Tag Archives: elder care

Ten Tips for Family Caregivers

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  1. Choose to take charge of your life, and don’t let your loved one’s illness or disability always take center stage.
  2. Remember to be good to yourself. Love, honor and value yourself. You’re doing a very hard job and you deserve some quality time, just for you.
  3. Watch out for signs of depression, and don’t delay in getting professional help when you need it.
  4. When people offer to help, accept the offer and suggest specific things that they can do.
  5. Educate yourself about your loved one’s condition. Information is empowering.
  6. There’s a difference between caring and doing. Be open to technologies and ideas that promote your loved one’s independence.
  7. Trust your instincts. Most of the time they’ll lead you in the right direction.
  8. Grieve for your losses, and then allow yourself to dream new dreams.
  9. Stand up for your rights as a caregiver and a citizen.
  10. Seek support from other caregivers. There is great strength in knowing you are not alone.

New Jersey’s Expert Home Care for Elders and Seniors provides care for your aging loved ones since 1984. Please call us when your loved one needs help – 800-848-2336.

NJ Respite Help for Family Home Health

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New Jersey’s Expert Home Care for Elders and Seniors provides senior care, home care & live-in care for your aging loved ones since 1984. Please call us when your loved one needs help – 800-848-2336.

Just a few years ago, workers were likely to need time away from work for parent-teacher conferences, running kids to medical appointments, and staying home to nurse sick children.

Today, workers are more likely to miss work because of the needs of their parents. “Elder care has begun to rival child care as a workplace issue, and companies have started to realize that such support props up not just workers but also the bottom line,” according to the Dallas Morning News.

The National Alliance for Caregiving estimates that one in six American workers cares for an older relative. Caregiving usually adds 18 hours to the 40 hours most workers clock at the office. That means that those workers are working a job-and-a-half. Some companies are now hiring geriatric care managers as resources for employees bewildered by the demands of parents who are no longer capable of living independently. Estimates are that one in five caregivers quits or looks for a less demanding job. And that makes businesses’ responsiveness to employees’ caregiving needs more than a nice thing to do; it makes it an essential thing to do

Elder Abuse

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What can you do to save a life?

The National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) reported that some half a million seniors nationwide were abused in 1996.¹ That estimate confirmed a long-held theory of the aging research community that reported cases are only the “tip of the iceberg,” and for every reported incident of elder abuse, approximately five go unreported.

Fast forward a few years and a 2005 NCEA fact sheet states: “No one knows precisely how many older Americans are being abused, neglected, or exploited … there are no official national statistics. According to the best available estimates between 1 and 2 million Americans age 65 or older have been injured, exploited, or otherwise mistreated by someone on whom they depended for care or protection.” ²

The National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (NCPEA) defines elder abuse as: Any form of mistreatment that results in harm or loss to an older person. They use the following abuse categories: physical, sexual, psychological, financial, neglect and self-neglect. Because older victims usually have fewer support systems and reserves — physical, psychological, and economic — the impact of abuse and neglect is magnified, often causing a downward spiral of lost independence, serious illness and even death.

So why is it so difficult to track and prevent elder abuse? Chayo Reyes, a retired LAPD detective, instructor for the California Department of Justice, and proprietor of Elder Financial Protective Services, says that many elder crimes are not recorded or researched adequately. This is because the criminal is perceived as having “legal control” over the victim’s estate. Reyes adds, “Crimes against elders are not categorized as such, but more likely recorded as burglaries or domestic violence, and so statistics are lost in the system.”

Most seniors are healthy, active, and alert. Yet, over time, some seniors may experience diminished physical and mental capacities, and may do their best to disguise these losses. Taken together, such characteristics make many seniors vulnerable to miscommunication, misunderstanding, and worse, to being taken advantage of. The fact that seniors, aged 50 and over, control 70 percent of the nation’s wealth makes them a prime target for theft.

So how can you be aware and actively prevent elder abuse? Gerontologist Marion Somers, Ph.D. says there are signs of changes we should look for, such as:

    * Weight: Have they gained or lost weight?
    * Attire: Has their appearance changed; are they taking less care of themselves, and no longer neat or tidy?
    * Personal hygiene: Are they not bathing? Is their hair not clean or combed?
    * Social Interaction: Are they not as social, ignoring the telephone, withdrawn?
    * Voice: Has the tone or clarity of their voice changed?

