High-Tech Solutions to Aging-in-Place Dilemmas
By Nell Bernstein, Caring.com senior editor

Quick summary

Ninety-five percent of people 75 and older say they want to stay in their homes indefinitely. This desire for independence is perfectly natural, but for their children, it's also a recipe for worry — that they'll fall, forget to take their meds, or just need assistance. You can make your parents' home far safer and more comfortable by investing in some of the new devices aimed at elders who have made the choice to "age in place."

Solutions for safety worries

"Seniors can really get in trouble because they feel like they're losing their grip on independence," says Susan Ayers Walker of SmartSilvers Alliance. Ayers monitors technological advances aimed at helping seniors hold on to their independence as they age. These technologies also help the children of aging parents, who worry that Mom is going to fall down the stairs, leave the stove on, or forget to take her medication if no one is around to notice.

Here's a worry-by-worry guide to some innovations — several tested and recommended by Walker — that can make all the difference if you're concerned about your live-alone parents' safety or just their day-to-day ease of living.

1. YOUR WORRY: My parents won't be able to reach me in an emergency.

TECH SOLUTION: Big-button cell phone. According to the Pew Research Center, many seniors won't use a cell phone even in an emergency. They find them too complex, can't manage the tiny buttons, or can't read the screens. A big-button phone like the Jitterbug ($147), designed specifically for seniors, could give you and your parents peace of mind. It's an easy-open clamshell with extra-loud speakers, big backlit buttons, a bright screen with easy-to-read numbers, and a straightforward service contract (at an additional cost). The Jitterbug One-Touch takes simplicity a step further, with just three big, impossible-to-miss buttons — one for 911; one for the operator, who will connect your parent to anyone she wants to reach; and one preprogrammed to connect your parents to you or another family member. Such phones cost $10 to $80 per month for the service plan in addition to the cost of the phone.

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If you or someone you know needs help with homecare in Seattle, contact the caregivers at Andelcare. We provide quality and affordable in-home care for many disabled and elderly loved ones in our community. Call us at 888-788-3051 for more information.

Tips for Weathering Summer Sun, Heat

Staywell Custom Communications

SATURDAY, July 16 (HealthDay News) — You may love the summer heat that makes it easy to swim, picnic and just laze around outside, but don't overdo it:

Overexposure to the sun and heat can be dangerous, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency warns.

On average, heat waves kill more people each year in the United States than any other natural disaster. And one American dies every hour from skin cancer, the most common type of cancer in the United States, according to the EPA.

To help combat the double-whammy of heat waves and the sun, the EPA suggests planting trees, shrubs and vines near buildings to provide cooling shade and protection from ultraviolet rays.

The agency also offers the following summer safety tips:

•    Stay hydrated and wear lightweight, light-colored, and loose-fitting clothing to protect your skin from harmful UV radiation. Also, wear a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses.
•    Apply sunscreen with an SPF 15 or higher about 30 minutes before you go outside and reapply every two hours. Check the sun's UV index before you go outside.
•     If you're outside during the sun's peak hours between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., try to stay in shade.
•     Remind others, particularly the elderly, to be safe in the sun and heat. Monitor them for signs of heat illness, which can include hot and dry skin, confusion, hallucinations and aggression.
•    Check the air quality. High ozone levels on hot summer days can make the air unhealthy to breathe.

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The caregivers at Andelcare are available to talk with you and your family about all of your live-in home care needs. Andelcare is a home care agency providing quality, affordable home care in Seattle and the surrounding areas. Call 888-788-3051 for more information.

Elder Care and Your Career
How to Balance Elder Care and Your Career

By Dawn Rosenberg McKay, About.com Guide

Elder care, being the caregiver for an elderly relative, can harm your career. This is the conclusion of the 1999 MetLife Juggling Act Study conducted by The National Center for Women and Aging at Brandeis University and The National Alliance for Caregiving. According to this study on the effects of elder care on working Americans, caregivers give up promotions, raises, and training opportunities. They take a leave from their jobs, cut their hours, or quit their jobs altogether.

Who Feels the Effect of Elder Care?

