The New “Female Problem”
Caregiver stress affects women in the workplace
An individual’s face may not readily give away clues of caregiver stress, but a quick look at that employee’s attendance record will reveal absenteeism caused by caring for an aging loved one. Another clue is that the employee has been submitting health care benefit claims for stress-related disorders, including doctor visits and prescription orders. Read More >>
Taking Care of Business
Forward-thinking employers would do well to offer resources to caregiving workers
Balancing the responsibility has become a juggling act. Deciding between attending a child’s final soccer game and taking an elderly loved one to a medical appointment is stressful, a decision that tugs at the hearts of caregivers. Days grow longer as the nights grow shorter.
Although statistics show the burden of caregiving still falls on the woman in the family, the number of men in this role is increasing steadily, with a 60-40 ratio of female-male caregivers.
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New Tool Helps Manage Multiple Meds
Identify potential drug interactions
Polypharmacy is most common among people over age 65. Approximately one-fifth of them take at least 10 medications a week. The Institute of Medicine estimates that at least 1.5 million adverse drug events occur in the United States every year, thousands of them fatal. Studies indicate that about one-third of these drug reactions among senior citizens—and 42% of serious, life-threatening, or fatal events—are preventable.
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You May Be Eligible for Aid and Attendance Benefits
VA calls it one of the department’s most underutilized offerings
Veteran Affairs (VA) considers the program one of the department’s most underutilized offerings. Here’s why: most veterans do not know about it or how to apply. Read More >>
Does the Buck Stop Here?
If your parents’ money is disappearing, you need to intervene
Speaking with parents about their finances often makes us uncomfortable. I was raised in a family where money was never discussed in front of the kids. Let’s face it: many of us don’t want to engage in the money conversation with our spouse, let alone our dad! However uncomfortable the subject might be, it is necessary. Read More >>
Octogenarian Salsa Dancer
Never underestimate an old gal!
Forgiveness Is Not Always Easy
True forgiveness requires honesty
However, what made the tears flow down my cheeks was the scene of the daughter telling the emergency room nurse that she couldn’t remember why she was estranged from her mom and that of course “now it really doesn’t matter because she’s dying.” What this scene was conveying in a very poignant way is to treat everyone like it is their last day with you. Read More >>
The Real Cost of Free Advice
Free Web sites are often a gravy train for eldercare service providers
Yes, Web sites do provide help at no charge; however, these sites receive money from service providers if they get business from the referral. Since most employees of these sites work on a commission basis, it stands to reason that most will refer caregivers to providers who have paid the site a fee, rather than to providers who offer the services best suited to your loved one’s needs. Read More >>
How a Simple Word Can Take Us Back…
What words take you back in time?
Last week, I walked into my favorite nail salon to get a mani/pedi, and sitting there waiting was an elderly woman and her middle-aged daughter. I’m guessing that the woman was mid-80s and the daughter late 50s or early 60s. As I was “soaking,” I overheard the mom say to the daughter, “When we leave here, I want to go to Macy’s and get a housecoat.”
I started to chuckle. The word housecoat immediately catapulted me back to my teen years, when I would run down the stairs in my underwear (at that time, underwear consisted of a bra, underpants, girdle, pettipants, and a slip—don’t ask!) to iron a white, oxford, button-down, collared blouse to wear under my V-neck sweater with my pleated skirt. If you’re a woman in your late 50s or early 60s, you are likely smiling and remembering this scene in your own life! Read More >>
Quality of Life: Rudy’s Story
Develop and maintain hobbies and interests early in life
Throughout the years of working in the eldercare industry, I have had
the good fortune to meet a handful of people who have positively
impacted my life on both a personal and professional level. The lessons
I learned from them have changed my view on my own “golden” years and
the true meaning of the quality of life.
One person who stands out the most is my beloved Rudy. He and his
longtime companion, Helena—after spending the previous 40 years living
in an apartment in New York City in a neighborhood laden with crime and
danger—reluctantly agreed to move to a senior living community after
much pressure from both their families.
