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Archive for March, 2009:
Caregivers, Have You Been Affected By The Economy?
This note is from the National Family Caregivers Association. If you fit this profile and are willing to be interviewed, please contact Sherri Snelling at the number listed below.
Dear NFCA Members and Friends-
Evercare, an NFCA corporate partner, and the National Alliance for Caregiving, are conducting a survey to measure the impact of the economic downtown on caregiving families. If you fit any of the profiles below and would be willing to talk with the media about it please contact:
Sherri Snelling
714-226-2252
Are you caring for someone over age 18 who has been adversely affected by the recent economic downturn and is struggling financially to continue to cover caregiving costs. If yes have you experienced any of the following?
>Family Caregivers who have had a change in their work situation (been laid off, cut back on hours or their spouse has been laid off from work) and the cost of caregiving is an added burden hard to continue
>Family Caregivers who have had to move in with their loved one or their loved one has moved in with them to save costs
>Family Caregivers who have been trying to sell their loved one’s home and cannot in this mortgage crisis
>Family Caregivers who are incurring credit card debt, using savings or just struggling to pay bills because they are also covering caregiving costs
If you are a family caregivers who fit this description (or know one) and would be interested in being contacted by media, please contact Sherri Snelling (contact info above) before April 6
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Family caregivers typically live under tight financial straits. In fact most of the calls we get on the NFCA HELP line are from family caregivers seeking financial assistance. Please contact us and/or Sherri to tell your story. You can also post it in the Story Project section of the website. https://www.thefamilycaregiver.org/connecting_caregivers/share_your_story.cfm?&CFID=9876962&CFTOKEN=25381308 by clicking here or copying it into your browser.
Suzanne Mintz
Our Current Problem – Night Time Incontinence
Night time incontinence has become a real problem. Gladys still gets up during the night to use her bedside commode but she also manages to wet herself, usually between 2 AM and 5 AM. The answer to this problem could be super absorbent disposable underwear but it won’t work for us. Gladys tends to remove her underwear sometime between 2 AM and 4 AM. We don’t know why she does this, and she doesn’t remember taking them off.
On the up side, I have started using washable underpads on top of her sheets. They are great for protecting the sheets and reduce the number of weekly laundry loads. At first I purchased the disposable underpads. They are effective for a moderate amount of wetness, but they start to disintegrate and I had used up the whole pack in a week. The washable underpads are fairly expensive (about $19 – $24 each) but they are reusable and very effective. They also come in a variety of sizes.
During the day, Gladys uses the bathroom and she rarely has an accident. Once in a while she doesn’t pull her underwear down far enough when she goes to the bathroom, but that doesn’t happen often.
A New Product from Depend
In case you haven’t seen them, Depend has introduced incontinence wear specifically designed for men and women. They were kind enough to send me some sample packs in size small and large. I gave the pack of small to a friend for her mother.
These new underwear come in Extra Absorbency and Super Plus Absorbency. The underwear for women and men have a different leg cut, waist band color and absorbency protection where men and women need it most. Since I don’t wear them, I cant vouch for the comfort factor you’ll just have to take their word for it or try them yourself 
Caregiver Updates for the Past Few Days
Hospital Bed
Gladys has physical therapy on Mondays and Fridays. Yesterday, the physical therapist noticed how difficult it is for Gladys to get into the bed. She asked me if I had considered getting Gladys a hospital bed because it can be raised and lowered. Immediately my mind saw dollar signs and began to calculate costs, as I looked at the therapist as though she had lost her mind. What I actually said was, “No, I haven’t, does Medicare pay for that?” and she said “Yes.”
Evidently the therapist just has to sign an order and have the doctor sign off on it. After that Medicare is supposed to contact me about delivery. The therapist said she was reluctant to suggest the bed because most of her patients don’t want one because they are unattractive and don’t match the decor. I don’t care what they look like, if I can sleep through the night a few days a week. Right now I have only had about three nights of uninterrupted sleep and that was because my daughters were here to check on Gladys at night and help her back into bed.
Hired Sunday Caregiver
In a previous post, I talked about how Gladys won’t cooperate with my daughter on Sunday mornings and gives Anita a hard time about getting ready for church. In the past two months, Anita has only been to church twice; either because Gladys is uncooperative or because she has wet the bed and needs to be bathed again. I bathe Gladys on Saturday night and don’t have time to bathe her again on Sunday mornings (I leave at 6:50 AM); and Anita has not been taught how to bathe her. Anyway, I have decided to hire someone to stay with Gladys on Sundays from 10:00 AM until 1:30 PM. This will allow Anita to arrive at church in time for the 10:45 service and get on her post (she operates one of our TV cameras) and will allow me to complete a days work (Sunday is a work day for me).
Jack Bauer and 24
Now for the really important stuff! I was able to watch 24 last night without interruption!! Got Gladys to the bathroom, dressed for bed and into bed. By the time 24 came on she was sleep. Oh, the little pleasures in life.
