In our experience, stress is one the most common caregiver concerns. It is a critical issue because unmanaged stress puts you at risk for burnout. Common “care for the caregiver” advice usually includes exercise, good nutrition, maintaining social life, asking for help, and setting limits. While these are important, we think three other techniques are [read more…]
Posts
When You Are a Sole Caregiver
Caregiving for a loved one over a long period of time can be challenging. It is even more so when you are on your own. This month, Elder Voice focuses on issues around being a sole caregiver. Sole caregivers often tell us that they have a feeling of aloneness. Even when they have a good [read more…]
Getting Past No: When A Loved One Says “I don’t need help.”
One of the most common problems we hear about from caregivers is that their loved one, often parents, will not accept any outside help, despite the fact that they are clearly having trouble with personal care or household tasks, are sick or frail and possibly at risk, or lonely. They may not be willing to [read more…]
When Parents Grew Up in Another Culture
Adult children who were either born in Canada or who came here at a young age and whose parents came to Canada as adults have some unique challenges. They are in a sense bi-cultural, having grown up surrounded in the home by their parents’ originating values and culture while outside the home they are immersed [read more…]
A Quick Guide to Explain Seniors Housing
There is an array of seniors housing options which caregivers and seniors confront as they begin to think about moving and downsizing. A good understanding of what these options are and what they offer can help you choose what is right for you now and in the future. It can also help you avoid some [read more…]
Finding Help: Taking the Confusion out of Eldercare
The first steps in finding help on the rollercoaster of caregiving can be the most stressful ones. This month Elder Voice describes sixteen of the most common types of services and support available. There are two main “streams” of help available to caregivers: the public and the private systems. In the public system, services are [read more…]
Who Does What in Eldercare
Eldercare can seem like a maze for Seniors, family members, and caregivers when they need help. It is difficult to understand the different roles and skills of the people who provide care to seniors. This month Elder Voice describes who does what and who will give you the help you need. To start with a [read more…]
What Can She Do. Not What She Cannot
So often, it seems, the focus on someone with dementia is on what they cannot do. Partly, of course, this is because they need help to make up for the deficits in their abilities– to wash, bathe, prepare food, even spend time alone. But the challenge is to remember to look for and pay attention [read more…]
A Warning About Reverse Mortgages
A client of mine shared this story with me. I share it with you. Shocking sticker price of a reverse mortgage I recently have been helping an elderly gentleman sell his condo and although he had said that his reverse mortgage was awful, I was not prepared for the tremendous bite a reverse mortgage takes. [read more…]
If Sherlock Holmes Were A Caregiver: Understanding Aggressive Behaviour and Dementia
86 year old Susan was a client of ours whose dementia had been progressing steadily over several years. Her caregivers were a set of dedicated, compassionate, gentle and caring people. They were committed to giving her the best quality of life possible, keeping her clean and comfortable, preventing skin breakdowns and infections, and providing her [read more…]