Your parents could have had their retirement fund compromised during the economic downturn. When it comes to talking about financial problems with them, be delicate. They may feel you are prying or breaching their privacy. Ensure that everyone has the same information before making any decisions.
Options for Financially Assisting Your Parents
There may be a point in time when you will have to assist your parents financially. Here are some potential solutions to financial problems:
• Seek the advice of a financial advisor or lawyer
• Help your parents out now and receive the money back in your inheritance.
• Share all agreements with your siblings and invite them to be part of the agreement as well.
Recession Statistics
Everyone was affected by the recession – including your parents. They could have had a toll taken on their retirement fund. Remind your family they are not alone:
• The Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy Canada reported that the share of insolvent consumers for people 55 and up has more than quadrupled in the past two decades.
• According to the Annual Survey of Senior Costs, released by the Senior Citizens League, one quarter of older US adults have lost their buying power.
Click here for more information on financially assisting your parents
Finances are stressful for everyone, including your parents. During these tough times it may be necessary to assist your parents in a number of ways. This could include lending them money or taking control of their finances. With age, remembering certain tasks can become difficult and the responsibility of paying bills on time can prove too much.
Some Tips for Handling Financial Woes
• Discuss every aspect of your parent’s financial situation that they are comfortable sharing.
• Reach a financial agreement everyone is happy with.
• Keep in mind the impact the recession has had on seniors. In Canada, 20.6 percent of seniors filed for bankruptcy in 2009.
• Automatic bill paying is good for seniors who have trouble remembering to get them in on time.
• Maintain a united front with your siblings.
• Ensure everyone understands the problems and the outcomes.
Be Clear
When it comes to discussing finances with your parents be sure everyone is clear on what the problem is and your siblings understand the situation as well. When reaching a solution, verify that everyone is happy and comfortable with the end result.
Caring for an elderly parent can be stressful. Dividing the responsibility between siblings can create conflict as well. It is best to talk about your options ahead of time to avoid tense situations. To ease your way into caregiving follow the tips below:
1. Be honest if taking the bulk of the responsibility is becoming overwhelming. Let your siblings know the things they can do to help.
2. Plan ahead for your parent’s wishes. Decide ahead of time how you will divide responsibilities amongst your siblings.
3. Be flexible when it comes to the needs of your parents and siblings. Consider schedules, skills and interests when it comes to dividing the responsibility.
4. Research options to determine the type of care that your parent needs and look for organizations and resources that can meet your needs.
5. Talk and listen to your parent because their independence is important to them. It is best to talk to your family before caregiving starts.
So when it comes to caring for your elderly parents following the tips above will help prevent any conflict. Just be sure to always communicate how you are feeling and make sure your parent’s wishes aren’t being ignored.
Technology can often be overwhelming, especially for a senior citizen. With each new invention comes confusion about how to use it or what it is. Rather than being afraid of technology, seniors should open up their minds to geriatric technologies. Many of these new gadgets and inventions made especially for seniors are not to be feared, but rather embraced. Here are a few things seniors may want to know about using geriatric technologies.
• Living a life of independence—Many seniors are limited in terms of independence, needing someone to drive them to appointments or remind them to take their pills every morning. However, geriatric technology helps the senior be more independence. Many of these inventions help the senior get by every day, while feeling independent at the same time.
• Caregivers can’t be replaced—While many geriatric inventions can help seniors, it is still important to have a caregiver or some sort of human helping out. Seniors should know their caregiver can’t be replaced with the latest shiny gadget for senior care.
• Elderly Lifestyles Can Be Enriched—Being a senior can be difficult at times with things to always remember and those normal aches and pains. At the same time, new elderly technologies can make a senior’s lifestyle better. General Electric and Intel have developed products for seniors that don’t hurt a senior’s everyday life, but make it easier and more enjoyable.
• Education on New Technology is key—Technology can be confusing to seniors, but it doesn’t have to be. Education is key when it comes to understanding the benefits of geriatric technology. Often seniors are afraid of new inventions and modern conveniences, but if you learn about these trends, they might not be so daunting and strange.
When a caregiver is caring for a senior with dementia or Alzheimer’s, support can make a huge difference. There is now a new at hoe program that can increase the support a caregiver receives while teaching them various ways to improve functioning and the quality of life in those they are caring for. Below are some highlights about the program, including what is entailed and the benefits that are offered.
1. The program was developed by Ellen Phipps. Specialists will visit the home of a caregiver one time a week and teach them how to set up activity stations.
2. The stations can include painting, gardening or any activity that would be meaningful for the Alzheimer patient.
3. As the number of people with dementia and Alzheimer’s continue to grow, additional support for caregivers is needed. More than 85 percent of people receiving services from a caregiver are suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s.
4. It is believed that 1 in every 10 individuals over the age of 65 and 50% of those over 85 may have Alzheimer’s or dementia.
5. The goal of the new support program is to teach caregivers how to provide activities that can add meaning to the life of a senior.
6. The program is geared towards those with all levels of dementia and will help them improve their levels of functioning.
