Who Cares For the Caregiver

You may have heard one or both of the following: "In the event oxygen is needed, put on your own mask before any others," the flight attendant states just before takeoff. Or, you may have heard "charity starts at home". The underlying meaning: you'll be no help to those in need if you neglect yourself to the point of burnout.

This is a message we share with bill consolidation loan student A. Given, PhD, R. N. Dr. Given has been studying caregivers for the past seventeen years. We would also like to send this message to the millions of men and women caring for aging or other ailing loved ones. All care giving environments are unique. You may be caring for elderly parents, aging relatives, or nursing a spouse undergoing cancer treatment.

The term caregiver refers to anyone who provides assistance to someone else who needs it to maintain an optimal level of independence. How do we as caregivers keep up a balanced life midphase web hosting the care giving hard drive data retrieval and the additional roles we have for life (husband, wife, children, pets, social, and community)? Hawaii Lemon Laws our practice we have found the most critical impact of care giving is that the caregiver's personal life is compromised. When they take on any care giving we have found that caregivers forfeit their own exercise, leisure time; and, most of all personal time. This personal time could be as simple as the time to recharge, build up resources, or renew spiritual connectedness.

The National Alliance for Care giving estimates that 22-25 million Americans care for an aging or disabled relative. According to the National Council on the Aging (NCOA), about 80% of those are women. According to the NCOA, the profile of the average caregiver is a 57-year-old married woman with children still at home. The expectation that the Caregiver will be a woman is slowly changing.

In our own work we have confirmed that there is a growing number of male caregivers and care giving by grand children. The parents have outlived their immediate children, leaving the grandchildren or nieces and nephews to fill the care giving role. What are the resources available to assist in the daily tasks or in the planning of the future to for caregivers?

Within many states the following services exist, check your local listings:

Geriatric Care Managers-Geriatric Care Managers are professionals who specializes in assisting seniors and their families with assessing needs, developing a plan of care, and arranging for community services to meet their needs and their budget. They continually monitor the plan over time and adjust the services according to changes in level of care.

Adult Day Care Centers--- Community based group programs designed to meet the needs of functionally and/or cognitively impaired adults. Adult day centers provide a caring, home-like setting for individuals who, for their own safety and well-being cannot be home without supervision. Adult day centers offer protected settings which are usually open five days a week during business hours, including a mixture of health, social and support services. Specialized programs for those with Alzheimer's disease or related disorders also exist.

In Home Care Services---These are organizations that offer service that comprise many of the activities of daily living (ADLs) such as, arranging medical appointments, maintaining a personal calendar, letter writing, exercise assistance, arranging entertainment, medication reminders, assistance with bathing and grooming, and driving to church services. Fees vary with the number of daily living skills required and the number of days per week a care assistant is required to be onsite.

Elder Life Coaches---These are independent life coaches, certified by various national coaching organizations, specifically coaching the caregiver through the emotionally charged transition period of care giving, especially with those Elders that are moving into assisted living communities. Unlike therapy, coaching leads the caregiver to examine alternatives without 'fixing' the emotional past of their relationship with the Elder. Many coaches provide in person coaching as well as over the phone. Search within the local community or through the Web of the International Coaching Federation for a list of coaches with an aging expertise in their credentials.

Area Agency on Aging (AAA) -- Created by the federal Older Americans Act, AAAs represent a nationwide network of over 600 program sites. They are the focal point for aging concerns at the community level. Services include information and referral, nutrition, employment, in-home services, counseling, legal services, and day health care with an emphasis on ease of access.

Para transit Services -- Provides specialized transportation (e.g., wheel chair accessible van or mini-bus) for seniors and/or people with disabilities. Services may offer transportation to senior centers, medical care, shopping malls, or medical appointments.

Assisted Living Facilities (ALF) -- A residential apartment complex servicing older adults by providing built-in care services, including beauty salons, physical therapists, tour activities, and 24-hour on-call assistance. These residential settings maximize independence, but do not provide skilled nursing care. Most ALFs do not accept public financing and rely on private pay from residents or their families.

Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) -- A residential care setting offering a protective, therapeutic environment for individuals requiring rehabilitative care or can no longer live independently because of chronic physical or mental condition requiring 24 hour skilled nursing care. SNFs must be licensed by the state and are subject to certain state and federal regulations.

We don't know how long we will live, but the capacity for change is a vital resilience skill. In this specific time of a life's journey, there is help available for you or someone you love, to car insurance themselves, celebrate their depth of wisdom, and continue to reach the full dimension of the gifts yet to be given. Explore all your options.

Bradley Morgan, PCC
Bradley Morgan is a corporate and ontological coach who served as a hi-tech executive for over 17 years, in companies such as, IBM, Bay Networks, Premysis, and Brocade Communications. Bradley's credentials include a BS from Georgia Tech, a MS from UCLA, a certificate in gerontology from the University of Maryland (CGP); and a Professional Coaching Certification (PCC) through the Newfield Network program. In the telecommunications industry, she developed both domestic and international systems engineering teams for technical expertise and executive level leadership. Bradley is a member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF), American Management Associates (AMA), the American Society on Aging (ASA); and the American Parkinson's Disease Association (APDA).