To learn more about elder abuse — the signs and solutions — the NCPEA recommends that professionals working with, and families caring for elders, watch “Saving Our Parents,” a new and exciting documentary. Winner of the 16th Annual Mature Media Awards Educational & Training Video Program, the film is the collaborative effort of numerous experts and professionals. Divided into easily viewable segments, it contains interviews of victimized families, expertise from various professional fields and inspirational advice and tips. Visit www.savingourparents.com to view clips. Segments include:

    * Predatory caregivers and crooked conservators
    * Financial scam artists
    * Neglectful nursing homes
    * Generations living together
    * The importance of hiring a geriatric care manager
    * Dangerous hoarding disorders that pose health risks
    * Alzheimer’s: Former president Ronald Reagan and his son, Michael’s, transformational experience
    * Tips from elder abuse attorney

¹ 1998 National Elder Abuse Incidence Study (NEAIS)
² Elder Mistreatment: Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation in an Aging America. 2003. Washington, DC: National Research Council Panel to Review and Prevalence of Elder Abuse and Neglect.

Gillian White, Staff Writer
Delphi Health Products, Inc.

New Jersey Seniors Connect with Friends at Holidays

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For the 27th consecutive year, Merrill Lynch (NYSE:MER) today welcomed senior citizens to its offices in New York City for free use of the firm’s telephones to call friends and family across the world. In addition, earlier in December, the firm opened offices in many cities across the United States and overseas to enable senior citizens to make similar calls.

Christmas Calls Program Brings Holiday Cheer Worldwide  
Created in 1980, the Merrill Lynch Christmas Calls Program is a company-wide initiative that has reached more than 270,000 senior citizens globally since inception. “The Christmas Calls Program always has been a favorite event of my family, and a tradition at Merrill Lynch in the United States and abroad,” said John McDermott, senior vice president, corporate audit and compliance, and 2006 Christmas Calls Program chairman. “It is a joyous event for employees and other volunteers who take time from their holiday celebrations to support thousands of seniors.”

Read more..

Ten Expectations for Elder Care and Quality of Life

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New Jersey’s Expert Home Care for Elders and Seniors provides care for your aging loved ones since 1984. Please call us when your loved one needs help – 800-848-2336.

10 Real Expectations for Quality of LIfe in a Well Managed Long Term Care Facility, by Jill B. Thomas RNC, LNHA is the Vice President and Founder of Advance Care Planning, Inc

Advising Your Client How to Recognize Ten Real Expectations for Quality of Life in a Well Managed Long Term Care Facility

Long term care facilities will become home to millions of “Baby Boomers,” in the coming years. Many people fear the move from their own home to a long term care faciliy.. they just don�t know what to expect. Every person has a right to good care under the 1987 Federal Nursing Home Reform Law. 

The law, which is part of the Social Security Act, states that a long tem care facility must help each resident ‘attain or maintain’ his or her highest level of well being – physically, mentally and emotionally. This report sets the expectations of those needing to address the long term needs of their family members. Through the use of the Advancer Care Plan, a family member can count on these expectations, and more importantly, can be assured that the care is specifically tailored to the loved one’s needs.

Read the full 10 Expectations of Long Term Care

Tips Caring for an Elder

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New Jersey’s Expert Home Care for Elders and Seniors provides senior care, home care & live-in care for your aging loved ones since 1984. Please call us when your loved one needs help – 800-848-2336.

Family Caregiving Skills 

-Educate yourself regarding your loved one’s illness and/or disability.

-Communicate efficiently and succinctly with healthcare professionals.

-Recognize you are a healthcare consumer deserving quality healthcare.

-Embrace your importance as a member of the healthcare team.

-Always provide input and ask as many questions as needed.

-Pick your battles; don’t sweat the small stuff. Identify inconsequential matters and focus your attention elsewhere

-Be an advocate—speak up. The squeaky wheel usually gets the grease.

With a major role change such as the one associated with becoming a family caregiver, emotions can and will run the gamut. There are in fact five stages of grief that are widely accepted in the scientific community to occur as denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and finally acceptance. Living and coping through each of these stages composes the learning framework for us to be able to adjust to witnessing someone we love fall victim to a debilitating illness.

NJ Elders Living Longer – Live in Home Care

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New Jersey’s Expert Home Care for Elders and Seniors provides care for your aging loved ones since 1984. Please call us when your loved one needs help – 800-848-2336.

There are roughly 70,000 centenarians in the United States. About one-third are doing quite well and living without any cognitive impairment or other functional disability. Estimates are that by the middle of this century, 800,000 Americans will be centenarians.

