Faced with the Challenge of Caregiving?

Some good advice if faced with aging parent/s - good tips to consider:

• Keep your family member in their home as long as you can.


• Get finances in order.


• Find out about veteran's benefits and others from a good elder layer.
  

If you're the relative of a caregiver, support them and ask how they are -- not just the person who is ill. Respect the fact it is the toughest job in the world to care for someone you love when they are declining.Their is no greater gift a child can give their parent than to be there to walk them home to the other side. It's something you never regret. I was there when my mom took her last breath.. I held her tightly whispering, "you brought me in to this world, I'm here for your exit." A bitter sweet moment - one that I will never forget.

Look into home care, and senior center's transportation. Most important, don't be afraid to talk to family early on before the challenges begin. Remind yourself to have faith. That is all you can do. Everything will work out the way it is supposed to. Get help when help is needed. There are people out their to help you.

Thank you for visiting. Carol at WorkingCaregiver.com

Tips for Working Caregivers Helping Aging Parents

When starting down the path of caring for aging relatives, the road is gets very wide. The number of resources available to you is great but the focus on "which ones first" can be confusing. That's why WorkingCaregiver.com strives to organize for you the most valued information first.

A few tips of importance that need attention: Put Powers in Place - If you're going to help your parents with financial affairs, you should consider, if possible, to be empowered to act on thier behalf. Talk with them about establishing a power of attorney. Get one that goes into effect once it's signed - as opposed to the "springing" type, which applies only after the doctor declares your parents incapacitated. I'm grateful for my parents Elder Care Attorney who did this for us years before dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. A Durable Power of Attorney is the way to go, according to their attorney.

And then there's the Medical Power of Attorney, which enables you to make decisions about your parents' health care. This gives you the ablilty to talk with your parent's doctors on their behalf and ger medical information about them, something that can be critical under the new patient privacy laws. If you have siblings, consider splitting financial and medical powers of attorney between you, so no one person carries the burden.

Thank you for visiting. Carol at WorkingCaregiver.com

Are You a Caregiver?

It’s rarely possible to pick out a caregiver in a crowd. Why? Because we, who care for loved ones, don’t think we’re fulfilling a role! It’s just part of who we are as daughters, sons, sisters, moms or dads! And it’s what we do. We care for the ones we love.
If you’re a person who provides needed help to an aging or infirmed loved one, supplying emotional support, physical assistance, financial assistance, and many other types of care, regardless of the situation, you’re a caregiver.

Family caregivers are the immediate family, relatives by blood, marriage, or adoption, partners, or close friends who directly provide care, manage the care of, or pay for the care of people who need medical and non-medical assistance, emotional support, and advocacy because they are ill, disabled, or aged and frail.

Caregivers dedicate, on average, 20 hours per week to provide care for older persons and even more time when the older person has multiple disabilities.

Forty-one percent of caregivers have children, too. Part of the "sandwich generation," many women will spend more years caring for a parent than they do raising a child. Caregivers of the elderly spend an average of $279 per month on care-related activities.

Since we’ve determined ‘who’ caregivers are, in a day or two, check back - we'll look at some things to think about as you begin your caregiving process.

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