Many families don’t realize how much a loved one’s health has deteriorated until a fall sends her to the hospital. Falls are one of the most common, and most serious, health issues among seniors.
Whether you stepped in to help an elderly relative out of love, a sense of responsibility, or financial necessity, caregiving can sometimes feel like a burden – even for the most devoted family members.
Whatever your needs, there’s an in-home caregiver that’s right for your family. But finding that person depends on clearly understanding your aging parent’s condition or disease, and defining the specific care he requires.
Though providing care for an aging parent may start as a sprint, it often becomes a marathon. Perhaps an injury or illness sends you scrambling for emergency care, but you soon realize that your senior won’t recover fully.
Burn marks, bruising, poor hygiene, and broken bones are the telltale indicators of physical elder abuse and an astute observer can typically spot these signs easily.
It’s common for your loved one’s needs to change over time. If you’re lucky, you have a trusted caregiver who really connects with your senior, understands his or her needs, and is responsive to your input and concerns.
Caregivers working during a holiday are commonly offered holiday pay and if you don’t have a plan in place, this is a good time to decide how you'll compensate your home care aide during all holidays throughout the year.
Realizing that your parent has become incapable of caring for herself or making reasonable decisions about her property is a heart-wrenching discovery.
Perhaps the greatest amount of anxiety regarding home care surrounds the concept of letting a stranger into your loved one’s home.
Is your senior safe from financial abuse? You might be surprised.