Tips For Caring for Elderly Relatives
During an interview on National Public Radio, Chicago Tribune columnist Amy Dickinson said that, “…it really requires 6 to 8 people to keep someone in their home with 24 hour care.”
She was discussing the worries and issues she and her sisters had to deal with in caring for their own mother.
Older people rarely want to go into assisted living or nursing homes.
But what are the alternatives if they become bedridden or can no longer cook or keep house?
And for many of us the physical demands of caring for a loved one may be too much, too. Children in their 60′s may have health issues that prevent them from being able to care for parents in their 80′s.
Many of us work full time, too.
But parents may need help bathing, washing clothing and linens, cleaning the house, doing yard and home maintenance, preparing meals, taking medications, getting to the doctor and the druggist and lots of other things.
Chronic illnesses that people have as they age make everything even more complicated.
Some one also needs to keep an eye on medications and all the doctors that are prescribing them. A combination of drug interactions and poor communication happen and do great harm.
And if an elderly person has any form of dementia they will be unable to live independently or make decisions. They are as defenseless as a toddler.
Even younger people who have health problems may need 24 hour a day care. Many people who are obese have diabetes and heart problems and are in fact elderly even though they shouldn’t be so ill.
Many people are determined to avoid nursing care.
It’s is not the best option. But for many people who only have Medicare and Medicaid it is the only option if the family can’t handle caring for an elderly relative.
A patient needs to be involved in this decision. Anything else is a legal violation of their rights. Making these choices is difficult for everyone.
We are all just trying to do what is best for our elderly relatives.
It may be helpful for families to consult with a patient advocate, minister, social worker or lawyer to help them evaluate their decisions.
Many elderly people want some kind of change when they lose a spouse. Companionship could help them get past the sadness.
Depression and isolation are both problems for the elderly. Activities available in assisted living situations could make all the difference.
Many of us are purchasing insurance to cover the expenses involved in elder care before we need it. This could make all the difference for you in the quality of care you can afford.
Paula Stone is a lifestyle specialists, providing others with her knowledge and insights gathered over her lifetime. She also works with her husband Ron in their various businesses including an insurance agency specializing in final expense insurance, and burial insurance.
How Do you Have to be to be Offered Activities for the Elderly?
It was International Day of Older Persons on October 7, 2007. The World Health Organization (www.who.int) offers some startling statistics on the aging population, offered through the Voluntary Arts Network (www.voluntaryarts.org)
“In the next 50 years, the number of older persons will nearly quadruple, growing from about 600 million to almost 2 billion senior citizens. Today, one in every ten is 60 years and older. By 2050, one out of every five will be an older person, and by 2150, one third of the people in the world are expected to be 60 years of age or older”.
That’s an awful lot of people classified as ‘elderly’ and being in their 60′s!
I was at a seminar at the weekend where the audience were asked to suggest what ‘middle-aged’ might mean and the majority suggested that 50+ was considered more appropriate than the 35+ often referred to some years back.
Increasingly – and rightly so, able individuals are ‘miffed’ to find that ‘elderly’ in some medical circles falls into the 60+ age range. Subsequently, the activities being offered to these groups mirror our institutions’ view of what is traditionally seen as appropriate for ‘the older person’.
There have been many comments in the news recently of archaic images associated with this section of our population. Road safety signs of physically infirm elderly persons being used to allocate parking places for the over 60′s. The majority of this age group would be happy to run a mile (if they were able) from such stereotypes, but may well favor the opportunity of a free parking space!
That aside, International Day of Older Persons is, for me, an opportunity to focus on the creative activities I offer and to question my own approach to why, and how I offer recreational activities. Entering a search term into Google shows that the majority of searches for activities for an aging population still incorporate the words ‘elderly’, along with ‘recreational’, ‘therapy’, and ‘benefits’.
This shows that ‘art and craft’ falls into separate categories:
1. Activities that might be appropriate for older persons – whatever stereo-typical bracket society deems it.
2. Activities that are seen to offer individual and group benefits – such as the 70s buzz word of spices – social, physical, intellectual cultural and emotional.
