Home And Family - Libreriadellobo.com

Archive for the ‘Elderly Care’ Category

I often get letters, like the two below, from Baby Boomers who are caring for aging parents and trying to find health care that meets the unique needs of older people. Finding the right kind of care can seem daunting, but a little information and some key resources can help tremendously.

Q: My 81-year-old mother recently fell and was rushed to the emergency room. The doctor who saw her suggested that she start seeing a geriatrician. What is a geriatrician and why should she see one?

A: A geriatrician is a physician with special training and expertise in caring for older adults, especially those with complex health problems. Like children, older adults have unique health care needs. As we age, our bodies change in many ways that affect our health. Among other things, we’re more likely to develop chronic health problems such as heart disease, diabetes and arthritis, and to need multiple medications (all with potential side effects). About 80 percent of adults 65 or older have at least one chronic health condition and 50 percent have at least two. As we grow older it’s also harder for us to recover from illnesses.
Read the rest of this entry »

Joanne’s mother, Betty, had rheumatoid arthritis for years. Suddenly and unexpectedly, Betty was disabled by the pain, fatigue and limited mobility that she had feared since her diagnosis.

Joanne convinced her fiercely independent mother that living alone was no longer an option. And Joanne, the eldest of four children, knew that caring for her sick mother fell on her shoulders. Joanne was a legend in the circles of her family, friends and colleagues for her ability to act with grace under pressure.

Joanne took two weeks of vacation from her job and cooked and froze meals for her husband and three children. As she flew to her hometown, she wondered how she would coordinate her mother’s care from a distance. Supporting her husband as he built his new business, nurturing her kids and directing a major project at work already made her feel that she was running on empty.
Read the rest of this entry »

Joanne’s mother, Betty, had rheumatoid arthritis for years. Suddenly and unexpectedly, Betty was disabled by the pain, fatigue and limited mobility that she had feared since her diagnosis.

Joanne convinced her fiercely independent mother that living alone was no longer an option. And Joanne, the eldest of four children, knew that caring for her sick mother fell on her shoulders. Joanne was a legend in the circles of her family, friends and colleagues for her ability to act with grace under pressure.

Joanne took two weeks of vacation from her job and cooked and froze meals for her husband and three children. As she flew to her hometown, she wondered how she would coordinate her mother’s care from a distance. Supporting her husband as he built his new business, nurturing her kids and directing a major project at work already made her feel that she was running on empty.
Read the rest of this entry »

The majority of the 4.5 million Americans with Alzheimer’s disease live at home, where family and friends provide most of their care. Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive brain disorder that not only affects memory, but gradually destroys a person’s ability to learn and carry out daily activities, can be emotionally and physically challenging. As memory loss and other symptoms worsen, the amount of time and energy caregivers and families spend taking care of their loved one increases.

The Memories to Treasure program provides people who care for a loved one with Alzheimer’s tips on caregiving and information about the disease, while helping them connect with their loved one through the art of scrapbooking.

“Alzheimer’s caregivers have unique needs; Memories to Treasure offers resources to help facilitate interaction with loved ones,” says Gail Hunt, president and CEO of the National Alliance for Caregiving. “Engaging in meaningful activities, such as scrapbooking, allows time spent together to be more positive and can benefit everyone involved.”
Read the rest of this entry »