Thankful For Those Who Help Others- 3 Cheers for Caregivers

November 24, 2010 by Chris Leave a Comment

As we head into a (much needed) Thanksgiving break, I thought I’d write about caregivers. Those thankless souls that give of themselves so that others may… live their lives. Caregivers give so a family member, patient, or friend might sleep a little better, eat a nutritious meal, bathe or simply get out of bed. There’s plenty to be thankful for this holiday season, but this weekend we’re thinking about caregivers. In 2004, the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP released a report titled “Caregiving in the US”, this report was updated in November of 2009 and reveals some very interesting “caregiver” data.

Caregiver Facts and Figures:

Did you know… (according to the “Caregiving in the US” report noted above)

There are an estimated 65.7 million people in the US that report having served as unpaid family caregivers to an adult or child
21.2% of responders (equating to 48.9 million US adults) reported being “adult only” caregivers
5.6% of responders (equating to 12.9 million US adults) reported being “both adult and child” caregivers
1.7% of responders (equating to 3.9 million US adults) reported being “child only” caregivers

Other interesting caregiver tidbits from the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP report:

Caregivers are predominantly female (66%)

On average caregivers are 48 years young, and one-third of the caregiver responders reported that they take care of 2 or more people

86% of the caregivers reported that they primarily provide care for a relative (over one-third take care of a parent)

To read more, here’s a link to the “Caregiving in the US” report Executive Summary.

I’ve witnessed first hand the love, dedication, compassion, and conviction it takes to be a caregiver. My own mother (69) will, on a moments notice drive the 3 and a half hours from Missoula (MT) to Spokane (WA) to take care of her mother (90) who is still “aging in place” at her home of 45 years! I speak to caregivers on a regular basis, and my wife provides care at least once a week for clients and/or friends. So it is to you… the caregiver that we’ll be toasting this weekend. Thank you for giving… Thank you for caring!

If you liked this post be sure and check out another caregiving post entitled Quality Neighbors Make The Best Soup.

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Filed Under: Caregiving Tagged With: Caregivers, Caregiving, Eldercare, Senior Care, Seniors

Is Mom Safe in the Hospital? Tips to Help Make Her Stay Mistake Free

November 18, 2010 by Amie Leave a Comment

So your Mom has to have surgery huh? She will be admitted to the local hospital near her home. The doctor tells her she will be in the hospital for two or three days. He says her surgery is routine and that there is nothing to worry about. Sounds like a plan… No worries right? (Ya right…)

Hospitals are complicated places. Despite the best intentions, the finest equipment, and the most highly trained staff, mistakes happen. Sometimes they are insignificant – sometimes they have serious consequences. Here are some ways you can help ensure your Mom is safe.

Tips to make sure your trip to the hospital is mistake free:

1.Make sure every piece of data the hospital has about your Mom is accurate and up-to-date. This is especially true for information about her medicines. Read the papers they ask her to sign. Know what’s in them.

2. If she has an advance directive and a “Do not resuscitate” order from her physician, be sure they are available in her chart and posted prominently in her room.

3. Make sure the information on her armband is correct. Make sure there IS an armband.

4. Watch when people come to her room to do something, like draw blood. Do they wash their hands first? Do they identify themselves by name and what they do? Do they tell Mom that her doctor ordered whatever it is they are about to do? Do they positively identify her, by asking her name or birthday or something else unique? Do they check her armband? Do they explain what they are about to do? If they are bringing medicine, do they explain what it is and what it’s for? If she’s being taken to another place in the hospital, is there a formal handoff between the staff on her floor and the person transporting? Do they make sure Mom is the right person, and where she’s going? These things should be done every time, regardless of how well people appear to know your mother.

5. Be there with your Mom as much as you can. Meet her caregivers and get to know them. Be involved in her care. Help when you can, like at mealtimes: her caregivers will appreciate it. Ask questions, both for yourself and for your Mom. People who work in hospitals are smart, caring, and well-intentioned: they want the best for their patients. But they are also human, and humans make mistakes. Be Mom’s advocate. NEVER hesitate to question something.

