The devastation we are witnessing in the wake of Hurricane Harvey is a reminder that we must all be prepared to care for a loved one, elderly or disabled neighbor or friend when disaster strikes. Here is a list of 6 basic yet vital precautions that everyone should have in place, especially in the event of a natural or manmade disaster:
Families caring for aging adults have and will continue to reach unprecedented numbers affecting every corner of our society. We MUST address the complex needs of this population who are the foundation of long-term care nationwide, exceeding Medicaid long-term care spending in all states (National Alliance for Caregiving and Overcare, March 2009). Jo Horne, author of Caregiving: Helping an Aging Love One created the Caregiver's Bill of Rights. These are powerful and impactful words of hope and guidance for each and every person caring for a family member or friend:
Responding to challenging behavior for people living with dementia is often the greatest triggers of stress, helplessness and frustration for professional and family caregivers. Learning to be an effective dementia care detective incorporates knowledge of behavioral expression and having effective tools to respond, reassure and comfort.
Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra was an American professional baseball catcher, manager, and coach who played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball. One of his famous quotes "The Future Ain't What it Used to Be" couldn't be more appropriate as we look at the paradigm shifts taking place in our aging world.
Time is precious. Staff is in short supply. Family caregivers are stretched to the limit. Just taking care of the basic needs is hard enough, so five minutes a day seems - IMPOSSIBLE!
We're all in this together... the tsunami is here and every one of us serving older adults in some capacity should be getting on the band wagon and FAST. Person and patient centered care must be focused on supporting and educating families. When family-centered care is embraced it becomes an approach to health care decision making that involves health care professionals and family members.
Research has shown that volunteering leads to better health and that older volunteers are the most likely to receive physical and mental health benefits from their volunteer activities. Volunteering often leads to what is referred to as a "helper's high".
