try not to fall into the habit of forgetting yourself. It may not be easy, but do try preparing your meals ahead of time. If you can cook several meals for yourself on the weekend, you’ll be stocked and prepared to have well-balanced meals during the course of the upcoming week.

Secondly, eating and emotions are very closely linked. Light stress can induce extra eating, while extreme stress can cause one to avoid eating all together or eating too much. It’s safe to say that caregiving can include varying levels of stress. As a caregiver, you need to learn how to identify when these emotions are impacting your diet. Once you’re able to do so, you can avoid the emotional eating trap.

Remember, you have to take care of yourself in order to fully provide care for the one you love. This is not selfish, it is prudent. By taking care of yourself, you’re able to provide the best care for the one you love.

Work-Life Balance and Doctor's Appointments

There has been a lot of discussion about work-life balance for mothers, but does work-life balance exist for all caregivers?

One responsibility that caregivers regularly assume is bringing loved ones young and old to medical appointments. For caregivers caring for an aging or ailing loved one, these medical appointments can happen extremely frequently. This can cut into work hours, and the commute can sometimes be the least distracting part of the trip. Caregivers have to figure out how to transport their aging or ailing loved one, how to get them ready for the medical appointment, how to assemble all of their medical information,  think of questions to ask the medical staff, determine how to navigate any inaccessible buildings, and more. Caregivers have to juggle all of these concerns in addition to working full-time. What can be done to help? 

•  Keeping an open line of communication between the caregiver employee and their manager

• Flexible hours

• The option to work from home

• An eldercare support program 

• Supporting them with access to resources and support

Here at Long Term Solutions, we understand that even with these options, caregivers are still stressed. We help working caregivers achieve this balance. Through our signature program, WeCare+, we will work with families to assess their situation, develop a plan of care and guide them to resources that will support their needs.

Do you know anyone struggling with work-life balance as a caregiver? What kind of support and advice can you offer to them?

Anne and Noreen on Radio Entrepreneurs

Here's a photo of Anne and Noreen that was taken during their segment on the "Radio Entrepreneurs Show." Last week, they had the opportunity to speak with hosts Jennifer and Jeff about Long Term Solutions, and how LTS supports and guides families in providing care for ailing or aging loved ones.

To listen to the segment go to the link below and scroll down to the August 1 recordings.

http://radioentrepreneurs.com/Recordings.html

5 Tips for Saying 'No'

As a caregiver, you probably have a natural inclination to say yes to every request for your time and assistance. This blog post is going to serve as a friendly reminder that you don’t have to always say yes, and it is okay to say no. Here are some tips for saying no:

1. Appreciate how much time you’re dedicating to caregiving, and accept that you are very busy. Once you acknowledge your jam packed schedule, it will be easier to say no.

2. Take time to think about a request. It’s okay to tell a friend that you need to check your schedule and get back to them. Avoid impulsively saying yes to everything.

3. Accept the request, but reschedule it to fit into your schedule. Practice saying things such as “I’m sorry, I can’t help you on Friday, but I could give you a hand on Monday.”

4. Practice saying no. Start with little requests, and eventually you’ll feel more comfortable saying no.

5. Quiet that voice in your head and stop feeling guilty. People won’t think you are rude or selfish if you say no.

Elderly and Strength Training

Activity is incredibly important for the elderly. According to the CDC, if you are over 65, you should get at least 150 minutes a week of moderately intense aerobic activity and strength training at least two days a week.

Over the past few months, there has been more and more research highlighting the great health benefits seniors can gain from weight training.  In the most recent research, strength training was credited with preventing Alzheimer’s, dementia and cognitive decline. In addition to mental benefits, weight training can help seniors strengthen their bones, reduce their risk of falling, and contribute to heart health. Furthermore, according to the CDC, strength training has been credited with helping to reduce disease and symptoms of arthritis, diabetes, osteoporosis, obesity, back pain and depression.

For more information on strength training and exercise ideas, visit the links below:

CDC: Growing Stronger – Strength Training for Older Adults

About.com: Dumbbell Strength Training for Seniors

We Are Caregivers Too: Meet Nancy

“She was just sobbing. She walked down the hall of her nursing home and told every nurse and patient ‘my husband has died… did you know my husband died?’” remembers Nancy.

Nancy and her brother had just told their mother that their father and her husband had died. Nancy's mother had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease five years ago, and her husband had been the primary caregiver for almost four years. But in September 2011 he fell ill and within four months Nancy lost him to renal failure.

Nancy and her brother stayed in their mother’s room as she grieved with the staff and patients in her nursing home.

