Founder and Executive Director Linda Fodrini-Johnson, MA, MFT, CMC

Watch this video blog: Research Shows Family Caregivers Want More Education on Caregiving

The National Alliance for Caregiving in collaboration with AARP did an extensive report on “Caregiving in the U.S. 2009”.  The report shows that the increase for information and formal caregiver training has increased over the past 5 years. 

What family caregivers want is more information and education on, is care recipient safety at home, easy activities to do with the person they are caring for, as well as how to choose a home care agency, assisted living facility or nursing home.  A large portion wanted information on one subject and since the report showed an increase in those caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease – that is one of those areas we just can’t give families enough information and guidance.

It was interesting to me that families looked to the doctor for ideas on education and in our area very few physicians are aware of what is available in the community unless they were connected to a senior service of a local hospital.  They also looked to their caregiving provider for information – however, not all home care agencies have skilled professionals to provide caregiver specific education.

Another surprising finding is caregivers expressed less desire for information about finding time for themselves.  I am not sure how to interpret this – I would like to say that they all find time for self-care or at least more know of the importance of caring for oneself while caring for another.  I hope it isn’t that they are overly focused on caregiving and have not thought about their own needed self-care.

See our website for the classes and support groups we have scheduled in our offices and in the community.  We believe information is empowering.

Founder and Executive Director Linda Fodrini-Johnson, MA, MFT, CMC

There are so many websites leading in different directions, each touting they are the premier, largest, biggest, best option for aging parent home care, assisted living or even financial planning and legal advice.

Where does a family turn?  How do families know they are getting someone who is working on behalf of them, with the central goal being quality of life based on client values?

The best way is to ask questions.  The venture capital company that has just hit on baby boomer aging might be able to gather some health and human service experts – but do they know mom’s community or your community?   It isn’t just expertise that you want guiding your choices, it is knowledge on ALL the local resources, knowledge of benefits, aging, care choices and most of all understanding the emotional toll this can bring to everyone in a family.

So, what questions do you ask?  I think these are the most important ones:

1)      How long has this company been in my community?  Are they local or do they just have a national database?

2)      How long have their “experts” been with the company?

3)      Are these experts credentialed and certified by a creditable process (not a 30 hour course)?  Do they have a license – if so, do they have years in the field doing aging or elder care work?

4)      Do they take referral fees from outside agencies, facilities or professionals?   If it is a “free” service you can assume so, if it’s not a non-profit or government agency, someone pays.

5)      Is this person going to help you make a decision and help you see the pro and cons of each decision as it affects your family members?

6)      If you are looking for an Elder Law Attorney, Financial Planner or Geriatric Care Manager, do they belong to a National Association that has standards for membership and certification?

Asking questions will lead you to where you will get the best guidance.

Founder and Executive Director Linda Fodrini-Johnson, MA, MFT, CMC

Often we hear from families, that need services for a parent, that their brother or sister doesn’t think mom needs anything or they feel she needs 10 times the care she really needs to stay safe and well.  This conflict can sometimes delay an intervention that would benefit all family members.

It is hard to accept that a parent is in need of an intervention due to cognitive decline that might impair judgment and safety.  It is also hard to insist that a parent needs help who is physically frail but resists having help.  Often this resistance stems from the unfounded idea that accepting care might be a signal that the family might try to move them from their beloved home.  Having a consultation with a professional Geriatric Care Manager or attending a class for “family caregivers” often allows all the family to hear the same information and make more informed decisions.

Finding the right balance of services for mom, that allows her to retain her dignity but keeps her safe, should be the goal of meetings with geriatric professionals.  Mom’s values will have to be considered in any major decision in order to preserve quality of life.   It is important that families choose to work with someone who is certified as a care manager and a member of the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers.

Making pre-mature and not well thought out decisions can cause great stress to families – know your options, know the costs and look for solutions that respect the dignity and values of the older person.

Professional Geriatric Care Manager, Anne Rosenthal, Ph.D., MFT, CMC

I recently attended the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Manager’s Regional meeting in Denver, Colorado with fellow Care Managers Linda Fodrini-Johnson, Nancy Hickman and Nancy Chaknova. One of the speakers was Janet Benavente, MHR, who presented a fascinating session titled, “Centenarians: Anticipating the Boom”.  The following excerpts are from her talk:

 Individuals living to age 100 and beyond are the fastest growing demographic in the world.  Currently there are clinical and population studies in France, Hungary, Japan, Italy, Finland, Denmark, the United States and China taking place to determine the reason for this.

 Researchers are looking specifically at trends, characteristics of centenarians, what centenarians have in common, what this means for society and what are the implications for professionals.

 There are some characteristics that researchers are already finding such as:

• Few centenarians are obese.
• Substantial smoking is rare.
• They are better able to manage stress than their peers.
• Women who have a child after age 40 are four times more likely, than women who do not, to live past 100.
• 50% of centenarians have first-degree relatives or grandparents who achieve very old age.
• Exceptional longevity runs strongly in families. (Brothers have 17 times greater chance of living to 100 and sisters have 8 times greater chance.)

 Dan Buettner launched a study in 2005 to study and research small geographic pockets inhabited by the longest-living humans and found them in: Okinawa, the Nocoya Peninsula in Costa Rica, the Barbagia region of Sardinia, the Northern belt from Minnesota to Nova Scotia and in Loma Linda, California.

 At present, the implications for professionals are to develop a better understanding of intergenerational communication since more generations are living simultaneously and to promote and advocate for access to health care across the life span including mental and dental health.

 Since the rate of centenarians is growing faster than the birth rate, aging experts are promoting healthy lifestyle patterns for all.

Founder and Executive Director Linda Fodrini-Johnson, MA, MFT, CMC

On August 6, 2009, I contributed to a story in BusinessWeek, “The Elderly: Finding a Good Geriatric Care Manager“. What I would have wanted to add to the story is that just because someone has an educational degree or calls themselves a Geriatric Care Manager it is best to ask two important questions:
1) Is the professional a member of the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers at the certified level?
2) How long have they practiced as a care manager, not a nurse, social worker or other geriatric professional? Look for a minimum of 3 years before hiring a care manager.

Geriatric Care Managers have to be very aware of the health issues of aging, legal issues, family dynamics, local resources, overseeing home care and finding benefits and entitlements. This is a profession that requires critical thinking and staying as current as possible on all the issues presented to aging families. Most especially all care managers should have a good handle on dealing with dementia’s and the behaviors that challenge family members.

We can’t expect one person to know everything – but a good Geriatric Care Manager will know where or who to refer you so that you get your answers for questions outside their field of expertise.

Please see our website and look at the backgrounds of the Geriatric Care Manager’s that work for Eldercare Services.