Jeff Huber, President of Home Instead Senior Care Inc. was recently interviewed and here is a few of Jeff’s words….

Most professionals involved with eldercare are aware that adult children are not prepared to care for their parents when they receive “that call” that throws them into the caregiving role.  But the Home Instead Senior Care network wanted to learn more about that and so in conjunction with The Boomer Project, a study of 600 baby boomer aged adults was conducted. 

The results surprised me:

• Less than 50% were knowledgeable about their parents’ medical history
•  49% were unable to name any of their parents’ current medications
• More than 30% did not know just how many medications their parent(s) was taking
• 34% were unaware whether or not their parent  owned a safety deposit box
• and 36% were unaware of the location of their parents’ financial and legal information

The time to gather this information is NOT when a crisis occurs.  At that time, decisions need to be made quickly, tempers may flare and fights between siblings and other family members can ensue.   Family members can panic and incorrect choices may be made which may cause long term problems for all involved. 

 There will come a point when all of this information will be needed so it’s best to begin to gather it early.

Jeff suggests adopting the 40-70 Rule® which is a program to help bridge the communication gap between adult children and their senior loved ones.  Basically,  the earlier the conversation begins, the less stressful it will be and the more prepared the adult children will be.  The site provides conversation starters and communication tips.

Home Instead is also offering a free “Caring for Your Parents: Senior Emergency Kit” that you can download from our  website www.SeniorEmergencyKit.com.  This kit contains information such important contact information, a medication tracker, an allergies and conditions worksheet and some extra listed resources.

Do something good for YOURSELF and be prepared as your parents age…trust me, you’ll be glad you did!

While family caregivers and senior care professionals might recognize that an older adult needs help, seniors often don’t want it, potentially putting their health and safety at risk. Family caregivers may lack the communication skills needed to talk with their aging loved ones about this sensitive subject and the practical knowledge of the options and services that are available for them right here in Sonoma County so they can age in place. It doesnt matter where you call home, Petaluma, Sebastopol,  Santa Rosa to Healdsburg , Home Instead Senior Care can help your love one stay safe & age where all their memories are “at home”.

“Reassuring a senior loved one that you have the same goal in mind will help,” said family caregiving consultant Dr. Amy D’Aprix, author of From Surviving to Thriving: Transforming Your Caregiving Experience (www.DrAmyCaregiving.com). “Start with: ‘My goal for you is to be independent, too. You know I can’t be here all the time.  A little extra assistance will help you stay home.’”

Consider these tips, from the Home Instead Senior Care^® family caregiver support series Caring for Your Parents: Education for the Family Caregiver:

1. Be mindful of your approach and speaking methods.
2. Move toward solutions that provide the maximum amount of independence for the older person.
3. Look for answers that optimize strengths and desires.
4. Remember that you are talking to an adult, not a child.
5. Not everything needs to be solved right away.

Other tips that can help families address sensitive situations such as money troubles, dating or driving are available at www.4070talk.com.

For more information about family caregiving and communicating with a senior loved one, go to www.CaregiverStress.com.

http://www.caregiverstress.com/educational-videos/family-caregiver-training-video-series-senior-communication-issues-part-1-of-5/

Stages of Senior Care
AN EDUCATIONAL SERIES PROMOTING HEALTH & WELLNESS

FRIDAY, JUNE 17, 2011       FROM 1:00-5:00PM
at The Lodge at Paulin Creek
2375 Range Avenue • Santa Rosa, CA 95403

Reception and guided tours to follow program at The Lodge of Paulin Creek

Caring for our seniors has changed almost beyond recognition over the past generation. A few decades ago, there really were only two choices for protecting our parents and other older adults in their declining years: we cared for them ourselves at home , or they went into a nursing home. the choice was clear, but definitely an agonizing one as well.

The task of dealing with all the decisions of caring for either yourselves or your aging parents can seem to be overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to be that way. To help you navigate through this critical time in life,  Paul and Lori Hogan the co- founders of Home Instead Senior Care,  decide to write this book “Stages of Senior Care” to guide families in order to make the best senior care decisions. 