“I just couldn’t stop crying. I lost that comfort of my parents. No matter how old you are it’s hard. You’re always a child and they’re always a parent.”

Nancy is not a weak woman. She is a nurse, a care coordinator at Long Term Solutions, a caregiver, a mother, a competitive sailor, and, up until recently, was legally blind. She was born with ocular albinism with nystagmus, a genetic condition which results in impaired vision. In September 2007, Nancy’s vision had unexpectedly decreased significantly, and she found herself at the Carroll Center for the Blind.

While at the Carroll Center, Nancy found her passion in competitive sailing with the SailBlind team. She went on to sail in the Blind Nationals, winning two first place titles and a second place title with the team. She recently competed with the team in California, and she was able to travel to New Zealand as an alternate with the team, which is commemorated on her leg in the form of a tattoo.

She learned to live with her vision impairments for three years, until she received a life altering surgery on December 10, 2010. Following the surgery, her vision drastically increased. She was able to read, see colors and see during the day. However, she is still unable to drive or see at night, and can only get around with the help of Giggs, her service dog. During all of this, Nancy became a caregiver, and her journey into caregiving began with her mother, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease.

“She was first diagnosed five years ago, maybe it was longer. It just seems like all of a sudden she progressed. She’s young. She’s only 81,” she said.

At first, her father assumed the role of primary caregiver. He was a cancer survivor with one kidney, but he was strong and able to care for Nancy’s mother. Her mother suffered from confusion, she would wander, and she couldn’t be left alone. Her father assumed all of those responsibilities and more. He would pick out her outfits, make her meals, and he was always by her side. He made it possible for them to stay in their home, which was where her mother felt most comfortable.

This all changed in September 2011. Nancy was visiting when her father began complaining of chest pain. Nancy checked his vitals. He was quickly decreasing. She called 911, and her father was hospitalized for a possible cardiac issue. Since her father had been the primary caregiver, Nancy and her siblings weren’t completely prepared to take care of their mother, so they enrolled her into respite care at a local nursing home.

“After that, he was discharged to home. He didn’t do too well. We think it might have been the separation,” explained Nancy.

It wasn’t long before her father fell ill again. On Thanksgiving, Nancy received another call from her father. He was extremely confused and disoriented. He didn’t know where he was, and Nancy couldn’t understand what he was saying. She knew something was very wrong, so she immediately called her sister on another line and then 911 to send an ambulance to her father.

“I was sobbing out loud. I just couldn’t help it. He had been so healthy and so strong,” she said.

He was brought to the hospital again. In an effort to help her father recover, Nancy and her siblings decided to transfer him into the nursing home to be with her mother.

“He was separated from my mom, and the love of his life. As difficult as it was for him to be the caregiver, when they were apart for that short time, he gave up on his own life,” explained Nancy.

On December 9, 2011 Nancy received seven calls from her father in the middle of the night because he was in a lot of pain, so on December 10, 2011 she drove out to the nursing home. The first thing she did was request his health information, and, a year after her surgery allowed her to read, she read that her father was in renal failure.

“I called my brothers and sisters and said he’s going back home. They said ‘what are you talking about? We’ll get him home for Christmas.’ And I said, ‘he’s not going to make it to the first of the year’,” explained Nancy.

Nancy’s father refused to be transported to the emergency room for treatment, so Nancy tried calling multiple nephrologists to see if they could begin dialysis immediately. Neither of those worked, so Nancy and her sister watched as her father signed his own DNR order. The next day, he went home on hospice.

“It was the wonderful support of my peers, managers and the owners of Long Term Solutions that gave me the strength to keep going,” explained Nancy.

Nancy stayed with her daughter, and she commuted to work from her home town daily. Due to her vision impairment, she couldn’t drive in the dark. With the short winter days, she would leave her daughter’s home at 6:00 a.m., and, with the encouragement of her manager and peers, leave work in the afternoon to drive back to her father.

“They were so good to me. They really cared. Every morning I would wake up and I would have a message from my manager asking how things were going. I would call her back, and I just couldn’t control my crying,” said Nancy.

Nancy’s last day with her father was on December 29, 2011. Nancy went in to see her father at 5:00 p.m. on that day, and then went to meet her sisters for some dinner.

“I went back to be with him. I walked in the door, looked at him and thought ‘he’s going to die right now.’”
Nancy’s service dog, Giggs, ran under her father’s bed, while Nancy held her father as he took his last couple of breaths.

Nancy watched as her father, who was the primary caregiver for her mother, passed away.

In order to pay for their mother’s care, Nancy and her siblings had to sell their childhood home. It took them weeks to sort through everything, from the pins that her mother used to wear to German Hummel dolls her father had purchased for their mother.

