Are you going home for the holidays this season? Has it been several months since your last visit? Are you nervous about what you might find?

If you are an adult child or baby boomer and have an older relative that lives in another city or state, you may be going home for the holidays. This is an exciting time… maybe. You may also be a little leery of what you’ll find.. like a messy house, unkempt aging relative, food less refrigerator, disorganized meds, or maybe a very cold home.

That’s what happened to me several years ago when visiting my Dad. It was 33 degrees outside and Dad’s home must have been down to 50! burrrr.., I thought! “Dad, why is it so cold in here?” His answer was that he couldn’t get the pilot light to come on. I think he just couldn’t get down on the floor any longer to light it. Well, thank goodness that I came home. We quickly remedied that situation. And made additional plans to have someone check in on him regularly.

But if you are going home for the holidays consider taking this list along, it is very simple but a good place to start and may help you determine if your aging relative needs some help at home. Besides, it will help you find a bit of peace of mind too.

Senior Home Checklist

Happy Holidays!

Carol

Using the Holiday Season to Assess the Needs of Aging Seniors

WHAT:

Because the holidays are a time when families gather together to celebrate and enjoy one another’s company, it’s also a perfect time for family members to determine how their aging loved ones are getting along. To help families evaluate the health and well being of their elderly relatives, the National PACE Association is holding a conference call to discuss warning signs that aging seniors might be in need of more substantive and comprehensive elder care.  An expert from a federally approved Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) will offer guidance on the kinds of behavioral and physical signs that might indicate the need for a professional geriatric assessment. In addition, the call will provide more information about the PACE model of care and its success in keeping frail elderly people in their own homes and out of institutions.

WHEN:
December 15, 2009 at 1:30 PM EST/10:30 AM PST

WHO:
Shawn Bloom, President and CEO of the National PACE Association
Cheryl Phillips, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of On Lok Lifeways and President of the American Geriatrics Society

WHERE:
Please use the following dial-in information for the teleconference call: (1-877) 343-1913 (participant ID: 888-338-6762).  The call will be moderated by an operator to allow for questions.

WHY:
During the holidays it’s not unusual for family members to notice that an elderly loved one has changed dramatically.  Yet, families and friends may not know if the changes are part of the natural aging process or something more.  More important, they may not know how these changes are affecting a senior’s ability to live independently.  This call will offer valuable information that families can use to help determine if an elderly relative needs a professional geriatric assessment.

We are seeking to engage bloggers who comment on family issues, parenting, family health, caregiving, and similar issues because of their primacy in making arrangements and decisions about health care issues.

CONTACT:  Please RSVP at RSVP@Stantoncomm.com or call Lauren Smith: (202) 223-4933

According to an Incontinence Survey a Research Summary Report, one in two baby boomers are caring for an aging parent and many say it’s taking a toll on everything from their emotional and physical well-being, to their finances and personal relationships.

The survey reveals the role incontinence plays as the silent stress among caregivers. We realize incontinence as a subject may not be that easy to address, but this new data is interesting in relation to the impact it has on caregivers and sheds further light on the continued impact caregiving brings. Some highlights from the survey:

• SIXTY FIVE PERCENT of caregivers surveyed are dealing with incontinence in a parent, grandparent or spouse.
• SEVENTY PERCENT report incontinence as an ongoing issue with their loved ones
• FORTY TWO PERCENT said dealing their loved one’s incontinence sometimes leads to depression.
• SEVENTY FIVE PERCENT of survey respondents report their EFFORTS ARE NOT WORKING.

Read Incontinence Survey a Research Summary Report

If you have not had the opportunity to care for an elderly loved one yet, you will. It’s up to you how you handle it.. with grace and ease or with stress.

There are many opinions of “how” to care for the aging and most importantly “where” do you care for them? If the elderly are unable to eat, bathe, communicate with you..do you place him/her in a nursing home facility? That’s a personal call that each individual must make. It’s easier if the aging senior helps you make that decision by putting in place a DNR, a last will..drawing out specifically what “they” want done to/with them once life leaves their body drenched in lifeless activity.

Here’s an amazing story of a man, a caregiver, living in Georgia…who helped his Grandmother care for her husband..his Grandfather. The author of this amazing story is Elmer.

Read In Grandpa’s Service.

