Maintain Independence- Elderly Home Care Service Can Help Your Loved One
By Thao Nguyen

Elderly home care services are growing at an accelerated rate, and this particular industry is only poised to continue to grow as the population of the United States ages. The number of people of retirement age and older is expected to double by the year 2030, and by the middle of this century, there will be more elderly people in this country than any other age group.

While a few people are lucky and stay healthy enough to be able to take care of themselves without help for their entire lives, others are not so fortunate. With advances in preventive medicine and anti-aging technologies, the number of elderly who live alone will rise, but there will always be a need for help for those who have difficulties maintaining their independence. Family members are not always able to attend to every need of the aging parent or grandparent, especially if that person needs frequent assistance. No one wants to go the nursing home route if other alternatives are available, and that is the reason why elderly home care companies provide such an essential service.

The elderly home care agency you choose can usually help with a variety of personal care services and chores around the house. Depending on the needs and wants of your elderly relative, you can find elderly home care services that can send people out to check on him or her once a day, once a week, round the clock or however often is required. These elderly care assistants can do minor household chores, help with bathing and dressing, and administer medications. Having such a service available and on call can make the difference between your relative remaining in his or her own home and having to go into an assisted living or nursing facility.

If you decide to use elderly home care services, help your loved one interview and select the paid caregiver. Have the agency send someone over to spend some time with your relative, so they can see if the match is a good one. Not every match is right and you might have to through many different elderly care assistants before finding the right person. The whole experience of using an elderly home care service will be much more successful for everyone if you determine the needs and wants of your loved one and involve him or her in the process of finding the most suitable elderly care assistant.

Read more…

For assistance in Seattle WA for your senior loved one, visit www.andelcare.com.

Legal Guidance Needed to Protect Alzheimer’s Patients

Here is an article from agingcare.com that is helpful for families with loved ones suffering from Alzheimer?s. Visit us at  if you need help for a senior loved one in the  area.

Protecting Alzheimer patients’ legal, financial welfare

Caregiving experts often advise that after an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, family members meet with an elder law attorney to begin the process of planning for down the road as the illness progresses.

"I don’t think families are well-versed in this," said Barbara Vogel, program coordinator for the Neuwirth Memory Disorders Program at Hillside Geriatric Center in Glen Oaks.

"I don’t think they’re seeking the legal assistance or financial guidance that they need to do this early on so when the time comes they are prepared."

Instead of doing all of their planning with a lawyer, some caregivers turn to geriatric care managers or social workers who hire themselves out as guides to those attempting to navigate the system. Orlando Gonzalez, 66, and his daughter Kim Latkovich, 38, both of Manorville, paid a social worker $700 and found the experience both cheaper and faster than dealing with an attorney.

Continue reading HERE.

If you need help with a loved one suffering from Alzheimer’s Diesease, visit us at www.andelcare.com.
 

Becoming a Family Caregiver

It is not unusual for a family member to suddenly find them self in the role of a caregiver to a seriously ill family member. We all go through varying stages of emotions when our lives have been transformed by becoming a family caregiver. Research has shown there are five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. These are the emotions that form the framework which makes up our learning to adjust and cope with our life as a family caregiver while we watch someone we love struggle with chronic illness.

The responsibility of being a primary caregiver can overwhelm you. The time requirements and physical demands of caring for older people are taxing. The emotional stress can be ever worse. So consider all the consequences carefully before you agree to be come a primary family caregiver.

Family members are in a position to help reduce the burden and stress of caregiving. There are times when strong disagreements arise over the treatment of an ill family member. All too often, a care giving family member is pitted against a distant family member who may feel guilty for not "being there. If there has been a history of feeling left out, arguing, or providing an unfair share of care giving, there can be deep resentment, too.

A sudden serious illness of a family loved one often bring families closer together than they may have been in years. Children of the seriously ill parent will have to make informed adhesions. There are situations where it is clear who will make the decisions and how. Think about how your family operates.

The caregiver’s rights must be recognized by all involved both for the sake of the caregiver and the patient. Family members can provide some relief for the caregiver of an elderly family member. No caregiver can perform their tasks well without an occasional rest. In situations where other members are hesitant to provide assistance, the family can involve a third party, either a clergy member, or someone from a geriatric social service agency.

