Caring for the Caregiver In San Diego CA

Caring for the Caregiver

By David Hart, MS, MFTI

Clinical Consultant to Always Best Care of San Diego CA, The Leader in In-Home Care and FREE Assisted Living Placement

With the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease increasing in the United States and around the world, the number of caregivers called upon to provide assistance to their loved one is also quietly multiplying.  According to the 2009 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures published by the Alzheimer’s Association, almost 10 million Americans provide unpaid care for a person with Alzheimer’s disease.  In 2008 alone, these caregivers provided 8.5 billion hours of care, a contribution to the nation valued at $94 billion.  This number represents an average of 16.6 hours of care per caregiver per week equaling 863 hours of care per caregiver per year.  Reading this aloud would make the average person stressed-out and tired – nothing close to what a caregiver may feel on a daily basis.

The negative impact of care giving on the caregiver has been well documented.  According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 40% of family and other unpaid caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia, rate the emotional stress of care giving as high or very high.  Additionally, these caregivers are more likely than non-caregivers to report their health is fair or poor.  In a study published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing, researchers encouraged caregivers to express their thoughts about factors that cultivate a poor quality of life and many respondents noted “how stressful their situation was because of their extensive involvement in providing care”.  Moreover, a study exploring the effect of giving care on caregivers’ health found depression was the most frequently reported mental health problem of caregivers.  In combination, these studies suggest that a caregivers’ quality of life can be seriously impacted as a result of participating in the care of a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease.

Interventions that empower family caregivers to take care of themselves are in high demand as the number of individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease increases.  A recent study at the University of Washington found evidence supporting the positive impact of community-based caregiver education on the overall psychological well-being of family caregivers.  Researchers presented caregivers a series of six classes each held for two hours.  Topics included taking care of the caregiver, identifying and reducing personal stress, communicating feelings in challenging situations, and mastering care giving decisions.  At the completion of the six weeks, caregivers had a significant increase in healthy behaviors including eating a healthier diet and maintaining an exercise regimen.  Additionally, caregivers improved their ability to care for themselves, including an increase in time for stress-management and personal renewal.

Respite and support services are an important component of caring for the caregiver.  Caregivers frequently devote themselves totally to those they care for and inadvertently neglect themselves, reducing their quality of life.  The support of family and community resources can be a tremendous help. For the past 13 years, Always Best Care has become one of the most trusted providers of senior care needs. With a proven track record in Assisted Living Placement Services, Home Care Services and Skilled Care for Seniors, Always Best Care has continually provided superior expertise and unmatched service though their network of independently owned and operated franchise offices located in ideal locations throughout the United States. We have care plans ranging from 2-hour sitter service to 24-hour live-in. Call us at 619-757-1114 to speak to a care coordinator about a plan that fits your need. Or visit Always Best Care of San Diego to learn more about the In-Home Care services provided.

Credit: Always Best Care Senior Services – San Diego California (CA)

8 Stages of Caregiving In Bostonia CA

The 8-Stages Caregivers Goes Through (excerpts from “Passages in Care Giving”, by Gail Sheehy)

1. Shock and Mobilization – Once the immediate crisis is resolved, you enter,

2. The New Normal – They begin to think, “Ok, I can handle this.” This reprieve may go on for months or years. Eventually there is a third turn.

3. Boomerang – Whoops, another crisis. This is when you realize you can’t do it alone and call a family meeting. If you begin to think you are responsible for keeping your loved one alive and safe, you will eventually find yourself at the next stage

4. Playing God – This can become an unhealthy co-dependant relationship. Eventually you will reach the next and most dangerous turn.

5. I Can’t Do This Anymore! – You MUST take care of yourself.

6. Coming Back – You have now reached the center of the labyrinth of care giving. Here, you must begin to appreciate all you have done and begin to acknowledge that your loved one is not going to return to the independent person he or she once was. You need to replenish your lifelines – friends, music, work, nature.

