Elders Abusing Their Adult Children Who Are Taking Care of Them

Carol Bradley Bursack

Why do elderly parents turn on the child that is trying so hard to take care of them?

It’s not really news that people tend to be their worst with the people they love. Generally, this is thought to be the case because people feel safe enough with family to just “let it all hang out.” Their anger at their circumstances, which may or may not have to do with these family members, is the real cause.

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Senior Housing: The Emotional Side of Moving Your Elderly Parent

Carol Bradley Bursack

Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home. Our home is our castle – a shelter from the storm. These old sayings and many more indicate how most of us emotionally view our home.

For most of us, the feeling is less about how large or how fancy a home is than about it being a place where we belong. Many of us, after getting out of the house we were so anxious to leave as young adults, still find ourselves lovingly attached to the humble dwelling of our childhood.

Now, place yourself in the shoes of your aging mother who has lived in that home since you were a child.

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Smart Tips for Baby Boomer Retirement Planning

(ARA) – If you are one of America’s 78.2 million baby boomers, you are likely considering what ideal retirement will look like, and the steps required achieving it. With the current economic downturn, many boomers are finding it necessary to revisit their initial retirement goals.

According to the Social Security Administration, today’s retirees count on corporate pensions and Social Security for 56 percent of their retirement income. With a few minor adjustments, some careful planning and a positive attitude, the other 44 percent is attainable.

“It’s never too late to start planning for retirement and it’s crucial that life insurance is considered as the foundation of your plan.” says Vikki Pryor, president and CEO at SBLI USA Mutual Life Insurance Company, Inc. “Determine your needs by deciding how much money surviving family or loved ones will need to maintain their standard of living if you are no longer around to protect them. Women need to pay particular attention to their retirement planning options.” To learn more about the educational tools and insurance products designed with baby boomers in mind visit www.sbliusa.com.

Consider the following tips for smart retirement planning:

1. Assess your financial plan and budget.

* Begin to assess your basic retirement income sources such as a 401(k) plan, IRA, and life insurance plans.

* How much will you need to retire? Determine this by creating a budget that will enable you to pay your monthly expenses such as food, heat, rent and transportation. Consider expenses that may increase such as health insurance and prescription medicines. At the same time, consider those that may decrease, such as work-related and educational spending.

* Health care coverage is necessary in supplementing your financial foundation and these costs can add up fast. It’s important to have an adequate plan both before and after retirement. After age 65 you are eligible for Medicare coverage. But what if you want to retire before then? Your employer may offer a plan for retiring employees, or you may have to look into private coverage, so be sure to consider this.

* Take into account variable expenses such as tax liabilities on your home, illness or the care of elderly parents. Other, often underestimated, variables include gifts, clothing, recreational expenses, and increases in costs of living. For valuable retirement planning resources and projected trends in costs of living visit www.usa.gov.

2. Begin to explore other retirement income options.

* Determine the amount of guaranteed retirement income you already have. Examples of these are cash savings, corporate pension plans, home equity, or annuity-type investments.

* Are you married? If so, how will that affect your retirement budget?

* Pay attention to how your retirement funds are earning money. Are they structured for maximum returns? It’s crucial that you continually assess these funds.

* Decide when to begin Social Security benefits. According to AARP, for each year you put off collecting your benefits between ages 62 and 70, you increase your payments by 8 percent.

* Calculate your potential monthly retirement budget based on your estimated income weighed against your expenses. At minimum, you need enough retirement income to cover basic living expenses for your lifetime.

* If your initial assessment requires additional income, consider part-time work during retirement, or perhaps selling your larger home for a more comfortable, carefree condo.

3. Consider life insurance – the foundation of a solid retirement plan.

* If you don’t have a life insurance policy, get one. Life insurance not only helps to leave a legacy for generations to come, it will protect your loved ones and help provide them with financial security once you’re gone.