“I wish I could bring her home to me, but I know it’s impossible. It’s so hard because I know I can’t see her for a while because I can’t drive there. I just don’t know when I can drive there.”

Creating a Support Network

This past week, we’ve been focusing on different ways to support caregivers and the loved ones they care for. Next Avenue, a great new site from PBS about boomers and aging, wrote a wonderful piece on creating and maintaining a support network for your aging loved one.

The article had some wonderful tips on working with the people that your elderly loved one interacts with on a daily basis.

- Follow your aging loved one on a weekday to get a handle on their routine. If something happens you will have a good guess as to where they are and how to contact them.

- Introduce yourself to the people they interact with, and exchange contact information. A hairdresser will be more likely to call you if your mother doesn't show up for her appointment if she has met you.

-Lastly, become friendly with your elderly loved ones neighbors. All of these connections will help you keep your elderly loved ones safe and keep you informed.

For more tips or to read the full article, click here.

Useful Caregiver Tips: Finding Help

As a caregiver, one of the most important things to remember is to ask for help. It’s so easy to get caught up in the day to day duties of caregiving, and you can easily find yourself incredibly overwhelmed.It’s not first nature to seek out and accept help, but it can be a lifesaver in some situations. Here are some tips for doing that:

Talk to your friends. Keep them updated on your day to day caregiving activities, even when you’re not looking for an extra hand. If they know what’s going on they’ll be able to jump in and take over a few tasks for you.

Remember your other family members. Most of the time, one person assumes most of the caregiving duties. However, look to see if you can use your other family members for chores around the house or other errands that need to be done. Could you pay your son $5 to do the grocery shopping for the week? How about asking your daughter to fold the laundry? These tasks become so much more difficult when caregiving for an adult.

Start making lists. Detailing everything you do will help you identify which chores can be passed on to others.

WeCare+. Our WeCare+ program is designed to support caregivers in multiple ways. We provide guidance and direction regarding what type of assistance your loved one needs, and where to find elder care resources.

Elder Care Information

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released the American Time Use Survey this past week, and there are some incredible figures regarding family caregivers.

According to The New York Times, this survey was started in 2003, and the numbers are based on the minute by minute activities of Americans during a specific 24-hour period. This is the first year that elder care data was collected, and here is what they found:

39.8 million people over the age of 15 acted as unpaid caregivers to someone over 65.

22.3 million ( or 56%) of these caregivers were women.

 23% of these caregivers were between the ages of 45 to 54.

22% of these caregivers were between the ages of 55 to 65.

16% of these caregivers were 65 and older.

23% of these caregivers were part of the sandwich generation, and cared for a child under 18 in addition to fulfilling their elder care duties.

This data was taken in 2011. With the first baby boomers beginning to retire, it will be interesting to see which areas increase during the next year. What do you think this means for the future of caregiving? What surprise you most about this data?

You can find the New York Times article here, and more statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics here.

4th of July for Caregivers

As a caregiver, holidays can cause unnecessary stress. For caregivers caring for ailing or aging loved ones, the fireworks, parades and picnics associated with Independence Day can be difficult to navigate for a variety of reasons – crowds, accessibility and noise level are just a few of them. There are some basic things you can do to avoid the stress, and planning is crucial to having a joyous Independence Day.

Here are some tips:

- Contact your local town or city office to ask about accessibility. Ask where the best firework viewing areas are, how early you should get there, and ask about parking.

- Plan to get to any fireworks or parades early. It will be easier to navigate with fewer people, and you’ll be beating the crowds.

- Find the easiest and least obstructed path to the bathroom.

- Bring snacks and water. It’s easy to become dehydrated with the warm July weather, so make sure you and your loved one are well fed and hydrated.

- Make sure you have enough sunscreen for you and your loved one.

- Dress your loved one in layers, and bring extra blankets and sweaters in case the temperatures drop after sunset.

- Bring a deck of cards or some other game to take up some time before the fireworks start.

- Stay in and watch the fireworks on television with your elderly loved one!

Have a safe and happy Independence Day!

Caregivers, Take Care of Yourself

There’s only so many ways to say take care of yourself, but, caregivers, take care of yourself. As a caregiver, it’s incredibly important for you to devote time to focus on your needs. How can you do this with all of the commitments you have? Schedule time for yourself. Commit at least 15 minutes of your day to focusing on your emotional, physical and mental needs.

Here are some things to do in the 15 minutes:

• Journal
• Try clearing your mind with a meditation
• A quick nap
• Call an old friend
• Have a cup of tea

Remember, you need to honor the commitments you make to yourself. So give yourself at least 15 minutes of relaxation and alone time!