A caregiver is often unaware that have a right and a need to some down time. The caregiver must be aware of their needs as the first step in getting help from others. Often genuine offers of help are rejected by caregivers because they do not know what to ask for.

Gerald Melnick is the publisher of the blog Senior News. In an average month over 2000 articles are scanned from over 30 different resources, about articles that impact on senior citizens in the areas of Health, Money and Relationships. Excerpts of the articles are listed with a link to the article so that a quick scan can show what is available and take the reader right to the source article. News For Seniors

Article Source

For care and assistance in the Bellevue WA area, visit www.andelcare.com.

Everyone knows that the “dog days of summer” occur during the hottest and muggiest part of the season Webster defines “dog days” as… 1: the period between early July and early September when the hot sultry weather of summer usually occurs in the northern hemisphere 2: a period of stagnation or inactivity 

 But where does the term come from? Why do we call the hot, sultry days of summer “dog days?”

 In ancient times, when the night sky was unobscured by artificial lights and smog, different groups of peoples in different parts of the world drew images in the sky by “connecting the dots” of stars. The images drawn were dependent upon the culture: The Chinese saw different images than the Native Americans, who saw different pictures than the Europeans. These star pictures are now called constellations, and the constellations that are now mapped out in the sky come from our European ancestors. They saw images of bears, (Ursa Major and Ursa Minor), twins, (Gemini), a bull, (Taurus), and others, including dogs, (Canis Major and Canis Minor). The brightest of the stars in Canis Major (the big dog) is Sirius, which also happens to be the brightest star in the night sky. In fact, it is so bright that the ancient Romans thought that the earth received heat from it. Look for it in the southern sky (viewed from northern latitudes) during January. In the summer, however, Sirius, the “dog star,” rises and sets with the sun. During late July Sirius is in conjunction with the sun, and the ancients believed that its heat added to the heat of the sun, creating a stretch of hot and sultry weather. They named this period of time, from 20 days before the conjunction to 20 days after, “dog days” after the dog star. Today, dog days occur during the period between July 3 and August 11. Although it is certainly the warmest period of the summer, the heat is not due to the added radiation from a far-away star, regardless of its brightness. No, the heat of summer is a direct result of the earth’s tilt.

 (Image: federico stevanin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

Caring For Elders – 6 Pitfalls of Providing Care
By Hal Robertson

1. Dealing with a resentful spouse and upset children

If your family is one that likes to do a lot together and are use to weekend getaways, going to kids ballgames all the time, or just spending time watching TV together, major adjustments may have to be made when you become the caregiver for your elder.

This situation can cause feelings of anger and resentment in your spouse and children. They’ll feel cheated that you aren’t able to spend the time with them that you have in the past.

A great way to help them understand the situation is to take them with you when you are caring for your elder. This will help them understand exactly what it is you do, how important it is to your elder and why you haven’t been around at home as much.

Having children help with things such as exercise, or with make up applications may be something your children may enjoy. Not only that, but it will help them in becoming more caring human beings.

2. Feelings of being unappreciated by your elder

This can be a tough situation. Here you are giving your all and making significant sacrifices. Yet, all you hear are complaints, criticism. All accompanied by a complete lack of gratitude from your elder.

The danger here is that you may want to simply give up, begin visiting with less frequency. offering less care – all at a time when your elder needs you more than ever.  Support groups can be good places to turn for help with issues that arise from feelings of being under
appreciated, but you may want to turn to someone who you are close to. They’ll be able to provide some objectivity in dealing with the situation.

Keep in mind that if your elder has always been an ornery or ungrateful type of person, they sure aren’t going to change now. But where you are closer to them now, you are going to be impacted by it even more than before. It’s also important to understand, however, that if these ungrateful type of traits are just surfacing now that they are likely tied to their illness and not directed at you personally. It’s very difficult to be treated poorly in either case, but especially so if you’ve never experience these actions from your elder before.

It’s certainly difficult, but you’ll have to try your best to build up a Teflon exterior so that you don’t end up being resentful, rude and obnoxious to your elder when they need your understanding the most right now.

