Eldercare and Work Benefits

An article in the paper today about another person who ended up with eldercare responsibilities, and a workplace which was not conducive to her being able to deal with them.

" I was getting call at work during the day, and I'd have to leave because my mom was becoming violent...I was trying to balance everything at home and at work, but when my mom got sick, it was too much..."( The Province, Jan 21, 2007).

She was fired as her performance was affected.

This article, directly, and indirectly says a couple of things.

One, it says that if you think you will become a caregiver ( and at least 25% of us who are working will) you had better find a job that has employee eldercare benefits, or start advocating with your company if it doesn't.

The second thing is that you need to have an understanding of aging and eldercare. That is one of the places a Geriatric Care Manager and consultant can help. We are the ones you can call on before things become a crisis. We are the ones who can help you plan for the future. We are the ones who can help you talk to your aging relative, and help you in their care.

In dealing with your workplace:
1. Ask them what their policies are that relate to eldercare
2. Ask them what kind of training their management has in understanding this as a workplace issue.
3. How flexible are they?
4. Do they have eldercare benefits in their employee compensation package, and if they do not, will they consider them.
5. As them how they will help you manage your eldercare responsibilities if a promotion or transfer comes up.

New Service to Caregivers in Vancouver Area

BURNABY SENIORS OUTREACH SERVICES SOCIETY
IS PROUD TO INTRODUCE
CAREGIVER’S CARELINE
604-833-5545
Monday to Friday, 10:00 – 3:00
This is a non-threatening confidential link for caregivers who are experiencing stress, anxiety, feelings of inadequacy, isolation, loneliness, lack of social stimulation, unresolved feelings, coping with sibling relationships, caring for aging parents, everyday struggles, preparation for future care needs or any myriad of other problems they may be having. The experience of caregiving can be a very difficult one. With adequate support caregivers find it a rewarding experience

Support and Training For Nannies

January 27, 2007. A-Pro Nannies is sponsoring a " New comers Orientation and Survival Guide" orientation. This will be support and information for people in Canada on the Live In Caregiver programme. For more information, 604-874-4159.

All too often, people come over and become nannies without knowing their rights and how the system works. On the other hand, there are times when people come over as nannies, either for the elderly or children, and they have no interest in doing the work. that is why is it essential that you trust the agency through whom you have hired someone. You also should get references on your own, and make sure you do a thorough interview on your own.

Alzheimers Prevention

Well, actually, there is still no known way to prevent Alzheimer's Disease, but increasingly there is thought that there may be ways to reduce risk. Today's Vancouver Sun had a front page article which describes these. Basically, they boil down to what we have been told for many years about maintaining health in general:

1. Proper Nutrition
2. Excercise
3. Social Interaction

These are what I listed in my book, " Nursing Homes: The Family's Journey (Johns Hopkis University Press)." I wrote it a few years ago, before people were saying these things may reduce risk of Alzheimer's so it is nice to have it confirmed.

What I didn't write, and which is being emphasized these days is, or fucssed on, is mental stimulation--doing those things that exercise different parts of the brain. This means, not just memory, but activities that encourage problem solving, such as crosswords, soduku, and others. It could be discussions that focus on problem solving, reasoning, or planning. Alzheimers does not just affect memory, it affects those things aslo--what are called executive functioning skills of the brain.

Also, remember about dementia--Alzheimer's Disease is only one kind of dementia. There are other diseases which cause dementia. The major ones for this are Parkinson's Disease and Stroke. Interestingly, atleast two of the things that are thought to prevent Alzheimer's are the ones thought to prevent stroke and heart disease--exercise and nutrition.

Ac tually, when we think about it, they are the key factors for non drug prevention strategies for a gazillion conditions and problems, including:

--constipation
--high blood pressure and cholesterol
--diabetes
--depression
--ungrateful children

So eat an apple and go for a walk.

Happy New Year