More women than men are the primary caregivers for their older relatives. The Family Caregiver Alliance reports that "the average caregiver is age 46, female, married and working outside the home earning an annual income of $35,000." ("Women and Caregiving: Facts and Figures")

Balancing Elder Care and Your Career

While it is difficult to miss out on a promising career opportunity, it is more difficult for most people to disregard the needs of an elderly relative. For babyboomers, who were among the last to experience the phenomenon of the "Leave It to Beaver" stay-at-home mom, it would be unthinkable to turn one's back on a parent in need. Now comes the issue of balance — how do you balance mom's and dad's needs with your career aspirations? Not to mention the fact that many of these caregivers are also working parents, dealing with child care issues as well.

If you are dealing with a short-term crisis, you should consider taking advantage of the Family and Medical Leave Act. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) allows you to take up to twelve weeks of paid and unpaid leave to care for a sick relative.

If you will be caring for an elderly relative at home for a period longer than three months, you will have to find another way to balance career and elder care. In lieu of leaving one's career behind, which for many reasons may not be an option, there are other choices.

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The caregivers at Andelcare are available to talk with you and your family about all of your live-in home care needs. Andelcare is a home care agency providing quality, affordable home care in Seattle WA and the surrounding communities. Call 888-788-3051 for more information.

There’s No Place Like Home—For Growing Old

“The stairs are getting so hard to climb.”
“Since my wife died, I just open a can of soup for dinner.”
“I’ve lived here 40 years. No other place will seem like home.”

These are common issues for older people. And, you may share the often-heard wish—“I want to stay in my own home!” The good news is that with the right help you might be able to do just that.

As part of the Federal Government’s National Institutes of Health, the National Institute on Aging (NIA) funds and conducts research related to aging, including how older people can remain independent. This NIA tip sheet introduces you to the kinds of help that you might want to consider so you can continue to live on your own. Where possible, we give you suggestions for free or low-cost help and include ways to identify benefits that might be available to you. A list of groups to contact for more detailed information is included at the end of the tip sheet. You can share this tip sheet with others in your family, and you can use it to begin talking about your needs—now and in the future.

What do I do first?

Planning ahead is hard because you never know how your needs might change. But, the first step is to think about the kinds of help you might want in the near future. Maybe you live alone, so there is no one living in your home who is available to help you. Maybe you don’t need help right now, but you live with a husband or wife who does. Everyone has a different situation, but one way to begin planning is to look at any illnesses like diabetes or emphysema that you or your spouse might have. Talk to your doctor about how these health problems could make it hard for someone to get around or take care of him or herself in the future. Help getting dressed in the morning, fixing a meal, or remembering to take medicine may be all you need to stay in your own home.

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The caregivers at Andelcare are available to talk with you and your family about all of your live-in home care needs. Andelcare is a home care agency providing quality, affordable home care in Seattle WA and the surrounding communities. Call 888-788-3051 for more information.

Tips on Caring for Aging Parents
Written By : Lin Steven

Do not feel alone if you are caring for your aging parents because you are one of 50 million Americans in the same boat. Whether they are staying with you or in another location, if you have the responsibility for their care, prepare yourself for a time consuming and emotional experience.

Tips for the Son or Daughter

Caring for your aging parents can be a very draining and exhausting ordeal. A support system between your brothers and/or sisters and friends will help lighten the load. Caring for aging parents is impossible to do on your own, especially if you work full time. You must come to the realization that at some point in time, one or both of your parents might have their normal thoughts, behavior, and attitudes changed radically by disease.

If this happens, caring for your parent can be like dealing with a complete stranger. For your own emotional and physical health, you will need an occasional break. Having your own parent not recognize you or think you are somebody else can come as a big shock to your system.

Tax Implications

Consulting with an accountant and/or attorney, if you are caring for aging parents, is time, energy, and money well spent. By making sure a will is drawn up and estate laws examined in detail, you will be free to give loving care for your aging parents. Depending on your circumstances, you may find that you can claim your parent as a tax deduction.