Kirk Harney managed his parents’ lives for almost four years as they passed away from cancer, stroke, pneumonia and Alzheimer’s. He is passionate about helping other caregivers cope and maintain healthy family relationships. More information can be found at http://www.CareForElderlyParents.com

If you liked this article, also see: Surviving a Parent’s Trip to the Hospital & Beyond: What to know before you go.

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Filed Under: Caregiving, Eldercare, Legal and Financial Tagged With: Caregiving, Eldercare, Senior Care, Seniors

Medicare Facts and Figures

March 4, 2010 by Chris Leave a Comment

What is Medicare?

Did you know… That Medicare was created in 1965 as a federal health insurance program for those age 65 and older (regardless of income or medical history)? Today Medicare covers 46 million Americans, and will encompass 15% of our federal budget. That’s $504 BILLION dollars people (says the CBO)! The Kaiser Family Foundation publishes an annual medicare fact sheet called “Medicare At A Glance” which we will summarize in this post. Click through (read more) to explore further…

The following facts and figures are credited to The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation’s Medicare Fact Sheet entitled “Medicare At A Glance“

Demographics of Medicare Recipients:

Medicare covers a diverse population- 47% have incomes below 200% of the poverty line, and 44% of recipients have 3 or more chronic conditions. 83% of the Medicare insured are under age 65 and permanently disabled.

Medicare Strucure:

Part A- Part A covers inpatient hospital stays, skilled nursing facility stays, home health visits, and hospice care.
Part B- Part B pays for physician visits, outpatient services, preventative services, and home health visits.
Part C- Refers to the Medicare Advantage Program where beneficiaries can enroll in private insurance plans (like HMO’s) where they can receive additional benefits like hearing exams and other services.
Part D- Is the voluntary government subsidized outpatient prescription drug benefit plan. Part D can also cover individuals with very low incomes.

For addition information on Medicare, Medicaid and other “Health Matters” we invite you to click through to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

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Filed Under: Eldercare, Legal and Financial Tagged With: Eldercare, Medicare, Senior Care, Seniors

Big Gains Seen In Recent Alzheimer’s Research

March 1, 2010 by Chris Leave a Comment

Over 100 years ago a German pathologist described the only way to diagnose Alzheimer’s Disease in a human subject was to look at the brain during autopsy… If the brain slices had microscopic (black) freckles, that person had Alzheimer’s disease. If they did not have these “plaques” Alzheimer’s wasn’t likely a factor…

That German name was Dr. Alois Alzheimer (his name may sound familiar). His preliminary research was done back in 1906, and this was cutting edge stuff back then (still is). Well flash forward over 100 years… After incredible strides by devoted researchers, and technological leaps by way of diagnostic imaging modalities, we’re now getting a glimpse of what could be ground-breaking diagnostic discoveries by way of PET (positron emission tomography) and MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans (not to mention brilliant men and women in lab coats).

New Alzheimer’s Research Promising

The new scanners, recently developed dye material, and the devoted researchers are, for the first time showing what appears to be definitive evidence of plaque build-up in live patients with suspected Alzheimer’s Disease. The recent study results have yet to be accepted by the FDA, but if the evidence is compelling, no doubt this research will be fast tracked… For a wonderful overview of this latest Alzheimer’s research I recommend a NY Times article entitled Promise Seen for Detection of Alzheimer’s.

Finally, we can’t confidently treat Alzheimer’s disease until we understand the underlying conditions that precipitate it, AND can accurately diagnose it. These breakthroughs are a giant step forward for the more than 5 million Americans over the age of 65 living with the disease (and hundreds of thousands under 65). What’s more, this number is expected to explode as baby boomers continue to age. Over the next 40 years costs associated with Alzheimer’s disease are expected to go from a currently estimated $172 Billion dollars to an astounding $1.08 Trillion dollars per year! (Lewin Group study recently prepared for the Alzheimer’s Association.) A continued full court press on this disease today saves countless lives, tremendous heartache, and an incredible financial burden by way of cost containment and other financial issues.