7. The In-Between Stage – is a momentous turning point for those who care for the chronically ill. Your loved one cannot be cured in an acute-care hospital, but he or she is not ready to die – and may live for years. But our healthcare system has little to offer at this stage, except round trips to the emergency room and readmissions to the hospital.

Most slow-aging adults today develop chronic illnesses. They are sent home quicker and sicker to you, the family caregiver, who has no professional training, no financial support and rarely any respite.

8. The Long Goodbye – This is a true gift and Always Best Care can assist you. With one of our experienced, insured and bonded caregivers relieving you of much of the work. You will now have time for end-of-life conversations and some kind of closure.

The passage to caregiver may well be the most memorable in your life. How you usher your mom or dad or spouse or sibling out of this world has so much impact on how you think about yourself: Am I a good person? Did I do everything I could? Did I let my siblings do some of the heavy lifting? Did I hold on too long? Let go too soon? Or did I share precious moments of full presence right up to the end?

Let Always Best Care, The Leader in Non-Medical In-Home Care and FREE Assisted Living Placement, help you on this journey. We have care plans ranging from 2-hour sitter service to 24-hour live-in. Call us at 619.757.1114 and speak with our care coordinator about a plan that fits your need or visit website –  www.inhomecaresandiego.com.

By: Always Best Care Senior Services – San Diego California (CA)

Always Best Care of San Diego CA Applauds the Social Security Commissioner

Always Best Care of San Diego CA, “The leader in Non-Medical In-Home Care and FREE Assisted Living Placement” Applauds the Social Security Commissioner

In its effort to improve and expedite the disability determination process, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has announced that it will add early-onset Alzheimer’s disease to its Compassionate Allowances Initiative.

The initiative identifies debilitating diseases and medical conditions that meet the SSA’s disability standards for Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Inclusion in the initiative allows for faster payment of Social Security benefits to individuals with Alzheimer’s disease.

Always Best Care of San Diego applauds Social Security commissioner Michael Astrue and the SSA for understanding that the cognitive impairment caused by Alzheimer’s disease leaves individuals unable to maintain gainful employment and deserving of an expedited disability determination.

Since 2003, the Association has been advocating on behalf of individuals with early-onset Alzheimer’s as they navigate the Social Security disability determinations process, and we welcome the SSA’s decision.

Until now, individuals with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease have faced a myriad of challenges when applying for SSDI or SSI, including a long decision process, initial denials and multiple appeals. Today’s decision will simplify and streamline the SSDI/SSI application process and decrease the wait time for benefits, which for some has lasted as long as three years.

For the past 13 years, Always Best Care has become one of the most trusted providers of senior care needs. With a proven track record in Assisted Living Placement Services, Home Care Services and Skilled Care for Seniors, Always Best Care has continually provided superior expertise and unmatched service though their network of independently owned and operated franchise offices located in ideal locations throughout the United States. We have care plans ranging from 2-hour sitter service to 24-hour live-in. Call us at 619.757.1114 to speak to a care coordinator about a plan that fits your need. Or follow this link to learn more about the In-Home Care services Always Best Care of San Diego provides: www.inhomecaresandiego.com.

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By: Always Best Care Senior Services – San Diego California (CA)

May Is National Arthritis Awareness Month: Get Moving In La Mesa CA

May: National Arthritis Awareness Month

“Arthritis is a debilitating disease that profoundly impacts the lives of millions of Americans on a daily basis,” says John H. Klippel, M.D., president and CEO, Arthritis Foundation. “The effects of the 46 million Americans with arthritis on the economy are enormous; the direct and indirect medical costs of this disease are estimated to be $128 billion each year. With the aging of baby boomers, the prevalence of arthritis is expected to rise by 40 percent – that is up to 67 million people – by the year 2030.”

Moving is the Best Medicine is the message for the 2010 Arthritis Awareness Month.

Read more…

For information and assistance with elder care for an aging loved one in the San Diego CA area, please visit us at www.inhomecaresandiego.com.

Credit: Always Best Care Senior Services – San Diego California (CA)