TALK ABOUT ELDER CARE

When to you know it’s time to talk to your family about elder care needs? When an aging family suddenly needs critical care or is diagnosed with a progressive disease? Or, have you tried to talk about the future before his or her physical or mental abilities are changing? While many people worry about these issues or avoid talking about them, it is a good conversation to have sooner rather than later.

Questions to Consider

Do you need to hire professional services or bring paid caregivers into the elder’s home?

Do you need to consider placing the elder in an assisted living or nursing home?

Do you know if your aging loved one has a will or a health care proxy?

Define the Need
Ideally, you and your family members should have a conversation before there is a crisis, although it is more common that there is no discussion prior to a decrease in an elder’s physical or mental ability. It is a difficult conversation to start for both the younger and older generation but once started, it may turn out that everyone feels a sense of relief once the topic is raised. One way to bring the subject up is to mention an article you read about the issue or recently spoke to a friend in a similar situation. This not only introduces the subject in a less personal way but also helps remind your older loved on that other people are facing the similar challenges.
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COPING WITH A LOVED ONE’S FAILING MEMORY

The fading loss of memories not only has a profound impact on patients, it can also lead to depression, a sense of helplessness and isolation in their caregivers. Memory loss leads to an erosion of independence, adding pressure on the caregivers to help keep memories alive, cope with increased physical care giving responsibilities as well as with a multitude of changes, both big and small. Memories define and shape one’s personality and with the loss of memories comes confusion and frustration.

According to the Monterey Herald, the University of California’s Los Angeles Longevity Center has been developing a program to boost an individual’s memory as well as help patients and caregivers cope with the changes in their loved ones.
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