Caregiver Stress Relief: Walking

For caregivers, taking a break can be incredibly difficult, and it can be next to impossible to incorporate a workout into the day. Exercising is crucial to stress relief and physical health, and for a caregiver, stress relief is top priority. That’s why walking is a great exercise option for caregivers.

Walking is a great fit for many reasons. First off, it doesn’t require a gym. You can walk anywhere and anytime without having to worry about setting time aside to drive to a gym or fitness class. Secondly, it’s an opportunity to have some time alone, which can be difficult to find as a caregiver. On the other hand, caregivers can walk with a buddy to incorporate some social interaction into their day. Whether walking alone or with a friend, the stress relief and mental health benefits are incredibly important. Lastly, there are numerous physical health benefits. Here are some from the Mayo Clinic:

• Lowers blood pressure
• Increases HDLs and lowers LDLs
• Reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes
• Is good for weight maintenance
• Increases strength

For more information on walking, take a look at this information from the Mayo Clinic by clicking here.

Let's Hear it for the Boys

Father’s Day is a great opportunity to discuss and appreciate a new trend: more and more men are stepping up and assuming the role of caregiver. Most caregivers are women, and this fact remains the same, but, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, in the last 15 years the number of men caring for aging loved ones has doubled.

Take some time out of your weekend to do something thoughtful for a male caregiver! In the meantime, read this great post from AgingCare.com about male caregivers: "Men as Caregivers"

Caregivers at LTS: Debbie

 “Where’s the nurse?” demanded a young and visibly stressed doctor.

Debbie was in a hospital room with her mother and two other nurses. Her mother had developed the flu and pneumonia simultaneously, and they were at the ER for the second time.

“No, where’s the nurse? The family member who is a nurse,” he insisted.

The nurses looked at each other, confused. Debbie was the nurse he was referring to, but she remained silent.

“I didn’t answer. I wanted to be called a family member and not a nurse,” she explained. “I am a nurse, but I’m also a daughter. Treat me as a daughter. I can’t visit my parents as a daughter. I have to always visit them as a nurse."

This struggle between being a daughter versus a nurse has been a source of great frustration. Being a caregiver is incredibly stressful, and being a nurse as well as a caregiver creates an additional stress. With her experience in nursing and working with caregivers, she was the perfect person to care for her parents. She knew about all of the resources. She knew about medical procedures. She knew what to expect as a caregiver. But, her role as her parent’s nurse quickly overshadowed her role as a daughter - a role she sometimes wishes she could get back. 

“It puts a lot of stress on me. I want to be there for the remainder of their lives having a cup of coffee, watching a movie, just sitting and not talking about making medical decisions,” she explained.

She became a full-time caregiver for two parents almost simultaneously. In November of 2010, her father was diagnosed with bladder cancer. He immediately began chemotherapy treatments, and Debbie was there to drive him to appointments, monitor the side effects of the chemotherapy, and be the nurse. In the middle of all of this, Debbie also became a full-time caregiver for her mother.

Only three months after her father’s diagnosis, in January of 2011, her mother was diagnosed with lung cancer. She had been complaining of shoulder pain, and her doctor discovered a mass in her lungs. She had to undergo immediate surgery to remove the cancer.

 “I had to find the right surgeon for her, set up the appointments, and advocate for her,” she explained. “All of this was happening simultaneously."

In addition to being a full-time caregiver for two parents, Debbie was working and taking care of her own family. She has a husband, two daughters in college and a son in elementary school.  She was devoting all of her time between work, her family, and her parents.

“During that course, I had to take a family leave. I couldn’t give 100%... and I feel, as an R.N., that I need to give 110% to my family.”

She also made the difficult decision to place her father in a nursing home so she could focus on her mother’s procedure. She knew that her father’s care needs would be addressed in a nursing home, and that combined with her father’s development of aspiration pneumonia, confirmed her decision.

“It was a lot of guilt and conflict because I couldn’t really take care of him in my home. I had to help my mother recover, take care of my son, support my daughters in college and work to pay their tuitions. So, it truly is a sandwich generation situation. And again, it was just me.”

With her father’s needs tended to, her mother underwent the procedure to remove the cancer. While there, she suffered from a weeklong ICU psychosis. Eventually, she was placed into a rehabilitation facility and was able to be move home with in-home help. Following that, with the help of Debbie’s mother and in home care, they were able to move her father back as well.

“We finally got him home. It’s been back and forth, and the hard part of all of this too, I mean it’s all hard, but the ironic part is they both got sick at the same time.”

This past April, Debbie’s father was admitted to the hospital with the flu and pneumonia. Shortly after, her mother was also admitted.