Taking Away the Car

This usually happens before the house is taken away. There are many things that have a negative effect on an older driver. Diminishing eyesight, physical handicaps, and mental disease can all make it very dangerous for these people to drive, both for their own safety and the safety of others. Very seldom does the parent voluntarily give up their car keys. Often times it is best just to make the car disappear over night.

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For information about receiving care for your loved one at home, contact the caregivers at Andelcare. We can help your family with all of your care needs. We are a home care agency providing quality and affordable live in home care in Bellevue WA and the surrounding communities. Call 888-788-3051.

Cost of Adult Children Caring for Aging Parents is Staggering

Source:  The Mercury

According to a recent study by MetLife, nearly 10 million adult children over the age of 50 years are caring for aging parents. Also according to the study, these adult children caregivers are losing almost $3 trillion in lost wages, pension and Social Security benefits in the aggregate due to their caregiving efforts.

This study, The MetLife Study of Caregiving Costs to Working Caregivers: Double Jeopardy for Baby Boomers Caring for Their Parents, was reported in Elder Law Answers (www.elderlawanswers.com).

The key findings of this study are staggering in scope when all of the data is presented. The percentage of adult children providing personal care and/or financial assistance to parents has tripled over the last 15 years. These family caregivers are aging themselves, and also should be planning, and saving, for their own retirements.

It is estimated that a quarter of adult children, mainly baby boomers, provide basic care or financial assistance to their parents.

Adult children, who are 50 years old and older and working, are more likely to have fair or poor health than those who do not provide care to parents. It is an fairly equal chance that working and non-working adult children are providing care to parents in need.

The dramatic rise in the number of adult children providing care is documented by the statistics that in 1994, only 9 percent of women, and 3 percent of men were providing care to parents. By 2008, women caregivers had more than tripled to 28 percent, while the figure for men had quintupled to 17 percent.

Daughters were more likely to provide "basic" care such as help with dressing, feeding, and bathing. Sons were more likely to provide financial assistance. The study authors note that "undoubtedly, the impact of the aging population has resulted in increased need within families for family caregiving support."

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The caregivers at Andelcare are available to talk with you and your family about all of your live-in home care needs. Andelcare  is a home care agency providing quality, affordable home care in Bellevue WA and the surrounding communities. Call 888-788-3051 for more information.

Caregivers in Bellevue WA: Families need to plan ahead for the inevitable
Stephen Goldstein Columnist

July 10, 2011

It's the biggest public policy issue that's almost never publicly mentioned. And it's going to hit most families like the proverbial ton of bricks, if it hasn't already.

There is a caregiving crisis in the U.S. — too few family members willing to care for their parents in their home, too many aging parents in need — and it's only going to get worse. As the nation's population continues to age, more and more seniors will need help with daily living. Typically, they aren't acutely ill, but are frail and failing, limited in what they can do and how they get around. Almost all of us will be affected because we will need to care for someone or have others care for us.

Unfortunately, the nation is in denial. Family caregiving was barely mentioned during the months of debate over health system reform. The Affordable Care Act includes a voluntary, long-term care policy with minimal benefits and a token daily payout. We can't build enough facilities to accommodate the additional millions of Americans who soon will need care — nor should we want to. Insurance companies will not be able to write enough affordable policies paying enough in benefits to defray all the costs of in-home care. And no government program will be able to meet the demand for services.

Obviously, we need to become a nation of family caregivers. Whatever you call them — assisted-living facilities being perhaps the most palatable — even the most exclusive and expensive homes for seniors are human warehouses. People should be institutionalized only as the absolute last resort — when they need round-the-clock, skilled care and caring for them at home would be inadequate.

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For information about how Andelcare can help your family with caregiving in Bellevue WA, call 888-788-3051. We are a home care agency providing everything from respite care for the primary caregiver to full time in home care for your loved one.

Four Keys to Better Aging
Election a chance for discussion about, and new approaches to, care and support for seniors

Source:  thespec.com By Tish Butson , and Myrtle Greve

The provincial election in October provides an opportunity to focus on how we can achieve the goal of improved care and support for older persons in the place most appropriate to their choice and situation.