Self caring is an important issue for caregivers. It will be impossible for you to provide quality care to a senior if your own health is neglected. Being a caregiver is a stressful position and may require you to make many sacrifices. Your own health should not be one of them. Below are some self care tips that can help you remain healthy and continue to provide services to a senior loved one.
1. Always watch for and observe the signs of burnout, lack of motivation and sadness. You should also be aware of your sleep patterns and how well you can maintain control over common situations.
2. Do not strive for perfection. This is not the time to be a stellar housekeeper or a hostess. It is a time to set priorities. Do not allow others to add to your list of priorities.
3. It is ok to put things off until later. Not everything can be done in a single day.
4. Learn how to ask for help. There is no reason for you to have to manage all of the responsibilities. Ask a family member or friend for help if you need it.
5. Make sure to learn about the illness you are dealing with. If the senior has Alzheimer’s, become familiar with the disease. This can help you provide better care and can reduce your own stress levels.
6. Allow time for yourself and know it is okay to take a break.
When a senior has dementia, they will often need some help from family members. In some cases, a caregiver may not be able to be in close proximity to the senior who needs assistance. When this is the situation, it is possible to hire a caregiver that can be there daily to help the senior. The following contains some information on how long distance caregivers can make sure the senior is being cared for and their needs are being met.
1. Make sure to be aware of what services are needed. People with dementia may need assistance doing daily tasks. When visiting the home, be sure to notice what they can do on their own. This will provide a better sense of what kind of services could help.
2. Check the food in the refrigerator to make sure there is enough and that it is not spoiled. Watch how they function in the kitchen.
3. If the home is messy, they may need help maintaining the inside and outside of the home. Laundry can also be a chore for many seniors. Those with dementia will have even more problems. If the senior needs help with laundry and other things around the home, hiring a PCA can be beneficial.
4. Create a list of support contacts. This should include individuals and resources that can help coordinate care from a distance.
5. Keep a current list with names and numbers and note what kind of services they provide.
6. Keep in touch with their doctor so you will always be updated on medical conditions.
7. Make the best of physical visits. While visiting, make necessary appointments, talk with friends and other family members about how the senior is doing and make sure to make time to reconnect with the senior.
When the tissue, cartilage and bone in the knuckles become damaged due to age, there is a procedure that can relieve most, if not all of the pain seniors experience on a daily basis. By having a knuckle replacement, seniors can alleviate their pain and regain use of their hands. This surgery has become very popular and many seniors with arthritis and osteoporosis are having the procedure performed.
1. The procedure is pretty quick and has a fast recovery time. This surgery is not for every senior however, and there could be a risk of failure or complications.
2. The surgery will remove damaged tissue, bone and cartilage and an artificial replacement joint will be inserted. The new joint will not completely restore mobility, but it will almost completely eliminate pain.
3. There are two options, a complete knuckle replacement or the cleaning away of damaged bone and cartilage.
4. Rheumatoid arthritis patients may not be able to have the bottom knuckles replaced.
5. Most replacement knuckles are made from silicone rubber, which allows flexibility. However, these replacements can break or slip. Researchers are working on a metal and plastic replacement that will eliminate this problem.
6. Each knuckle replacement will take around 30 minutes. Medicare will cover the procedure. 90% of patients report immediate relief from pain.
7. Recovery will consist of physical therapy, lasting from 6 to 12 weeks.
Scientists at the University of Michigan have performed a study to determine what causes seniors to be pessimistic. The outcome of the study has revealed that the molecule known as NPY is actually responsible for optimism and pessimism. When the brain has high levels of the molecule, seniors will be optimistic. However, low levels not only induce pessimism, but can also be linked to depression.
1. The molecule is called neuropeptide Y, also referred to as NPY. Low levels of this may be the reason many seniors have difficulty coping with stress.
2. The study revealed that low levels of NPY resulted in an increased activity in the prefrontal cortex of the brain. This is what processes emotion. The increase was seen when participants in the study were exposed to negative words.
3. People with low levels of NPY are more apt to have a negative outlook on things and experience more negative feelings.
4. The reaction due to the levels of the molecule may be directly related to depression. Studies are being conducted to determine if using this molecule could be a treatment for severe depression.
5. At this time, the study does not show how pessimists can become more positive.
Adult children will often step into the role of the caregiver when their parent needs additional care at home. When there are siblings involved, this can become very difficult. It seems as though very few siblings can agree on the care that is to be provided and who will be responsible for that care. The following list contains some information on what happens when siblings share the role of a caregiver.
1. To address some of the common problems experienced when siblings are sharing care responsibilities, The Home Instead Senior Care Network has introduced a 50-50 Rule Program to offer assistance to these caregivers.
2. The first 50 represents the average age of most caregivers caring for a parent. The second 50 refers to how adult siblings can divide the responsibilities.
3. Research has shown that 43% of families that have shared caregiving responsibilities will have disagreements and problems relating to the care of an aging parent.
4. One study revealed that a surprising 2% of all siblings in the United States who are caring for an aging parent are actually splitting the caregiving equally.
5. CaregiverStress.com is a great website offering valuable tips for siblings who are sharing the role of a caregiver.
