Adeste In-Home Care - Colorado

In-Home Care in Colorado

What Are Caregivers Biggest Concerns?

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As a family caregiver, it’s easy to think you’re all alone. Rest assured many other people are facing the same challenges as you.

According to the National Family Caregivers Association, there are more than 65 million family caregivers providing care to their loved ones. And many of them face a significant and sustained burden of care. One-half will be in the caregiving role for more than five years. One-third care for more than one person.

And they face three significant challenges every day.

They are concerned with their own health

Family caregivers report that their own health care tops the list as a concern. [Read more…]

The Financial Issues Of Being A Caregiver

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Too often we fall into the role of caregiver by accident, taking on the job merely because it presents itself. You’re there, it’s your loved one, what else can you do?

The burdens of caregiving can have long withstanding impact on your physical and mental health, as well as your financial situation. It can last way beyond the act of caregiving, impacting you for the rest of your life.

As we age, we plan for many things. A new house. College for the kids. Retirement. But few add in the cost of caregiving for different members of the family. And in most cases, few are prepared for the burden it can cause.

Caregiving isn’t a one size fits all kind of process. Some will ease into it over several months or even several years, gradually taking on more tasks their loved one can no longer handle. Some fall into it head first when disaster strikes overnight. There’s never a solution that fits all.

Surveys show that caregiving takes up a considerable amount of time in a family caregivers life. Many spend 30 hours a week or more doing things like:

  • Shopping for personal care items
  • Attending medical appointments
  • Transporting aged loved ones
  • Preparing meals
  • Administering medications

And that’s just the start. [Read more…]

Why Caregiving Is A Corporate Issue

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Caregiving isn’t just a family thing, it’s something that impacts each and every one of us.

According to the National Alliance for Caregiving, more than 15 percent of the US workforce plays a caregiving role. Yet most are reluctant to tell their employees about their situation for fear of the impact on their jobs and future promotions.

According to a MetLife study, many caregivers leave positions when the conflict between responsibilities gets to be too much. It ends up costing as much as $304,000 in benefits and wages over the average employee’s lifetime.

66 percent of all caregivers have reported to work late, left early, or have been forced to take time off during the day to deal with caregiving issues.

20 percent of all caregivers are forced to take a leave of absence somewhere during the process.

10 percent of all caregivers quit or take early retirement before they are ready due to caregiving needs.

5 percent of all caregivers say no to a promotion because they worry about how it will impact their caregiving duties.

Some of it is due to fear. Corporate structure is of such that we worry about job potential if we reveal weakness. We prefer to deal with it in our own way rather than asking for help from those around us.

It’s not that employers aren’t willing to work with a person; in most cases, it’s that they are simply unaware.

But it’s this communication breakdown between employers and employees that are contributing to the lack of support. The only way to change it is to reach out and talk about it and find out what your options are.

Some employers offer resources and services that can help a family caregiver. When employees don’t take advantage of the services, human resource analyzes and refocuses their needs in other directions.

Start by asking what is available to you. Don’t be afraid to open up about your situation and ask what can be done to support your needs. Even if they don’t have a program in place, it can open up the opportunity to learn. And even from the very first conversation, it may be enough to help you solve some of your needs and discover how you can continue doing what you do.

The Caregiving Journey: Keeping A Road Map

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All throughout our lives, we start new journeys over and over again. It’s what makes us human. It’s what adds to our creativity and adventure.

Some we plan for and can’t wait to begin. Marriage, starting a new job, having kids: they all give us a sense the best is yet to come.

But caregiving doesn’t come with those same sensory expectations. We dread the process. Sometimes we ignore the signs, not wanting to face reality until it’s necessary.

Yet it’s all a part of the journey. It’s called life. And as a caregiver, the more aware you are over what you’ll be experiencing together with your loved one, the more you’ll be able to navigate it positively. Once you focus in on the caregiving experience, and look at it as a journey, you can identify pitfalls and what it will take to improve them.

Creating The Path

While it might sound like a difficult thing to do, if you define your goals and create a vision of the experience ahead of you, it can change your approach to caregiving. It will help you refine each step along the path as you enter new stages.

With everything you will be facing, there are others that have been there too. While no two journeys are ever the same, you can find guidance to help you along the way. For instance, with Alzheimer’s, there are several stages a person will experience over time. The more you can learn about the process, the more you can plan for each stage. Reaching out for help to understand more and come to terms with each stage will help your journey.

Overcome The Roadblocks

Creating your map is only the first part of the process. It’s the starting point for understanding and improving the journey. A map can be a guide making suggestions along the way. A map can tell you when you need to take side roads to get the job done. It can also help you reach out for help by giving you clues to what comes next in the process. You no longer become the bad guy in some cases – the map helps to confirm what’s next in the process.

Update your findings every day. It gives you a resource to refer back to again and again. Detailed feedback helps you identify gaps and obstacles you’ve already faced, and can help trigger things that worked (or didn’t work) in the past. Which allows you to update your map and refine your process over and over again.

You’ll gradually smooth out your processes and approach, and become more comfortable with every task, every day.

What Do Caregivers Really Need To Know

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There are two different kinds of caregivers: family caregivers and paid caregivers.

In most cases, families start out by caring for their loved one on their own. It may start with little chores as your loved one’s health and abilities begin to decline. Or it may come all at once, in the case of illness, accident, or surgery.

But the longer you are involved in providing care for your loved one, the more you’ll start to discover you need a little bit of help along the way. That’s where paid caregivers come into the picture. That’s where in-home caregiving can help.

But it’s not as simple as finding someone online, inserting your credit card numbers, and having someone show up at your door. Imagine needing someone who can help lift your loved one, and they don’t have the physical strength to do it, for example. That can be frustrating at best. [Read more…]

7 Rights You Have As A Caregiver

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I have to take what she dishes out. I’m her caregiver.

