Eldercare & Caregiving in the U.S.

Posted in adult children, Age Related Issues, Alzheimer's, Blog, Care Management, Caregiving, Dementia and Memory Loss, End of Life, Future Trends, Relationships on August 5, 2010
Founder and Executive Director Linda Fodrini-Johnson, MA, MFT, CMC

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

Watch the video blog: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Bt4HWZRsI

More and more of us are caring for our aging family members at the same time as working, caring for adult children and wondering if we can ever retire.  Some of us are even retiring early and reducing our possible pensions and social security benefits to care for a family member.

According to AARP there are an estimated 44.4 million caregivers in the United States, on average that provide 21 hours of care per week.  The average length of caregiving is 4.3 years, according to AARP, but in my professional experience most families I work with spend 8 to 10 years providing some element of care.   One issue the studies don’t reflect is, once a family member has moved to skilled nursing or assisted living, the care might not be direct but it continues with medical appointments, advocacy and emotional support.  So this journey can be as long as 20 years!

The AARP study said the most frequently unmet need of caregivers are finding time for one self, managing emotional and physical stress, balancing work and family responsibilities.

That is one of the reasons that Eldercare Services provides free support groups for family members in both our San Francisco and Walnut Creek offices.   Check out our schedule on our “Classes and Support Groups” page on the website. http://eldercareanswers.com/answers-and-news/classes-and-support-groups.php

Don’t try to do this alone – get the support you need.

Memory Loss & Its Impact on Individuals & Families

Posted in adult children, Age Related Issues, Alzheimer's, Blog, Care Management, Caregiving, Dementia and Memory Loss on May 28, 2010
Founder and Executive Director Linda Fodrini-Johnson, MA, MFT, CMC

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

When a family member is diagnosed with a progressive dementia, it is challenging not only for the “patient” but even more so for the entire family system.  Diseases such as Alzheimer’s impact everyone in the family and sometimes in the community (if the person doesn’t have family).

Those who oversee the care of someone with a dementia, should schedule regular appointments with the primary care physician and bring to the attention of the doctor any changes in behavior, which can sometimes be a signal of illness.

Over ½ of the primary caregivers caring for someone with a dementia suffer themselves from untreated depression.  So, it is just as important that the family caregiver be seen by a primary physician regularly as well.  Untreated depression and stress can lead to cardiac events such as heart attacks or strokes.  Self-care becomes more important when you are a primary family caregiver.

Family caretakers should connect with a support group and enroll in educational courses that prepare them for the caregiving journey.   Those who participate in day care programs, support groups, and have a spiritual resource cope better.

Quality in life comes one day at a time and it is important for the caregiver, as well as for the person with a memory loss disorder, to find pleasure in every day.  Make this a goal, even if it is a short walk in a well cared for park or sitting watching children in the playground.   Caregivers should cultivate as well as keep interests in activities that have always given their life pleasure.

In working with family caregivers, I often tell them to try to budget dollars and time that they will spend each month on keeping pleasure in their lives, despite the journey of being a caretaker to someone with a dementia.  The budget of dollars allows them to spend money on day care, home care or respite stays so that they can renew themselves with quiet time or a personal interest such as travel, entertainment or one-on-one time with a grandchild.  Even though these dollars seem to be spent on them it actually allows one to care for someone a longer period of time because they are finding pleasure in life at the same time as providing 24/7 care for another.

Parkinson’s Disease & Caregiving

Posted in adult children, Age Related Issues, Blog, Care Management, Caregiving, End of Life on May 6, 2010
Founder and Executive Director Linda Fodrini-Johnson, MA, MFT, CMC

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

Many individuals with a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease do very well without much assistance and live full lives until the disease progresses. Others need help early after diagnosis and as the disease progresses they need 24/7 care, mostly given by family caregivers.

There are other conditions that can look like Parkinson’s but are not – such as Lewy Body Dementia or hand tremors.  It is important for families to know the symptoms of Parkinson’s, get a diagnosis early in the process and know their options for treatment and long term care. 

It is also important for families and patients to be informed and get as much education as possible so they can be proactive with treatment, strength building and long term planning. We are offering a 2-hour class in our Walnut Creek, CA office on “The World of Parkinson’s” on May 14th, 2010 from 10:00 AM to noon. 

If you live in another area call your local Senior Information office or University Hospital and find out if they are currently offering any informational classes on Parkinson’s.   Of course, checking out the Parkinson’s Foundation (www.pdf.org) for sound information is always a good choice.  The Senior Information office in your community would be able to tell you if there is a local Parkinson’s support group – it’s always helpful to the entire family and patient.

Golfing and Dementia

Posted in Blog, Dementia and Memory Loss, Uncategorized on September 15, 2009
Founder and Executive Director Linda Fodrini-Johnson, MA, MFT, CMC

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

I had another professional ask me if we had any personal assistants/caregivers at Eldercare that could golf.  She has two men in her support group who love to golf – but because of their dementia they might slow down a serious group of golfers and their wives are not interested.

 What a wonderful idea as an alternate to a “day care” program to send these men out with someone sensitive and trained in dementia to be their partner for a few hours.   It won’t matter what the score is in the “moment” of doing something familiar and being able to laugh and enjoy the outdoors that will bring quality to these guy’s lives.  There is an additional cost to pay for the personal assistant, but community courses have reasonable greens fees.  And in the end this will not cost much more than a day in a care center with far more enjoyment for the aging golfer.

 I have suggested to many families that they find ways for the person with dementia to enjoy familiar hobbies and try to take the anxiety or stress out of the activity.   Golfing to enjoy the day (and not the score) as well as giving the spouse some needed respite sounds like a win-win!