Our wish for you,  is to attend our Free and Open to the public for all Sonoma county residents,  talk on June 17th,2011 from 1pm- 5pm at  The Lodge of Paulin Creek. I hope the information we will provide is the best and  most appropriate senior care for those you love.  As a result your family will have the satisfation of  knowing you did your best for those you love the most!

We have gathered for you 6 Elder Care experts in their fields to dicuss such topics as: Planning for your future, Estate planning, Wills, Trusts,  How to hire a CAREGiver, the 40/70  &  50/50 concepts,  Hospice , Depression and Mood disorders, Difficult situations, and Aging in a Village.

Click on the link below and print out our  flier & place it  on your refridgorator, so you will remind yourself of this Wonderful oppertunity to gather all your inofrmation on all levels of senior care under one roof & in one location!  Hand outs will be given by ALL 6 Experts who will be hosting the Stages of Senior Care Talk. Please stop by and say hello. Hope  to see you there!

click link below to view flier

http://homeinstead.com/392/Documents/HISonoma_StagesofSeniorCare_FINAL.pdf

This guide is designed to help adult children and their aging parents deal with those sensitive life topics that often make conversations difficult. How do you talk with your mom and dad about driving, dating and independence? And when do you start?

Based on research and experience, the international caregiving company Home Instead Senior Care® recommends that the earlier these conversations begin the better. The “40-70 Rule” means that if you are 40, or your parents are 70, it’s time to start talking – at least about certain senior topics.

This guide features a series of situations followed by possible responses for some of the most awkward senior subjects. Sooner is better, before a crisis occurs. But it’s never too late to start.

In this video series, certified senior advisor Mary Alexander, from Home Instead Senior Care, provides tips for effective communications with seniors and discusses how to overcome obstacles.

This video is designed for anyone who is caring for an elderly person whether that person is a parent, other relative or friend.

The information in this video will enable you to learn how to open the lines of communication, know which topics are most difficult to discuss and give you methods to approach them.

You’ll also learn about barriers to communication and how to overcome them.

Click here to view the embedded video.

More videos like this can be found at http://caregiverstress.com/educational-videos

For more information, please call your Home Instead Senior Care office in Sonoma County at 707.586.1516 or visit us at http://homeinstead.com/sonoma.

Seniors often don’t realize that getting a little help now, when they’re getting a little older, can help them remain living independently for a lot longer than if they try to do everything on their own. 

Following are strategies from Home Instead Senior Care^® and family caregiving consultant Dr. Amy D’Aprix to help family caregivers turn resistance into assistance.  

1. Understand where the resistance is coming from.  Ask your parent why he or she is resisting.  “Mom, I notice that every time I bring up the idea of someone coming in to help, you resist it.  Why is that?”  Oftentimes older adults don’t realize they are being resistant.  
2. Explain your goals.  Remind your loved one that you both want the same thing.  Explain that a little extra help can keep her at home longer and will help put your mind at ease as well.  Have a candid conversation with him about the impact this care is having on your life.  Oftentimes seniors don’t understand the time commitment of a caregiver.
3. Bring in outside help.  If a relationship with a parent is deteriorating, ask a professional, such as a geriatric care manager, for an assessment.  A third-party professional can provide valuable input.  Also, go to www.4070talk.com for tips on how to talk with a loved one.  If you are having problems getting through to your older adult, consider asking another family member or close friend to intervene.  If you’re not making headway, perhaps there’s someone better to talk with your parents.
4. Research your options to find the best resources for your loved one.  Contact your local Area Agency on Aging or a geriatric care manager to research resources in your community.  Or download The Home Care Solution, a guide for family caregivers to help them find the best in-home care for their loved ones.  If you decide outside help is needed, reassure your parents and tell them you have researched caregivers and you are confident you have found the best one you can find to come into the home to help.
5. Respect your parent’s decisions.  Sometimes you won’t agree with your parent’s decisions and that’s O.K.  As long as your loved one is of sound mind, he or she should have the final say.   