Welcome to the September 8, 2009 edition of boomers and seniors - News you can use.

Gina LaGuardia presents A Caring Workplace: Employee Benefits Related to Caregiving posted at Seniors For Living, saying, “Caring for an elderly relative can impact work productivity and Caring Workplace is a unique benefit that provides employees a referral service and counseling.”

Elisha Knackwood presents Top 50 Healthcare Policy Blogs posted at Nursing Assistant Guides.

Boomer Trends

Debra Joy presents True meaning of happiness, as taught by our grandchildren posted at B celebrated, saying, “M.J. Essenmacher, successful career woman, learns what true happiness is from her grandchildren”

Carebuzz presents Healthy Aging posted at WorkingCaregiver.com Researchers recently identified four healthy lifestyle factors that could go a long way toward reducing your father’s risk of contracting common and deadly diseases.

Senior Housing

Kaye Swain presents Caregiver’s Checklist When Time to Relocate posted at SandwichINK Real Estate Info, saying, “What if one of your loved ones has to head for the hospital unexpectedly and you need to be closer? Or an aging parent not-so-unexpectedly needs to move in but your house is too small? For many, moving will be a necessity. Here’s a helpful checklist for Senior Home Care Givers to help winnow out the inappropriate properties as we go out apartment or house hunting in the area we are preparing to relocate to.”

Patricia Grace presents Adult day care…the best kept secret in eldercare posted at Aging with Grace CareConnection.

Health and Wellness

Gina LaGuardia presents Exercise Improves Spatial Memory in Seniors posted at Seniors For Living, saying, “Can the right exercise program help seniors improve their spatial memory, allowing them thier independence for longer? The answer is encouraging!”

Viki Kind presents A Timeline Tool For When You Are In The Emergency Room posted at KindEthics.com, saying, “Make sure you are listened to in the Emergency Room. By Viki Kind at KindEthics.com.”

Kaye Swain presents Seniors Staying Busy Having Fun posted at SandwichINK.com, saying, “Staying busy is vital for all ages, including senior citizens. Here’s some fun ideas to share with our aging parents, along with a great resource with even more ideas. Bridge anyone?”

Carolyn Friedman presents Top 50 Oncology Blogs posted at Nurse Practitioner Schools.

Heartstrong presents Carotid Artery Stenting Can Prevent Strokes posted at Healthy Hearts with Heartstrong.

Brooklyn White presents 50 Social Sites to Connect With Other Patients Online posted at Nurse Practitioner Schools.

Jimmy Atkinson presents 25 Free Open Courseware Classes About Your Health posted at Medicine. Technology. Web..

Taylor Coburn presents The 7 Areas of Life posted at Motivia, saying, “All areas of our life are interconnected. Shifts in one area can have a profound impact on other areas, like your health.”

Kate Hopkins presents 50 Great Tools to Double Check Your Doctor posted at Online Nursing Classes.

Charles Chua C K presents All About Living with Life: Baby Boomers – The 7 Ingredients of Happiness posted at All About Living with Life.

Yield to Pedestrian presents Grandparents, Grandchildren Tip #4: Spend Your Time posted at Extra (Hour)dinary Parenting.

Senior Care/Caregiving

Dale Carter presents Five Reasons You Should Contact an Ombudsman for Your Aging Parent posted at Transition Aging Parents, saying, “Did you know every state has a long-term care ombudsman? One of their roles is to respond to problems and complaints. But, their main role is to educate the public and assist families when they are contemplating a new living option for their aging parents. Read more about the value they offer.”

Debra Joy presents Celebrating Grandparents posted at B celebrated, saying, “This article is a sweet memory I have of my own grandmother and an announcement of a contest we are having to celebrate grandparents”

Carebuzz presents 6 Ways Caregivers Can Make Mealtime Easier for Seniors posted at Minnesota Care, saying, “In order to help ensure that seniors eat properly at every mealtime, and that it becomes a more pleasant experience, then here are a few tips that caregivers can follow.”

Carebuzz presents Adaptive Clothing: Reducing the Physical Demands of Caregivers posted at Minnesota Care, saying, “As caregivers, one of our most physically challenging jobs is to help a Minnesota senior who is relatively immobile with dressing.”

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of boomers and seniors - news you can use using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

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