She’s not who she used to be. She’s suffering with this disease. I have to support her no matter what.

He doesn’t mean to do this. It’s a part of the process.

Have you ever thought or made a statement like one of these? Caregiving can be the most difficult job you’ll ever have to do. And occasionally it can be a fairly rough road.

Many assume they have to stick with it, day after day, no matter what their loved one dishes out. They are the primary caregiver. But don’t forget that you have rights too. It doesn’t make you a selfish or poor caregiver. It makes you a healthy one. And the healthier you are, the more you’ll have to give to the person you are caring for.

You have rights as a caregiver. Keep them close to your heart and remind yourself every day. You have the right: [Read more…]

5 Signs You Shouldn’t Ignore As A Caregiver

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As a caregiver, you’ve probably become hyper-conscious about the person you are caring for. You can read mood swings, physical and mental changes quickly and fairly accurately. When something is wrong, you take action and get the help you need immediately.

What about your own health?

Caregivers assume they are the healthy one in the relationship. Nothing can happen to them; they have too much dependent on their actions every day. Which makes the situation ripe for problems.

Most aches and pains aren’t signs of something serious. But there are certain symptoms that you should have checked out immediately.

Weakness in Arms and Legs

If you feel a sudden weakness in your arm, leg, or face, especially if it’s on one side of your body, it can be a sign of a stroke. You may also notice a sudden imbalance, feel dizzy, or have trouble walking. Some also notice a sudden onset of a headache, have problems speaking, or feel confused. If a stroke is caught early and clot-buster drugs are used within 4 ½ hours of your first symptom, you can lower your risk of a long term disability. [Read more…]

How To Share Eldercare With Your Siblings

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The parenting role is one that never ends. It starts from the moment you find out you’re pregnant and continues throughout life.

Parenting is a role that takes on many shapes and sizes. Nurturing, teaching, playing, providing undivided attention and care: parenting is a thankless job that we willing take on and give our all. Day and night, we don’t complain when we have to jump in at the spur of the moment to conquer the latest challenge. It’s a parent’s job.

But then life changes. Roles are reversed.

Adult children take on families of their own. They have spouses to share a life with, kids to raise, a home to care for. And suddenly a new challenge faces them: caregiving for a parent.

But in many families, it isn’t a single person job. Instead, it’s a job to be shared by all the siblings. And that’s when troubles begin.

Just because you grew up in the same household and currently are raising families of your own, doesn’t mean you’ll agree on the caregiving approach. Every problem will bring on new challenges. Every decision will cause every sibling to have a different opinion. The challenge is keeping everyone happy.

Communication

Listen … then talk. As early in the process as possible, sit down and go through all of the options available to you. If possible, get your parents’ input; knowing how they feel even when they can’t express it for themselves can sometimes help smooth the way. Never make a decision on your own. If you are approaching eldercare as a group, make decisions as a group. This creates an open line of communication and leaves no one feeling like they are left out or ignored. Don’t let things fester; solve issues as soon as they come up.

Tasking

With caregiving, there are an unlimited number of tasks you’ll be working on each day, and you cannot do them alone. Start delegating these tasks as soon as they occur. Write them into a sibling contract if need be to keep your family on track.

Siblings in town may have more hands-on tasks while out of town family members may take on different roles, such as financial responsibility. You can also delegate time off for in-town siblings when out-of-town have the chance to return home.

It’s About Your Parents

Never forget that your parent’s needs take precedence when you are in direct caregiving mode. It’s easy to get off target as different situations arise. But caregiving isn’t a fluid task; one that follows a natural progression like raising an infant. Caregiving can throw you into a whirlwind of situations with no warning, and you’re stuck with dealing with it at the time it’s happening.

You’re all in this together. As siblings, realize that each of you does your best. It’s not about you; it’s about your parents. If your goal is to make your parent happy, it can ease the pain and frustration knowing you’re all in this together.

Best Car Features For Caregivers

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As a caregiver, your days are pretty busy. And you probably spend a lot of time in the car. Driving to doctor’s appointments, visiting with specialists, testing, and more testing, picking up prescriptions from the pharmacy – it all can be a little overwhelming at times.

Any car will do. But when you’re responsible for someone else’s needs, finding the right car that supports your caregiving efforts will make your job easier. The person you are caring for now may be fairly mobile. What happens as that changes? Will your car function as well in the future as it does right now?

When looking at a car’s features, evaluate it based on two characteristics: access for people and access to your stuff. Both can change significantly over time.

Access For People

Different vehicles provide different accessibility. If you’ve ever climbed into a large pickup, or into the backseat of a two door sports car, you know this to be true. The more control you can give the person you are caring for during this process, the easier your life will be. [Read more…]

Help! I’m a First Time Caregiver

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Caregiving isn’t something you plan. It isn’t something you wake up one day and decide to bring into your life.

Instead, it’s thrust upon you, usually at the most inopportune time. You have a life. You’re busy. And you don’t want this job too.

There’s never a right time to take on the caregiving role. But there are ways to integrate it into your life with less stress. Here’s how.

Start The Conversation Immediately

Caregiving doesn’t just impact you; it impacts the one you’re caring for, and the friends and family around you too. Who is close to this situation? Who will have a part in the process?

Bring them together and start a conversation as early as possible. Listen and respect everyone’s desires. Try and include as much as you can while realizing that not every wish will be possible as you travel down this new path. Above all, keep trying. Every day will be different and bring to light new issues. There will be conflict; talking it out and bringing in help right from the beginning will ensure less stress down the line. [Read more…]