Tag Archives: NJ elder care

Discussing End of Life Care with Aging Parents

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NJ Senior Care Planning

Talking to your elder parents about end of life care

No one looks forward to discussing end of life issues with aging parents, but this is something that needs to and should be done.

Having the conversation is necessary so that your senior’s preferences may be honored, if at all possible, and so that your contribution to the decision-making can be based on an understanding of those wishes.

The conversation should be ongoing, rather than just occurring one time, and hopefully each time the topic is revisited it will become more comfortable, as you and your elderly loved one become more used to discussing the range of future possibilities together.

Here are some tips to help you through the discussion:

How to begin a conversation about future wishes with your senior

One way to begin is by asking your senior what their biggest concerns are for the future. This topic may evoke thoughts on the past, regrets, or a life assessment. Listen uncritically, with empathy.  Having your senior share these thoughts with you can bring you closer.

Discuss your senior’s preferences regarding housing options

While most people prefer to remain in their current home, ask your senior what they would like to do if that were no longer possible. Sometimes this conversation will bring forth your senior’s expectations about moving in with one of their children, which can be helpful to know.

Ask your senior if they feel financially secure

It is important for you to have a record of your senior’s insurance policies, such as Medicare, Medigap, prescription coverage plan, and any long term care insurance.  If your senior doesn’t already have a will, durable power of attorney and health care proxy, now is a good time to see an elder care attorney so that they can have their wishes resolved as to asset distribution and care.

Discuss your senior’s feelings about their medical care and whether or not they are satisfied with their physicians

Does your senior have any concerns about their medical care? Do they have any concerns about their doctors? Do you need to help them find better ones? What are your senior’s wishes as to medical interventions and end-of-life care?

Discuss your senior’s wishes as to death, dying and funerals

Do your parents have any preferences as to funeral and burial? These conversations are difficult, but you need to resolve them sooner rather than later. Researching and selecting specific services isn’t morbid, and can help when the time comes.  Seniors to be assured their wishes will be followed even when their adult child is feeling sad and possibly overwhelmed when arranging a funeral.

Posted by: Frank Esposito, Vice President of Expert Home Care.  New Jersey’s Expert Home Care provides professional and reliable home health care and companion care for NJ elderly, helping them with their daily living activities since 1984. Please call us toll free at 800-848-2336 when you have home care related questions or need assistance for a loved one. Get a Free Home Care Assessment (a $375 value!) when you mention this post.

Respite Care – What Is it & Why Should You Use It?

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NJ Respite Care

What Is Respite Care?

Respite care is substitute care given so that the regular caregiver can take a break from the stress of caregiving. The respite care can be for a week, a long weekend, a day or an hour, on a regular basis or just once. It can be for an ill or fragile adult or a special needs child.

Who Gives Respite Care?

Sometimes respite care is given by family or friends, who want to relieve the regular caregiver. Or, it can be provided by paid caregivers who work for a home care agency.

How Will the Caregivers Know What to Do?

You will need to give them a check list of things to do and emergency numbers. List everything you do and check the references of the respite caregivers. For all respite caregivers, make sure they are comfortable and able to provide you with the assistance you need and that the person being cared for understands the temporary transition.

How Will I Find Respite Caregivers?

You can look for a licensed home care agency, many of who offer respite care services. Depending on the length of the respite, some nursing homes and assisted living facilities may also provide temporary respite care.

Who Pays for Respite Care?

Some local governments help pay for respite care. Check with your local Council on Aging or Social Services Department. The federal government is addressing the problem and may offer assistance. Call the eldercare locator at 1-800-677-1116, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, to see if help is available where you live.

Why is Respite Care Necessary?

Caregivers are often at increased risk of depression and other health problems as a result of the stress that accompanies being a caregiver. Having respite care refreshes the caregiver and protects them from burning out or becoming ill.

What Else Can I Do to Avoid Burn Out?

Join a support group, get adequate sleep, eat nutritious meals, and exercise daily. Take advantage of offers of help. Providing constant care is a demanding job. It’s crucial for caregivers to take a break periodically and this need is a normal part of the life-cycle of care. Support groups can help with guilt and frustration or just help caregivers keep morale high.

If you are caring for a loved one, you need to take care of yourself so that you can continue to provide that care. Finding quality respite care is an excellent means to an end.

Posted by: Frank Esposito, Vice President of Expert Home Care.  New Jersey’s Expert Home Care provides professional and reliable home health care and companion care for NJ elderly, helping them with their daily living activities since 1984. Please call us toll free at 800-848-2336 when you have home care related questions or need assistance for a loved one. Get a Free Home Care Assessment (a $375 value!) when you mention this post.

