Talking about Elder Abuse can make us uncomfortable, squeamish, or downright angry. I’ve seen all of these responses and more. While elder abuse still lives mainly in the shadows, approximately 1 in 10 Americans over 65 have experienced some form of abuse. 14.9 percent of the population of the U.S.A. is over 65. We define…
“I’m watching my parent’s age, and I know there will be issues ahead. But, I don’t know where to begin asking them what they want, what they expect of me (or my siblings), and “gulp” how much money they have. So, how do you have those conversations?” A different scenario can be a young parent…
Do you make New Year’s resolutions? I don’t, and I am okay with that. But, it’s “resolution season” again, and it becomes a top conversation with friends, family, and everyone online. Resolutions begin to drop off by 25% after one week, and 64% are sticking with their plan by the end of the first month….
If you think your family members are willing or able to care for you, you might be surprised at the reality. There are many myths about being a family caregiver, and today we’re going to talk about the biggest ones. We all want to believe that if we’re in a situation where we can’t care…
Often we go into holidays or gatherings on autopilot. We respond to traditions, nostalgia, and rigidity about what came before. What caregivers know is that life also flows with experimentation, memories, and flexibility. What’s also helpful are boundaries.
Expected Death ~ When someone dies, the first thing to do is nothing. Don’t run out and call the nurse. Don’t pick up the phone. Take a deep breath and be present to the magnitude of the moment.
While we wait for the government and employer sectors to catch up with caregiving needs, there are many resources available through non-profit agencies. Your insurance policy can also provide coverage for some services. Most states have an Area Agency on Aging offices through the Department of Health and Human Services. www.hhs.gov. Ten states have separate…
“What we need to do is question and advocate, be involved on any level that we can, as we begin to prepare for the growing aging population.” Sade Dozen does just this through Caring Across Generations. But, what if you don’t have any experience with advocacy or how and where to become involved? Being on…
What does it mean to not fall into the self-care trap? Shouldn’t I be doing lots of self-care? How can it be a trap? Sade Dozen at Caring Across Generations, a nonprofit group aimed at creating policy changes to support caregivers, clarifies the trap of creating self-care conditions on our own. She calls this a…
Years ago, when I was a social worker in a rehabilitation center, my patients were often confused about why they were going to Occupational Therapy. After all, they weren’t focused on “work” at the moment. The profession isn’t about working but about improving daily functioning for both the caregiver and care recipient. Occupational Therapy (OT)…
