Mature Resources - Caregivers

Eldercare - Caregiving, Nursing Home, Medicaid, Living Wills Information and More

By Rocco Beatrice

Elderly care is an event that most children do not wish to think about. No one wants to think about his or her parent growing old. We look to our parents for guidance and support, but there comes a time when the parenting roles reverse.

It is important to discuss future events with your loved ones and develop a long-term plan for their care for when they become unable to care for themselves. Developing an Eldercare checklist is a proactive way to ensure your loved ones whether parents or grandparents receive the level of care they need and services they want, or, in the case of artificial nutrition, they may not want.

Resources and Helpful Links ...

Caregivers

www.caps4caregivers.org
Children of Aging Parents (CAPS)

www.caregiving.org
National Alliance for Caregiving

www.nfcacares.org
National Family Caregivers Association

www.familycaregivers.org
The Center for Family Caregivers

www.nlm.nih.gov
National Library of Medicine

www.nia.nih.gov
National Institute on Aging

www.nia.nih.gov/HealthInformation/Publications/LongDistanceCaregiving/

www.caregiverslibrary.org
National Caregiver Library - extensive on-line library of information including articles, forms, checklists and links to specific external resources.

www.nahc.org
National Assoication for Home Care

www.caregivingfoundation.org
National Caregiving Foundation (Caregiver support)

www.caregiver.org
Family Caregiver Alliance, National Center on Caregiving

www.vnaa.org
Visiting Nurse Association of America

www.caremanager.org
National Association of Geriatric Care Managers

Assisted Living

www.alfa.org
Assisted Living Federation of America

www.aarp.org
American Association of Retired Persons - Senior Housing Choices

Nursing Homes

www.hhs.gov/resource
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

www.nlm.nih.gov
A complete nursing home resource from the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institute of Health -Medline Plus

www.memberofthefamily.net
Provides information about Medicare/Medicaid-certified nursing homes

Don't Forget Yourself When Caring for Someone With a Mood Disorder

By Mary Logan

When you care about someone suffering from a mood disorder, taking care of yourself can be a challenge. Mood disorders run the gamut from chronic and clinical depression to panic disorders and bi-polar disorder. In addition to the stress of caregiving, family members have the added burden of trying to avoid the "isolation factor" that is part and parcel of mental illness. It's easy to see how this happens. Caregivers often believe nobody knows how they feel, or that things will never be ok. When you do have a morsel of time, you may be too down, feeling unsocial, or even tired to do the things you enjoy. Sometimes your only option is socializing with the person affected by mental illness, which may not feel like much of a restful break.

As the Baby Boomers Age

By Marc Katz

Many employees today are calling in sick - not to care for themselves or their children, but to care for their aging parents. Baby boomers are rapidly moving into the role of caregivers for their parents, but with a few extra challenges due to the changing face of our workforce. Nearly 25% of U.S. households are now involved in caring for a senior family member, spending an average of 20 hours a week in caregiving services. Nearly 65% of those individuals providing the caregiving are employed outside of the home. According to the National Alliance for Caregiving, approximately 15 million days of work per year are lost due to these circumstances. These numbers are forecasted to increase since the longevity of life is being extended by modern medicine.

Role Reversal - When Parents Resist

By Pamela Dombrowski-Wilson

Your parents are getting older. You see things slipping. The house is not as clean as it once was, your mother is increasingly forgetful, your father has lost weight, and you are concerned about their safety when they drive. So as a responsible child you bring up the subject. How do your parents react? They are angry. They feel like you are trying to tell them what to do. Maybe they feel like you want to move them out of their home and place them in a retirement facility.