* Consult an expert in order to find the right life insurance for you. For example, BoomerLife by SBLI USA lets you apply for up to $25,000 of whole life insurance with no hassle. Acceptance is guaranteed for anyone ages 50 to 75. Selected benefits remain fixed for life and the premium you pay will not go up. Additionally, the policy builds cash value that grows each year tax-deferred. Call (866) 331-3078 to speak with an SBLI USA representative. Or go to our Web site at www.sbliusa.com and complete the entire application process – from quoting, to paying – online today!

Start planning your retirement today. With a little strategy and the right attitude, you can build the financial security you need to live a successful, happy retirement. Visit www.sbliusa.com today – completing your application is just clicks away!

Courtesy of ARAcontent

By Kevin J Campbell

One of the most dangerous areas of seniors’ homes are their bathrooms. Seniors can get trapped in the bathtub, slip and fall on the wet floor and can even have difficulty getting off the toilet! Do not let this happen to your loved ones.

5 ways to make your aging parents’ bathroom safer include:

1) Remove scatter rugs – They are a major falls risk. Older adults cannot easily recover from a slip as they have decreased balance and strength. If your mother (or father) insists on keeping them, replace them with ones that have rubber bottoms (anti slip) and are rigid so that they cannot roll up. This prevents people from getting the scatter rug caught under their feet and causing them to fall.

2) Raised Toilet Seats – Older adults typically have difficulty sitting down and getting back up from regular toilets. An easy fix is to install a raised toilet seat. There are a variety of different styles so have a general idea as to what their toilet looks like when you go purchase one. Believe it or not, but seniors do get stuck on the toilet (sometimes for hours if they live alone) because they cannot get up from off the toilet.

3) Tub Bench – If your aging parents have a standard bathtub, it might be time to consider using a tub bench. This provides a place to sit down as well as makes getting into and out of the tub safer. Instead of having to lift their feet over the tub edge they sit down first and then bring their feet into the tub. Combined with a hand held shower head and they have one of the safest ways to shower (without having to renovate!).

4) Hand held shower – Since older adults may have poor balance, it is often a good idea to have a shower head that they can move around their body, instead of the other way around. Turning around in a slippery bath tub has caused many falls and there is no easy landing in a bathtub. It is also excellent for seniors who use tub benches or shower chairs.

5) Grab bars – An excellent way to prevent falls is to install a few grab bars. One by the toilet to help in sitting/standing, and another two in the bathtub/shower area. For the bathtub/shower area, have one the senior can hold onto when getting in/out and then another for when they are in the shower/bath tub.

All it takes is an afternoon and some money well invested to prevent falls and make your parents safer in their own home.

For more information: http://www.caring-for-aging-parents.com/

Kevin Campbell http://www.caring-for-aging-parents.com/ – Articles about a wide variety of topics including: home design for seniors, equipment for seniors and home safety for seniors.

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Visit us at www.rightathomemd.net if you need help for an aging loved one in the area this winter season.

By Thao Nguyen

Elderly home care services are growing at an accelerated rate, and this particular industry is only poised to continue to grow as the population of the United States ages. The number of people of retirement age and older is expected to double by the year 2030, and by the middle of this century, there will be more elderly people in this country than any other age group.

While a few people are lucky and stay healthy enough to be able to take care of themselves without help for their entire lives, others are not so fortunate. With advances in preventive medicine and anti-aging technologies, the number of elderly who live alone will rise, but there will always be a need for help for those who have difficulties maintaining their independence. Family members are not always able to attend to every need of the aging parent or grandparent, especially if that person needs frequent assistance. No one wants to go the nursing home route if other alternatives are available, and that is the reason why elderly home care companies provide such an essential service.

The elderly home care agency you choose can usually help with a variety of personal care services and chores around the house. Depending on the needs and wants of your elderly relative, you can find elderly home care services that can send people out to check on him or her once a day, once a week, round the clock or however often is required. These elderly care assistants can do minor household chores, help with bathing and dressing, and administer medications. Having such a service available and on call can make the difference between your relative remaining in his or her own home and having to go into an assisted living or nursing facility.

