Are You Prepared to Care for Aging Family Members?

If you are 45 or older, chances are that sometime in the future, you may be faced with taking care of an aging family member.  Are you prepared to care for aging family members?  Even more-so, are you prepared to care for an aging person with severe physical limitations and dementia or Alzheimer’s?

During the ’60’s and 70’s I was a big fan of Tim Conway’s “Old Man” character on the Carol Burnett Show.  I laughed at the old man as he shuffled his feet and moved in tiny little steps.  It seemed to take him forever to move a few feet.  I had no idea that as I became a caregiver that those shuffling feet and tiny steps would become a part of my life.  Compared to Gladys, Tim Conway’s character was power walking.

Some of the changes you may need to prepare for as a caregiver are listed below.

• Changes to Your Home:  If at all possible, a bedroom and bathroom on the first level of your home is ideal.  Many aging people have problems climbing stairs.  For physical limitations, you will also need to modify your bathroom with handrails, elevated toilet seats and a walk in shower equipped with a shower seat, a hand held shower kit and slide bar.  Your doors should also be wide enough to accommodate wheel chairs and walkers.
• Time Management:  Once you become a caregiver, time management is crucial.  In addition to additional responsibilities at home, time needs to be managed for doctors appointments, physical therapy, picking up prescriptions, transport to day care . . .
• Family Support:  If you don’t have family and friends who will relieve you, you won’t have a social life, you won’t get any rest and you will be a candidate for caregiver burnout.
• Patience:  Once you master the patience quotient, start looking for your caregiver’s nomination to sainthood.  Older people, especially with physical limitations, move very slowly.  It can literally be like watching something in slow motion.  I didn’t really understand until I saw the Xtreme Aging Workshop Video.  Telling them to hurry up doesn’t make them move faster, it just frustrates them because they are moving as fast as they can.  Another factor in doing things slowly is dementia.  Dementia can cause your aging family member to forget how to perform normal routine things that we take for granted.
• Medicare and Medicaid:  Understanding these fraternal twins is akin to understanding the Nightmare on Elm Street.  Just like I don’t understand why anyone still lives on Elm Street, I don’t understand how Medicare works.  There a so many options that are not easy to understand.  When you get through that maze, give me a call.
• Legal Issues:  An assortment of legal documents need to be addressed:  living will, power of attorney, paying bills, checking account . . .
• Resources:  There are many resources available for aging seniors and family caregivers.  This site lists some that you can use to get started, there are many others out there.
• Disability Parking Permit:  If your aging family member has difficulty walking or uses a wheel chair, you can apply for a disabled persons parking permit through your county office.  In Georgia, I got mine at the same place where driver’s licenses are issued.  Some states, including Georgia, require a statement or prescription from your doctor.
• Emergency Supplies:  Depending on the needs of your aging family member you may need to keep a tote bag with emergency supplies.  Some of the things I keep in my car, in the wheel chair backpack and the walker tote are:  extra Depends, baby wipes, cotton balls (for nose bleeds) hand sanitizer, paper towels and tissues.  Your needs may be different, these just happen to be the things I carry.

I hope this has been helpful and has given you something to think about.  As you think of additional things, let us know in the comment section.

Subscribe to the comments for this post

Update on Caregiver Challenge to Feed the Elderly

A few days ago I put forth a challenge for caregivers and other kind people to feed elderly people on a limited fixed income.  I never underestimate the kindness of strangers because I still believe most people are kind. In just a few days, enough donations have been received to feed three more elderly people for about a month.  Like I said before, it’s nothing extravagant.  This time I purchased a 12 pack of corn and a 12 pack of green beans; an eight pack of 18 oz cans of soup; a 16 pack of tuna, a large jar of peanut butter and a two pack box of oatmeal.  Not pictured is a gallon jug of apple juice and a box of crackers.  Three elderly people will receive these groceries next week.

Many thanks to everyone who has donated so far.  Special thanks to Kathy Hendershot-Hurd who tweeted the challenge and mentioned it on her blog Virtual Impax; and to Michael Martine who tweeted the challenge.

This challenge will be ongoing.  I would like to help feed our elderly on a regular basis, especially in this economy.

Related Reading:

Challenge for Caregivers and other Kind People

Subscribe to the comments for this post

Challenge for Caregivers and Other Kind People

A challenge to help feed elderly people on a limited fixed income.

Every year my husband and I choose a charity or family to bless during the Christmas season.  Some years it has been Project Angel Tree, Atlanta Women’s Shelter or a family of our choosing.  This year we decided to bless three elderly people on a fixed income.

I have a friend who manages Carriage House Apartments in Smyrna, Georgia.  The majority of her residents are elderly people on a limited fixed income who often run out of food before the end of the month.  If you have been reading this blog, you will find in a previous post that my god-sister was sick last week and I did not send her to her Senior Day Care Center.  I am fortunate to be able to work from home if I need to do so; therefore I did not have to hire anyone to stay with Gladys last week.

Anyway, what we decided to do was take the money I would have paid the Cobb Senior Day Center and purchase food for three of the elderly residents at Carriage House.  I purchased the food at a wholesale club and was able to buy enough food for three people for about a month.  I’m not talking about anything fancy, just staples:  oatmeal, tuna, green beans, potatoes, peanut butter, crackers, tea and soup - all in large quantities.

The Challenge

My challenge is to other caregivers and other kind folks, to feed elderly people on a fixed income.  They could be a neighbor, a member of your church or whomever.  If you would like to donate here, I will be glad to do the shopping and feed more people at Carriage House and possibly others in need if there are enough donations.  I know that you don’t know me and I don’t know you, but I promise that every penny donated through this site will be used for food donations for elderly people on a fixed income.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Subscribe to the comments for this post