“When it hits, it really hits,” she said laughing.

During all of this, Debbie has strived to find some sort of balance. She took the advice that she gives so many caregivers on a daily basis: she sought outside help. She went to see a family therapist, which helped her put everything back into perspective and reach a balance. She recently starting golfing again, a hobby that she really enjoys. And, she received a tremendous amount of support from her colleagues at Long Term Solutions.

“Working really saved my life. We have our own LTS caregiver support group. We’re all about the same age. We all have parents aging who are in crisis, and we kind of pull for each other at this point."

Right now, her parents are both out of the hospital. Her father is still working with physicians to develop a treatment plan for with cancer, and Debbie can see that her mother is suffering an incredible amount of stress. However, this past week, Debbie didn’t go with them to her father’s oncologist appointment.

“I was going to go, but I’m trying to step back, and let them do it. I have to let them make their own decisions about what they want to do. Before I would have been, ‘I need to be there. You’re their daughter and you’re a nurse, and you didn’t go to that appointment?’ I have to get away from feeling the guilt.” 

Instead, Debbie went to work and made plans to go golfing that night.

Berries Delay Memory Decline

Here’s another great reason to incorporate fruit into your diet: berries may delay memory decline. In a recent study, researchers found that consumption of berries slowed cognitive decline in women 70 or older. In some cases, the cognitive decline was slowed for up to 2.5 years.

Blueberries contain an extremely high amount of flavonoids. These flavonoids are able to cross the blood brain barrier into the hippocampus, which is that part of the brain that is responsible for forming memories and learning. Interestingly, many medications aren’t able to cross this blood brain barrier.

So, be sure to put blueberries on your shopping list this week! You can read the full report here.

Caregivers and Social Media

This week, there has been a lot of discussion about the benefit of social media for caregivers. If you’re a caregiver, social media is a great way create a support group made up of caregivers, and to reconnect with friends and family.

There are many amazing websites that are created specifically to support caregivers, and one of the best features of these websites is the opportunity to vent. Talking to your friends and family can be incredibly helpful, and is a lifesaver on many days, but there is something extremely helpful in venting to a virtual group of caregivers. If you don’t feel like writing about your personal experience, you can read the experience of other caregivers and understand that you’re not alone in your feelings.

Social media is also a perfect way to stay connected with your friends and family. You can stay up to date on everything in their lives, and you can keep them posted on your caregiving duties. The best part about social media is that you don’t have to dedicate your entire day to catching up.

Here is a great piece from HealthyMagination.com with online resources for caregivers: http://www.healthymagination.com/blog/social-media-can-help-reduce-caregiver-stress/

Memorial Day: Outdoor Safety Tips for the Elderly

Memorial Day: Outdoor Safety Tips for the Elderly

Traditionally, Memorial Day is usually spent with family and friends around a grill. In order to have a fun, carefree Memorial Day, you have to take some safety precautions: 

Grill Safety: Before you grill, there are some important safety to ensure that the grill is functioning properly and to avoid any fires.

1.Place the grill far away from your home, your deck, trees, shrubs and any flammable items.

2. Scrub the grill! Remove all grease and fat. It can catch on fire if it isn’t cleaned properly

3. If you’re using a charcoal grill, be careful about using starter fluid. Ensure that it is out of the reach of children and pets, and only use starter fluid. Don’t use any other accelerants!

4. If you’re using a propane grill, check the gas tank hose for leaks. The National Fire Protection Association has a great test: apply soapy water to the gas hose. If there is a leak, you will see bubbles. If not, then start grilling!

5.Read the complete list of tips from NFPA here.

Food Safety: Practice extreme caution while handling raw food!

1. While handling raw meat, wash your hands for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food.

2. Ensure that the coals are lightly coated with ash.  Check that hamburgers reach an internal temperature of 160°F, large cuts of beef reach 154°F, and poultry reaches 165°F.

3. Read this list of food safety tips from the USDA here. 

Elderly Safety: Heat stroke and heat related illness can be a serious problem for seniors.

1. Have plenty of water available to keep your elderly loved ones hydrated.

2.When you’re setting up, be sure to place several lawn chairs and tables in shaded areas to keep your senior loved ones cool.

3. Leave the air conditioning or fans on inside a room so that seniors can rest there if needed.

4. Leave bottles of sunblock outside for your guests to use, and ensure that your senior loved one wears light, breathable clothing and a hat.

5. Know the symptoms of heat exhaustion and seek medical attention if any of your guests start showing any symptoms! You can see the full list of symptoms here.

Hope everyone has a safe and fun Memorial Day!