If you decide to use elderly home care services, help your loved one interview and select the paid caregiver. Have the agency send someone over to spend some time with your relative, so they can see if the match is a good one. Not every match is right and you might have to through many different elderly care assistants before finding the right person. The whole experience of using an elderly home care service will be much more successful for everyone if you determine the needs and wants of your loved one and involve him or her in the process of finding the most suitable elderly care assistant.

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(ARA) – Changing the world is not an easy assignment – but baby boomers did it once and they’ll do it again.

They tackled civil rights and women’s rights and ushered the country into the digital age of communication and entertainment media. They demanded better health care and more efficient automobiles. They worked alone and worked together to influence both their neighbors and their political leaders. Their list of achievements over the past 60-plus years is undeniably remarkable.

The boomer generation has “never just migrated through stages of life,” says Ken Dychtwald, a specialist on aging. “They always transformed them as they went . . . boomers are not going to grow old like any generations we’ve ever seen.”

And now this cohort of baby boomers – this largest of all generations, born between 1946 and 1964 inclusively – is redefining what retirement means and is on the verge of changing the world again through active volunteerism. Sometimes referred to as the “Senior Tsunami,” this 79 million-member group will begin turning 65 in 2011 and while many now must work longer than expected, large numbers are still likely to commence rolling in waves out of the work force. This powerful tsunami will continue through 2029 and beyond.

Not content to sit on their laurels
Thankfully, the boomer generation is a generation with heart, a generation that is already stepping up, recognizing that they can leave the world a better place for their children and grandchildren. It’s a strong and healthy group with a passion for helping others. Demographers predict the boomers will live longer lives and remain in better physical condition than any predecessor generation.

So, for many, knitting afghans and raising roses will not suffice. Volunteering will become the pathway of choice for many boomers. It will provide a way for them to maintain a social network with people who express their values in similar ways. Some volunteer experiences will also offer an element of adventure – something many boomers desire – without being unsafe or disorganized.

Boomer-rich companies taking note
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, a Fortune 500 financial services organization based in Minneapolis, Minn., has 2.6 million members of which approximately 40 percent are baby boomers. When Thrivent reached out to those members to determine what sorts of charitable activities the organization should support, the resounding reply was Habitat for Humanity. Many of these 45- to 60-something Thrivent members were already pounding nails on Habitat construction sites across the nation. They wanted Thrivent Financial to support those efforts.

Based on that information, the company formed a four-year $125 million alliance with Habitat for Humanity International, called Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity. The alliance supported not only the work of the popular home-building nonprofit, it also provided an enhanced means for Thrivent members to become involved or stay involved in an active and meaningful way. Members were offered opportunities to help build homes in their own communities or they could travel in teams with like-minded people to help build homes in specific U.S. locations or abroad.

Thrivent’s approach to connecting with their own boomer members through this alliance was highly successful. They were correct in anticipating that hundreds of thousands of them would be attracted to such an action-packed opportunity. The tangible result is that in just four years a combined total of more than 2,000 homes were built in the United States and in over 30 other countries.

Retiring “to,” not “from”
Along with the sheer size of the boomer generation, its vision of an active retirement is what will spur the group on to changing the world once again. In essence, boomers imagine themselves retiring to a new life, rather than retiring from an old one. They want to be part of something larger than themselves, something they can believe in. The opportunity to contribute something valuable and lasting, to engage their interests, skills and resources, to make a difference in a modicum of time and to slot in a bit of adventure will become paramount.

One of the ways they will meet all those criteria is through volunteerism. The legacy of millions of learned, talented, self-sacrificing people stepping forward to help those less fortunate is thrilling to consider. Imagine a more compassionate world where millions are volunteering and benevolence is the new norm. Those boomers just might pull it off – based on sheer numbers, if nothing else.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

For more information and assistance with an aging loved one in your life visit us at www.rightathomemd.net.

Elderly people slipping and falling is common story we all hear. Growing age, weak bones and lack of balance often leads to slips and falls. As the bones are brittle they are more likely to break and fracture which brings pain and loss of independence. Most of these slips and falls could have been prevented if proper care would have been taken.