A note:  If your senior has dementia, seek professional assistance from a doctor or geriatric care manager.  Logic often will not work and other strategies must be employed. 

For more information or to get answers to your questions, please contact your local Home Instead Senior Care office.  In Sonoma County, we can be reached — anytime day or night – by calling 707.586.1516.  Or you can visit our digital web brochure at http://hisc392.digbro.com.

Photo courtesy of freefoto.com

We’ve all been there.  Driving down the street, and you spot an older driver behind the wheel of a car. “That person should not be driving,” we think to ourselves.

Is it a stereotype? Well, perhaps.  But there’s an element of truth to such thoughts, too: At some point, many older drivers need to be taken off the road. As humans age, our joints get stiff, making it harder to turn the arm and neck.  Reflexes get slower, an obvious danger for an activity that requires split-second thinking and movement.

But how do we identify those drivers who need to be, well, un-licensed to drive?

A study by the University of Florida found that occupational therapists can play a key role in identifying older drivers who are at risk for automobile crashes. 

“Through appropriate screening and driving evaluation and rehabilitation, we can help identify unsafe drivers, making recommendations to those who need to stop driving, provide intervention strategies for those with remedial potential and assist others to optimize their driving skills that may be impacted by age-related conditions,” said Elin Schold Davis, coordinator of the American Occupational Therapy Association’s Older Driver Initiative, told HealthDay News. 

The research project analyzed crashes involving 5,345 drivers aged 65 and older. The mean age of older drivers in crashes was about 76.  Lane maintenance, yielding, and keeping an appropriate distance from other vehicles were listed as the cause of roughly half of all crashes.  Speed and stimuli errors were another major factor.

Therapists can, of course, identify the time of life when an elderly person should stop driving, but as with anything senior-related, Home Instead believes the best conversations begin with family members in the comfort of one’s own home. 

We follow the 40/70 rule: When you’re 40, or your parents are 70, it is time to start discussing plans for their old age and how they will be cared for.  This can be the best time to broach the topic of senior driving, which we have found to one of the touchier topics to face.

For those who are taken off the road, Home Instead CAREGivers offer transportation for running errands or simply to places like the park, a grandchild’s home, or to lunch with a friend.

And for those drivers who aren’t quite ready to give up the wheel, organizations such as AAA offer lessons on safe driving skills for older adults.  Connect with one of these groups for your loved ones if road worries are a concern for you.

You can find more information on the 40/70 rule by clicking on this link:  40-70 Rule – programs and emotional support services are offered to develop open discussions between families relating to providing care to parents and other various senior topics.

And for more information about Home Instead Senior Care of Sonoma County and companionship care, simply call our office at 707.586.1516 anytime.

Once again, our CEO and co-founder of Home Instead Senior Care has been featured in a prominent publication. 

This time, Woman’s Day magazine features Paul Hogan in an article entitled, “How to Care for Aging Parents: try these strategies to make helping Mom and Dad less stressful.”

There are literally millions of baby boomers who are caring for their aging parents.  If you happen to be one of them, this article contains some helpful advice such as: 

• Be Prepared
• Explore the Options
• Think Twice about Relocation
• Talk Money
• Ask for Help

A elderly parent’s sudden stroke or fall can alter an adult child’s life quickly, so it’s important to have the caregiver conversation when everything is still fine. Use the 40/70 rule, suggests Paul Hogan, coauthor of Stages of Senior Care. When you’re 40 or your parents are 70, talk to them about their preferences.

For additional tips on caring for your aging parent, you can download the 40/70 brochure here:  The 40-70 Rule: A Guide to Conversation Starters for Boomers and their Senior Loved Ones.

And for more information about how our Home Instead CAREGivers can help both you and your aging loved one, please call our Sonoma County home care office at 707.586.1516.  From our Rohnert Park office, we  serve all of Sonoma County including Petaluma, Santa Rosa, Sebastopol, Windsor and more.