NJ Seniors Worried About Retirement & Health Costs

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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.

Americans Much More Worried about Retirement, Health Costs

Americans’ confidence in enjoying a comfortable retirement has dropped to its lowest level in seven years, according to the 18th annual Retirement Confidence Survey® (RCS) conducted by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI). The percentage of workers who were very confident about having enough money for a comfortable retirement decreased sharply, from 27 percent in 2007 to 18 percent in 2008, a decline of 9 percentage points and the biggest one-year drop in the 18-year history of the survey.

More than half of retirees (54 percent) say they are now more concerned about their financial future than they were right after they retired, a 14 percentage-point increase from a year ago (40 percent in 2007).

In addition, health-care costs are a big concern for retirees. Among those who left the workforce earlier than planned, more than half (54 percent) say they did so because of health problems or disability. Almost half of retirees (44 percent) say they have spent more than expected on health-care expenses.

NJ Home health care – Elder Care Help for Boomer’s

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Do You Remember…when? Expert Home Care New Jersey shares with our readers a walk down memory lane!  If you need help caring for an aging parent, call us at 800-848-2336.

According to conventional wisdom, people who were kids in the ’40s, ’50s, ’60s, or even maybe the early ’70s probably shouldn’t have survived.

Remember how:

  • Our baby cribs were covered with brightly colored, lead-based paint.
  • We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets. And there was nothing to stop us from sticking a fork in an electrical outlet.
  • As children, we rode our bikes, we had no helmets. And we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags. 
  • Riding in the back of a pickup truck on a warm day was a special treat.
  • We drank water from dirty garden hoses — not from bottles. Oh the horrors!
  • We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle, and no one actually died from it.
  • We spent hours building go-carts out of scraps and then rode down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes.
  • We fell out of trees, got cut and broke bones and teeth, and there were no lawsuits from these accidents. They were accidents. No one was to blame but us. Remember accidents?
  • We had fights and punched each other and got black and blue and learned to get over it — or punch harder next time.
  • We made up games with sticks and tennis balls and ate worms and mud pies. And contrary to what we were told, we didn’t put out very many eyes and the worms didn’t live inside us forever.
  • You’re more resilient than you thought. Congratulations for having survived! 

Senior citizens health care – Tips Physician Care New Jersey

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Ask your physician about the most common complaints he or she hears from elder patients in New Jersey and you’ll find the list of reasons for seeking medical help is common. Call Expert Home Care when your aging loved one needs live-in care, elder care, or senior home care in NJ 800-848-2336.

Here are some things that “worry” NJ patients and some of the symptoms that indicate you may need medical attention.

  • Unexplained Weight Lost – when to worry: When accompanied by apathy and insomnia, it could be a symptom of depression. When accompanied by intense thirst and unusually frequent urination, it could be a symptom of diabetes. When accompanied with recurrent attacks of upper abdominal pain, it could be a symptom of a stomach ulcer.
  • Persistent Cough – when to worry - After a bout with a respiratory illness such as the flu, the cough worsens instead of improving, it could be a symptom of pneumonia (lung inflammation).
  • An Aggressive Rash – when to worry – When a sudden itchy rash appears, with or without hives, accompanied by swelling around the mouth or face, it could be a symptom of anaphylactic shock (a life threatening allergic reaction to a medication, food or insect sting). Go to the nearest emergency room for treatment immediately.
  • Severe Headaches – when to worry – When accompanied with blurred or double vision, loss of peripheral vision, unsteadiness when walking, nausea and/or vomiting, it could be a symptom of a tumor. When a severe, sudden headache is “like nothing else you’ve ever felt before,” it could be symptomatic of an aneurysm or mild stroke and you should seek immediate medical attention.
  • Chest Pain – when to worry - When sudden, severe pain in the center of the chest radiates into the shoulders, arms or back, and is accompanied by nausea, sweating and/or shortness of breath, it could be a symptom of a heart attack. When dull, heavy chest pain is brought on by physical exertion or strong emotion, but disappears with rest and calmness, it could be symptomatic of angina, a sign of arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). In either case, seek prompt medical attention. The seriousness of most symptoms depends on what’s happening along with them. Symptoms that persist or worsen should always be brought to your physician’s attention as soon as possible.

Need Help Now? Call 800-848-2336. Expert Home Care is there for your aging loved one when you cannot be.

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