3. Feelings of being unappreciated by your family

This can be a big issue, especially when you are doing a great job with caring for your elder. At first you may be very happy with yourself for doing such a great job, but over time, you may begin to get the feeling your efforts are being taken for granted. Once this happens, you may find yourself focusing on all the times you are missing out on because you are the primary care giver for your elder. These feelings can spiral out of control, if you aren’t able to keep them in check.

If this happens to you, I’d recommend searching out a support group. There are plenty out there – in person groups or online groups. You’ll quickly find that you are not alone in your feelings. You’ll likely find others are quick to provide support and ideas of how to best deal with your feelings.

Read more…
 

For information about how Andelcare can help you and your family with the care of a loved one, visit www.andelcare.com

Becoming a Family Caregiver

It is not unusual for a family member to suddenly find them self in the role of a caregiver to a seriously ill family member. We all go through varying stages of emotions when our lives have been transformed by becoming a family caregiver. Research has shown there are five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. These are the emotions that form the framework which makes up our learning to adjust and cope with our life as a family caregiver while we watch someone we love struggle with chronic illness.

The responsibility of being a primary caregiver can overwhelm you. The time requirements and physical demands of caring for older people are taxing. The emotional stress can be ever worse. So consider all the consequences carefully before you agree to be come a primary family caregiver.

Family members are in a position to help reduce the burden and stress of caregiving. There are times when strong disagreements arise over the treatment of an ill family member. All too often, a care giving family member is pitted against a distant family member who may feel guilty for not "being there. If there has been a history of feeling left out, arguing, or providing an unfair share of care giving, there can be deep resentment, too.

A sudden serious illness of a family loved one often bring families closer together than they may have been in years. Children of the seriously ill parent will have to make informed adhesions. There are situations where it is clear who will make the decisions and how. Think about how your family operates.

The caregiver’s rights must be recognized by all involved both for the sake of the caregiver and the patient. Family members can provide some relief for the caregiver of an elderly family member. No caregiver can perform their tasks well without an occasional rest. In situations where other members are hesitant to provide assistance, the family can involve a third party, either a clergy member, or someone from a geriatric social service agency.

A caregiver is often unaware that have a right and a need to some down time. The caregiver must be aware of their needs as the first step in getting help from others. Often genuine offers of help are rejected by caregivers because they do not know what to ask for.

Gerald Melnick is the publisher of the blog Senior News. In an average month over 2000 articles are scanned from over 30 different resources, about articles that impact on senior citizens in the areas of Health, Money and Relationships. Excerpts of the articles are listed with a link to the article so that a quick scan can show what is available and take the reader right to the source article. News For Seniors

Article Source

For care and assistance in the Bellevue WA area, visit www.andelcare.com .

Elder Law Attorneys Specialize in Helping the Elderly

Many elderly persons rely entirely on their children, family members or other trusted individuals to help them. This dependence upon caregivers or family members makes an older person more vulnerable to abuse and financial exploitation. Legal arrangements and protective actions by family may be necessary to shield loved ones from making bad decisions or from being taken advantage of.

Though you wouldn’t think a child could take advantage of his or her mother or father, there is no way to know what someone will do who is desperate for money or who feels entitled to an inheritance. For example:

David’s parents’ health was failing and living alone in their home was becoming a concern. His sister Jill wanted to look into assisted living for them. David immediately became upset at Jill for wanting to spend their money. He packed up his parents and brought them to his home. Being single and working, he was not available to them during the day, but left food and water on the table to sustain them until he returned home in the evening. Jill lived over 300 miles from David and when she could get to his house to visit; she found her parents’ care was not acceptable. They could not remember if they took their medications or if they had even eaten a meal that day. David was also draining their savings account and when confronted about it, became angry and complained that he needed their money to pay expenses for their care. Clearly Jill felt her brother’s care of their parents was abusive, but David’s defense was he provided a home for his parents in which he could care for them. This family needs a professional advisor to help them understand and clarify the issues concerning their parents’ care.