The increased scientific attention to longevity has uncovered some common characteristics among centenarians:

Geography may play a role. Growing up in harsh physical environments may be an advantage. Scientists have observed a prevalence of centenarians in a belt running through the Dakotas and Minnesota up through Nova Scotia. Sardinia and Okinawa also have disproportionate pockets of centenarians, yet no one knows why.

It helps to be female: 85 percent of centenarians are women, but male centenarians tend to be in better shape than women. Women who have children after age 40 stand a greater chance of living to 100.
People who live to the age of 100 are born to relatively young parents.

Genetics is a big factor, but lifestyle is critical, too. The Adventist Health Study at California’s Loma Linda University found that members of the Adventist faith with good lifelong habits such as healthy diets, exercise and not smoking had an average life expectancy of about 10 years longer than the U.S. population as a whole.

A sense of humor is important. “We wonder if that’s part of some interesting personality traits that are conducive to managing stress well,” according to Perls. When he asked a husband-centenarian how he kept his centenarian wife happy, the husband said, “If I told you, you’d lose your job.”

New Jersey Senior Vacation Planning

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When planning for a vacation, most seniors don’t put much thought into it. It’s our goal at Expert Home Care to help New Jersey Seniors and Elders travel safely and with care. Please call us when needing help at home (800) 848-2336.

Consider your travel style.

  • Don’t end up doing something you don’t really want to do. Does the thought of a 10-day road trip bring a smile or a grimace?
  • Is 17 hours on a plane to Australia blissful or stressful?
  • Are you interested in a destination vacation or would you rather keep moving? Do you prefer swimsuits and shorts to regulation cruise wear like gowns and tuxedos?
  • Check your passport. If traveling out of the country, be sure your passport is current. It will take at least six weeks to get a new one.
  • Create an itinerary. Leave a copy of your complete travel information with friends or family.
  • Be informed. The Internet is full of sites that offer unlimited information for travelers. Take virtual tours on the Web of places you want to visit, and get the most current travel guides to those areas. There are many companies that specialize in senior travel.
  • Hotels and tour operators want your business. If you are considering a tour package, be sure the company is financially sound and well established. Know who you are dealing with before parting with your money.

By doing your research, you’ll ensure a positive experience for all involved. Bon voyage…

Aging in NJ – Home Health Care Help in New Jersey

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Focus Should Be on Slowing, Not Stopping, the Aging Process - Part 2 from September 5

Expert Home Care helps keep seniors and elders at home – safely & independently. Call us to find out how at (800) 848-2336.”Part of the problem with many individuals selling anti-aging medicines to the public is that they’re suggesting that because they can modify the risk of a particular disease they’re altering the aging process itself,” says Olshansky, senior research associate at the Center on Aging at the

University of Chicago and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

But the key to a longer life is more than just evading diseases, researchers say. Until that mystery is unlocked, any anti-aging medication promising long life in a bottle or pill can deliver only that promises.

Hopeful Anti-Aging Research 
Researchers are a long way from creating a pill that can help you live a longer and healthier life, but they’re making progress.

“The hope is that we now have animal experimental systems in which aging really can be slowed and experiments that can get at the basic biology of aging and how it’s related to diseases,” says Richard Miller, MD, PhD, associate director for research at the University of Michigan’s geriatrics center. “Although we don’t know how those experiments will come out, and we don’t know what the answers are, we now have some really exciting things from which answers can reasonably be expected to emerge.”

NJ Seniors Unprepared for Retirement

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Many Seniors in New Jersey are Unprepared To Face the Future – What, me worry?

With life expectancy rising, Americans are facing retirement of 25 to 30 years or more. But many seniors are not financially or legally prepared for the future.

A lack of retirement planning is partly to blame. With Social Security benefits increasingly playing a smaller role in retirement funding, about 90 percent of people feel they will need to take on more responsibility for supporting their retirement, according to a recent survey by the American Council of Life Insurance (ACLI). However, only 44 percent of non-retirees say they are saving for retirement and are able to report how much.

A lack of planning is reflected in other areas as well. Currently, 57 percent of Americans don’t have a will — potentially leaving them without any say about their assets or the care of minor children after they die, reports legal Web site FindLaw. 

If someone dies without a will, their estate will be distributed according to a rigid legal formula and not as they may have wished. Legal experts advise anyone who is over the age of 18 and has assets, children or other dependants to create a will.

Call Expert Home Care when worried whether or not you can stay home comfortably. Please call 800-848-2336.