What do seniors expect from the health system? Many seniors and their families are frustrated hearing that the government is funding improved home care but seeing little change. They are blamed for staying in hospital too long, using too much service, and yet in many instances have done as much as they can on their own to stay at home. This fall’s election can be a catalyst for a revitalized approach to health care planning for older persons.

There are four key areas we believe should be considered:

The right care at the right time in the right place:

Canadian and international studies show clearly that home and community care for older adults and their caregivers help frail elderly people maintain their health and independence, thus reducing hospitalization and cost over time. Yet many home care services, such as help with personal care, are “capped”. This impedes the capacity of home care to maintain people’s independence and level of wellness.

Caps on community care services must be lifted so people can be assured of basic home support for those in need. Otherwise the stressors on hospital beds and long term care beds will continue to increase.

System integration:

We strongly advise that our health care system for older persons needs to be viewed as a whole. There has been collaboration among hospitals, long term care and community services under the direction of the LHIN but more needs to be accomplished. Our reading of the literature leads us to believe that the most is gained when family physicians and primary care are a key part of this integration.

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If you or someone you know needs help with home care in New Jersey, contact the caregivers at Andelcare. We provide quality and affordable in-home care for many disabled and elderly loved ones in our community. Call us at 888-788-3051 for more information.

Is It Alzheimer's . . . or Just Your Crazy Life?
5 common work-life issues that can cause memory loss
By Paula Spencer Scott, Caring.com senior editor

What busy midlifer hasn't blanked on a name, forgotten why she walked into a room, or totally missed a meeting because he didn't remember it? Memory lapses affect nearly all adults. Wondering if it's Alzheimer's disease is only natural, given that someone develops Alzheimer's every 69 seconds, including a growing number of baby boomers as well as 200,000 people in their 40s and 50s.

But not all memory loss is caused by Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia. In fact, the following five common conditions for overstressed or overworked adults can all create symptoms of memory loss that usually have nothing to do with dementia.

1. Memory loss culprit: Basic chronic stress

Stress of any kind — worry about a deadline, eating poorly, moving too fast, having a bad day — causes the body to secrete "alert" hormones. When the stress passes, the body returns to normal. Unless, that is, the crazy hours or worry or whatever the stressor is persist, as is often true when a major life issue, like caregiving, is layered on top of a busy work schedule.

In that case, hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline don't turn off. They wreak havoc in the hippocampus of the brain, damaging cells needed for memory storage and retrieval. Net result: memory lapses galore.

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Alzheimer’s home care counselors at Andelcare are available to talk with you and your family about care needs for your loved one, including, how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care. Andelcare is a home care agency providing Alzheimer’s Home Care Seattle WA and the surroundinging communities.

Women Give Up Sleep to Care for Others
Study Shows Women More Likely to Get Up From Bed to Take Care of Babies or Sick Parents

By Brenda Goodman

Science has some new validation for all the women who have enviously eyed their slumbering husbands as they crawled out of bed in the middle of the night to tend to crying babies, sick elders, or even just to let the family pet outside.

A new study shows that women are more likely than men to give up sleep to take care of others, making gender roles a powerful reason — beyond medical problems like depression or sleep apnea — that women don't get enough sleep.

"If people have problems sleeping, physicians feel they find the problem and treat it with the right drug, technology, or surgery," says David Maume, PhD, director of the Kuntz Center for the Study of Work and Family at the University of Cincinnati, who was not involved in the study.

"But when you look at sleep as situated within our varied wake-time responsibilities, gender  inequality in those daytime obligations produces gender differences in sleep. In this sense, sleep is the latest frontier in which we see gender differences in daily lives, suggesting that we are not as equal within family lives as we'd like to think," Maume says.

Researchers at the University of Michigan studied time diaries kept by more than 20,000 working parents through the American Time Use Survey, which is conducted by the U.S. Census.

They found that women are about two-and-a-half times more likely than men to take the night  shift for caregiving.

What's more, women are typically up longer in the middle of the night than men, an average of 44 minutes compared to 30 minutes.

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The caregivers at Andelcare are available to talk with you and your family about all of your live-in home care needs. Andelcare is an in home care agency providing quality, affordable home care in Seattle and the surrounding communities. Call 888-788-3051 for more information.