Those searching for activities of this nature are more than likely institution-based and require arts and crafts activities that will engage both mind and body. My experience however has been that such places are often looking for ‘things to do’, rather than search out challenging, stretching and engaging activities that will specifically suit individuals in their group.
Our challenge should be to train our carers into what ARE recreational and therapy activities, and why they matter so much?
What’s important to those of us who work with older people – however they, the Government of the day or we ourselves categorize it is to think about 3 basic issues for EACH individual that we are working with:
1. Why should we offer arts and crafts – or any nature in the first place?
2. What type of activity would suit the individual and the group?
3. How can we structure it so that it gives maximum benefit – on all fronts, to those involved?
When I was training as a primary school teacher, later specializing in teaching the older person and those with physical challenges, there was never any focus on Why crafts. That was up to me, in my role as a wandering trainer to establish.
These days there are many excellent activity organizer programs to undertake, and sadly even more less than helpful courses, workshops and books offered by those who may have done some training, but sadly haven’t walked the walk.
I urge you, in whatever level of activity you are involved, to really take this opportunity to question how you see your role, what you do, and why you do it. Whatever part you play in teaching, managing or assisting in activities, it is your role to make whatever you do as valuable as possible.
Creative activities aren’t all paste and paper. There are some wonderful projects to try and great results to be gained from those who are prepared to be reflective in their practice and to question their work a la Rudyard Kipling’s famous maxim – I keep six honest serving-men (They taught me all I knew); Their names are What and why and When And How and Where and Who.
As you plan your creative program, consider how you might serve those you work with. It’ll put a different slant on what you do and question the part ‘activities for the elderly’ plays in your place or work, and your personal mindset.
Geraldine Jozefiak has written many activity books and craft manuals to help you with your activity program. The Craft Teacher gives you step by step instructions for recreational, therapy and fun crafts, designed to take the strain out of what-to-do and how-to-do-it. http://www.the-craft-teacher.com
Elderly Work Programs
It is true that senior citizens may still be capable to work regardless of age. If you are a senior citizen looking for a job to help you become productive or to provide relief from your financial needs, then this article may be for you. Organizations or companies that help find jobs for elderly will be mentioned in this article.
The Senior Community Service Employment Program or SCSEP is one of the oldest programs that aim to coach and prepare people over the age of 55 for elderly work. By involving the seniors in elderly social work or community service programs for twenty hours a week, they happen to improve their skills, and this is needed as they enter a more permanent occupation. Aside from that, this program aims to present prospective elderly jobs by providing opportunities to senior citizens who have low earnings. There are also benefits and supportive services included in this program. This program has certain qualifications and is most likely to consider minorities, those aged above sixty, wives or husbands of veterans, and those who have greater financial needs.
The Senior Environmental Employment Program or SEE, provides elderly work that allows seniors to make the most of their skills with the Environmental Protection Agency or EPA. This program is open to Americans aged 55 and above, in particular, those who are retired and unemployed. This program is open in certain areas, specifically, Washington, DC, and regional offices. This program offers different types of work for elderly like clerical, technical and professional work. A senior citizen can work as a receptionist, file clerk, administrative assistant, engineer, scientist and accountant.
On the other hand, many senior-friendly companies have collaborated with The American Association for Retired Persons or AARP. These companies believe that giving work for elderly is valuable due to the knowledge seniors hold. Some of these companies include Home Depot, Borders Group Inc, CVS Pharmacy, Walgreens, Staples and Toys R Us. Some positions offered are managerial and not limited to elderly social work. There are several benefits and trainings offered, as well as part-time and full-time jobs. A flexible working schedule is also part of the package. In addition, the companies offer good pay, thus, they say that the employees are encouraged and more motivated to do their job well.
To sum up, you have a lot of options if you are a senior citizen looking for elderly jobs. More information regarding the programs mentioned may be accessed by viewing their respective websites or related internet websites. Jobs for elderly are available through the help of these programs that assist seniors not only in looking for opportunities but also in training them to improve their skills as they once again join the workforce.