Here are some of the ways in which you can prevent the falls and slips by eliminating the dangers in your house:

Clear clutter- Clutter hinders movement, and makes you fall. Clear all the unwanted things on the floor if you are living with your parents. Remove the newspapers, toys, magazines. Loose wires of phones and cables can also cause falls in elderly if they are unseen. They should be removed immediately.

Keep away- Carpets and mats on the floor that are loose, having bulges and with curled ends need to be taken care of or replaced.

Non skid mats – Non skid bath mats- Where is the common area that you hear people fall? – The bathroom, of course. So buy non skid bath mats that have grip and place them on the bathroom floor and near the bathroom door. Take care near soapy water and place a stool in the bathroom.

Secure your footing- When outside make sure they use footwear with good footing and traction. Also, avoid footwear with laces as they can step on them and fall. Tell them to use walking stick when they don’t feel steady and let them take it with them when outside.

Grab bars and railing – Grab these- Grab bars are the rods that provide support. Fix these around the bathroom and put a railing on the staircase so that they get enough balance.

Check your balance- A simple tip you can pass on to your parents is, after getting up from lying, sit on the corner of the bed and check if your head is not dizzy and you are feeling steady, only then should you try to move.

Night lamp – Let there be light- Make it a rule to not move in an area if it is not properly lit. There might be objects strewn that can cause them to fall. Also install night lights in their room which is close by and within reach so that they use it to go to the bathroom at night.

Other tips to prevent falls are- Telling your parents about the location of small risks like small stools, cupboards, extra stair, uneven surfaces in the house so that they take care. By making sure they check their eyes regularly and wear appropriate eyewear for reading and regular purpose. By telling them to never rush off to answer phones or door, also get many extensions of the telephone around the house so that they can reach it easily without much effort.

Prevent falls and slips – Reducing the damage-According to study by UKK Institute for Health Promotion Research, exercise can also improve gait, balance, coordination, reaction time, and muscle strength-even in very old and frail elderly people. It also proves that current physical activity protects against hip fracture, reducing the risk by up to 50.Thus, people who regularly exercise are less likely to fall.

Post menopause, elderly women suffer from low calcium levels that lead to weaker bones, so diet rich in calcium is recommended along with supplements. All elderly should have a low fat diet along with one rich in calcium and other nutrients to help maintain bones and stop their deterioration.

Follow the mantra of Clear clutter; keep away risky objects, secure your footing and let there be light, and prevent falls and slips in elderly.

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Visit us at www.rightathomemd.net if you have any questions, or need help with an aging loved one in the area.

By Sharon Petty

What can happen to a person in pain without an Advocate?
 
I got a call from a gentleman who has been fighting with myeloma. He told me that he had started to have some severe pain and that his oncologist told him that, that was not unusual for the disease. His oncologist recommended that he purchase some over the counter drugs. The gentleman purchased aspirin with no relief then later tried Tylenol still with no relief. He called his doctor back to inform him that he was getting no relief from the over the counter and that the pain was interfering with his normal routine.

The oncologist then gave him a prescription for morphine. Here is where he called me stating that the morphine put him into a state of inebriation and although it took away the pain he could not safely walk to the bath room let alone function on a daily bases. The gentleman went on to say that the morphine was so debilitating that he could not function at all with it not even to care for himself. When I ask if any other medication had been offer between the morphine and the over the counter drugs his answer was “No.”

I gave him a list of 4 other medication that could be used that were not as potent as Morphine and could manage his pain without putting him in a state of inebriation. I had him write them down to be better prepared to share them with his oncologist. I told him that it is very important that his doctor understand that he is looking to control his pain while being able to function within his home and community

I have studied and practices Holistic and Alternative medicine with an emphases on nutrition since my teens. Today I consult and lecture at workshops to a variety of audience from adults to grade school age to empower the public to reach their ultimate level of 4HealthyLiving.

Mission Statement

My organization 4HealthyLiving desires to empower the community from the age of 5-105 with knowledge and understanding about the miraculous way the body functions With this knowledge we will all make better life style choices 4HealthyLiving.

