A Life of Care Giving – Becoming an Enlightened Caregiver

Now that you're back, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

There may come a time in every caregiver’s life that you have to make this decision. If you are caring for a relative then you may well have to decide whether to register him or her with a retirement home with a view to procuring a room. If you have been caring for that relative at home for some time then it will be even more of a gut-wrench to make that decision. You may well be unable to cope with the stresses and strains of it now, or the condition that your elderly relative may have worsened to the point that it is now impossible for the them to stay at home. Either way, it is a difficult decision to make and you should do all of the necessary research to aid you in making the right decision. This article will provide you with a brief overview to help you make that decision.

There are various types of retirement home that are designed to cater for seniors in a variety of ways. General retirement homes can be split into two categories – residential and nursing. Nursing homes are designed for individuals that require better medical care. These are often the best choice for those suffering from strokes or cancer, and they cater for those with advanced
forms of dementia. Residential homes are better for those who have milder forms of dementia and slight physical disabilities because they do not provide nursing care but do attempt to provide residents with a greater freedom. There are also specialist retirement homes that oriented towards specific illnesses if you are indeed looking for specialist care.

Choosing a home for your loved one can be a difficult decision if for no other reason than the number of facilities available. Most are privately funded and have state of the art accommodations so they are well equipped to take care of the physical or medical needs that occur daily.  But because of the sheer number of options available to you, it may be hard to distinguish between them on paper. It is vital that you visit your short-list of homes and it is a great idea to take your senior relative with you if possible. Your choice will be eased by sampling the atmosphere and facilities yourself and, of course, the reaction of your loved one can play a big part in this critical decision. It is likely that they will show a preference to one place over  another.

Before finalizing your decision, even if you do have one place in mind, you should always do your homework. You should look into the background of the home, how it is run and its health and safety credentials as well as asking around for feedback.  A google search for best nursing homes can revealing  valuable information.  Some info can be free (http://health.usnews.com/sections/health/best-nursing-homes/index.html) while others may charge a nominal fee (http://www.nursinghomerank.com/).  At the least, going into this situation blind is taking a huge risk, when you really want your loved one to stay at a place that displays healthy and safe
conditions. Just as in buying a house, visit more than once and do it a different times of the day, meal times, occupational therapy sessions, evenings. Know when you can visit.

Whatever your decision, in the end, retirement homes can provide a safe and secure environment that will allow your loved one to live out his or her last days in peace with the best help possible. It will also provide you with peace of mind. It may be hard for you to make this decision at first but you have to ultimately do what is best for your loved one. If you can no longer cope as the primary caregiver then you must think of your health as well as considering what may be best for both of you in the long run.

Finding the right kind of long-term care, in the right place, often requires making difficult decisions in difficult times. Choose the Right Long-Term Care helps you understand the many alternatives to nursing facilities and shows you how to fit the care you need to the funds you have available.

Learn how to:

*Arrange Home Care

Understand what home care can do, what kind of care is available where you live, and how to arrange for services.

*Find a Non-Nursing Facility Residence

Learn about the many varieties of independent living and assisted living residential care communities, and how to choose one that matches your needs and budget.

*Choose a Nursing Home

If you need a nursing facility, find out what to look for and how to assess the quality of care.

*Get the Most out of Medicare, Medicaid and Other Benefit Programs

Understand the regulations concerning benefit programs, what they cover and how to qualify for them.

*Evaluate Long-Term Care Insurance

Find out whether long-term care insurance is a good investment for you.

*Protect Some of Your Assets

Avoid draining your life savings and losing your home as you cover the costs of long-term care.

The completely updated 4th edition provides all new information about estate planning, plus a new chapter on the special care needs of elders with Alzheimer’s Disease and other forms of mental disorientation. With sensitivity and clarity, Attorney Joseph Matthews gives you all the information necessary to help plan for and make the best arrangements for long-term care.

Visit merchant

Written by two award-winning experts on long-term care, this book tells how to find the best

• Assisted living
• Nursing homes
• Senior housing

in your community. Included are Q&A sections that help you determine the level of care your loved one needs; practical information on how to pay for eldercare; things to look for (and questions to ask) when visiting eldercare facilities or homecare services; and a helpful, state-by-state listing of ombudsman, aging agencies, and eldercare websites.

Visit merchant

All of us are entitled to the rewards of a peaceful, pain-free death. This book honors that with true stories about hospice patients and inspiring insights from the author. Becoming Dead Right guides us through the general and “how to” information maze that prepares us for dealing with death. Improving and expanding hospice services will require systemic changes in healthcare institutions, outreach to diverse populations, and funding. With the inclusion of hospice programs in nursing homes, dying with dignity becomes even more important. Millions of aging baby boomers heighten the urgency for better hospice care and conditions in nursing homes.

Visit merchant

Almost a decade ago, Peter S. Silin wrote Nursing Homes: The Family’s Journey to provide family members with practical advice and emotional support. This successor volume incorporates the new and sometimes baffling world of assisted living. Nursing Homes and Assisted Living focuses on the psychological, emotional, and practical aspects of helping family members and seniors make a difficult transition.

Silin approaches his subject with compassion and sensitivity, guiding readers through the process of finding the best possible care. He describes how nursing homes and assisted living facilities work and outlines the selection process; he explains how to prepare for the day a relative moves into a facility and suggests ways to help the resident settle in; he focuses on the family member’s role in solving problems, obtaining good-quality care, and visiting. The author’s insights help caregivers cope with difficult decisions and deal with emotional issues such as guilt and grief, while celebrating the tender, rewarding aspects of being a caregiver. Vignettes from real-life caregivers narrating their experiences amplify Silin’s advice and will resonate with families.

This book provides caregivers, family members, and seniors with the information they need to effect successful transitions. It is also a valuable tool for social workers, nurses, and family therapists.

Praise for the first edition

“An important book about the often difficult and painful process that begins long before a loved family member enters a nursing home… A thorough, excellent and humane book that helps families navigate a difficult, traumatic life change in the most successful way possible.” — Inside GCM

“Among the most valuable chapters in this book is one titled ‘Making a Home Better,’ which includes wonderful advice on how a loved one can influence what goes on inside a nursing home. His inclusion of real-life stories from the families he’s encountered over 20 years anchors the book compassionately.” — Los Angeles Times

“This is both a very humanistic book and a very practical one… written with the insight of a sociologist and geriatric care manager, someone who sees the human side of the equation first.” — ElderCare Online

Visit merchant