Making legal decisions about property, finances, power of attorney, and final wishes are important tasks to complete for the final years of life. Having legal documentation for a will, for medical treatment and for the person designated to be responsible for parents’ welfare can avoid family disputes and financial abuse, and help to conserve assets that are needed for care.

Elder law attorneys specialize in legal issues affecting the elderly. They are knowledgeable about Medicare and Medicaid programs. They work with the elderly in assisting them and their families with all aspects of estate planning and implementing necessary legal documents for the final years of life. In addition, they help individuals to apply for and possibly accelerate coverage from Medicaid. An elder law attorney can also help with disputes with Medicaid. Below is a partial list of what an elder law attorney might do:

·        Preservation or transfer of assets seeking to avoid spousal impoverishment when a spouse enters a nursing home

·        Medicaid qualification and application and Medicaid planning strategies

·        Medicare claims and appeals

·        Veterans Benefits claims

·        Social security and disability claims and appeals

·        Disability planning, including use of durable powers of attorney, living trusts and living wills

·        Help with financial management and health care decisions; and other means of delegating management and decision-making to another in case of incompetence or incapacity
Probate

·        Administration and management of trusts and estates

·        Long term care placements in nursing homes and assisted living

·        Nursing home issues with patients’ rights and nursing home quality

·        Elder abuse and fraud recovery cases

A Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA) is an elder law attorney who is highly proficient in meeting the legal needs of elders and in understanding and applying the rules of Medicaid. A CELA has successfully handled a requisite number of pertinent cases in order to receive that designation. This experience will make an attorney with this designation more competent with elder planning issues than other attorneys lacking this designation.

Most elder law attorneys do not specialize in all of the areas iterated above. When considering an attorney you will want to find one who has experience in the area you need help.

According to The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys — http://www.naela.org/:

“Ask lots of questions before selecting an elder law attorney. You don’t want to end up in the office of an attorney who can’t help you. Start with the initial phone call. It is not unusual to speak only to a secretary, receptionist or office manager during an initial call or before actually meeting with the attorney. If so, ask this person your questions.

·        How long has the attorney been in practice?

·        Does his/her practice emphasize a particular area of law?

·        How long has he/she been in this field?

·        What percentage of his/her practice is devoted to elder law?

·        Is there a fee for the first consultation and if so, how much is it?

·        Given the nature of your problem, what information should you bring with you to the initial consultation?"

A good way to choose an attorney is by referral from friends, family, clergy or other associations. Before you meet for your initial consultation, prepare the items you want discussed and taken care of. Bring pertinent documents and questions. Be sure you get clear answers and that you understand what your attorney is proposing.

Two-way communication is the best way your attorney can understand your needs and concerns. Does the attorney listen to what you say, appear to really care about your concerns or return your phone calls? If not find another attorney. Most Elder law Attorneys sincerely want to help make you or your parent’s elder years a well planned for, peaceful experience for all involved.

There are a number of ways attorneys charge for their services. They may charge a flat hourly rate. Or they may charge hourly for some services and add on additional expense for out-of-pocket costs such as paperwork, stamps, phone calls, etc. Or they may charge a single fee for a mutually agreed-upon course of action or plan. Some attorneys who specialize in appeals for veterans benefits or Social Security may work on a contingency basis. It is important to understand how you will be billed so there will be no surprises in the end.

The National Care Planning Council lists elder law attorneys throughout the United States.
To find someone in your area go to http://www.longtermcarelink.net/a2cfindattorney.htm

Source

For information about how Andelcare can help you with a senior loved one in the Bellevue area, visit www.andelcare.com.

How do I know if my parent has Alzheimer’s disease?

When an elderly parent starts having trouble with memory, the family automatically think its Alzheimer’s disease. The concerns are valid. Alzheimer’s usually begins after age 60 and nearly half of people age 85 and older may have Alzheimer’s, according to the National Institute on Aging. However, only a doctor can diagnose Alzheimer’s, and there are some other diseases or conditions that may cause Alzheimer’s-like symptoms.

If you suspect your parent has Alzheimer’s, here are some warning signs to look for:

Read more at agingcare.com….

If you or your loved one need care or assistance in the Seattle WA area, please visit www.andelcare.com.