You may contact Ms Petty at JustAskaNurse@yahoo.com

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Visit us at www.rightathomemd.net if you need help for an aging loved one in the area this winter season.

(ARA) – “My body aches and my head is throbbing. Do I have the flu or is it just because I’m stressed or tired? Do I need a flu shot? Do I need the H1N1 vaccine, too?”

Millions of Americans will be asking themselves these and more questions this fall and winter as news reports and health care providers continue to warn about seasonal influenza and novel H1N1 influenza, otherwise known as swine flu.

The flu symptoms self-assessment tool on MayoClinic.com can help you assess whether you or your loved ones have some form of flu, or just a cold. If you possibly or likely have the flu, you’ll also learn whether antiviral medication is an option. And you can check a concise list of high-risk groups who should seek medical attention for the flu.

Flu – influenza – is caused by a virus that attacks your respiratory system. Health experts agree that if you’re generally in good health, the flu – either seasonal or H1N1 – will likely do no more than make you feel rotten for a few days. You probably won’t develop complications or need to go to the hospital. If, however, you have an already weakened immune system or are among those considered high risk – such as infants, young children, pregnant women or the elderly – the flu can be a serious and even fatal illness.

Common symptoms of both the seasonal and swine flu include:

* Sudden onset. Colds usually develop over a few days and are only a nuisance. Flu hits you quickly and hard.

* Chills, sweats, headache and body aches, especially in the back, arms and legs.

* Fever higher than 101 F in adults and up to 103 or 105 in children.

* Nasal congestion but a dry cough.

* Overall weakness and fatigue.

* No appetite in adults and children, and diarrhea and vomiting in children.

* Worsening of chronic ailments like asthma, diabetes and heart disease.

Most healthy adults will only need to treat the symptoms and let the illness run its course. Infants, young children or adults at risk of complications, however, should see the doctor right away. Antiviral drugs, taken in the first 48 hours that symptoms develop, may trim the length of the illness and help prevent the development of serious complications like pneumonia.

Ultimately, getting vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones from contracting the flu. Talk to your health care provider about getting vaccinated. Visit www.MayoClinic.com for more information on managing your health.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Visit us at www.rightathomemd.net if you need help for a senior loved one in the area.

(ARA) – The new year often means resolutions like being healthier or exercising more often. What many people don’t know is that our joints are the critical part of the body that allows us to be active and do the activities we most enjoy.

Approximately one-third of Americans 35 and older say their joints prevent them from doing their favorite sport or activity in the last year and more than 50 percent of them just accepted that as part of the aging process, according to a recent study. The good news is there are simple and effective steps you can take to strengthen and protect these “forgotten soldiers” – ensuring your joints a healthy kick-off to an active year.

Dr. Kevin R. Stone, an orthopedic surgeon at the Stone Clinic and founder of the Stone Research Foundation and Joint Juice, a San Francisco-based joint health beverage company, offers five tips for helping to maintain healthy joints:

1. Manage your weight – You won’t just look better – you’ll feel better. Every extra pound puts four times the stress on your knees and other weight-bearing joints. Even a small amount of weight loss will give your joints relief.

2. Be supplement savvy – Dietary supplements like glucosamine have been proven to help maintain joint function and mobility. Glucosamine is produced naturally in the body, but due to the physical demands of everyday life (let alone running, tennis or even walking), our body’s supply is often not enough. Joint Juice beverages provide an easy way to drink your daily supply of glucosamine and avoid having to swallow two big horse pills a day.

3. Stretch – Stretching isn’t just for workouts. Take breaks throughout the day, especially at the office, to get re-energized. Range-of-motion exercises are a good way to keep muscles and ligaments flexible and strong.

4. Use good technique – When sitting, standing and especially when lifting, using the proper technique will prevent fatigue and injury. Ask an expert if you don’t know how to do it, but be sure to assess your technique for these simple daily activities.

5. Make a date with your doctor – See a physician for a routine check-up at least once a year. Request an examination of your joints – from head to toe – and ask for tips on protecting your joints from daily stress.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Visit us at www.rightathomemd.net for help with an aging senior in the area.