- You get off the phone with mom and have a
feeling something’s
not right. -
Your mother’s electric bill wasn’t paid and she has
little food in the fridge. -
Your father’s becoming overwhelmed and exhausted
caring for your mother. - Your father fell and is in the hospital.
AND … You live hundreds of miles away!
United Elder Care Services can help by providing:
- A home health aide to help with personal care, respite time,
cooking, shopping and transportation. -
A geriatric care manager to either do an assessment and/or
routine home visits. -
Short term and long term planning --- for the whole family.
-
Crisis intervention
-
Information and Referral
UNITED ELDER CARE SERVICES, HELPING FAMILIES IN
BROWARD AND PALM BEACH COUNTIES SINCE 1998.
"A 2003 study of caregivers by a research team at Ohio State University has proven the off-repeated adage "stress can kill you" is true . The focus of the investigation was the effect the stress of caregiving had on caregivers. The team, led by Dr. Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, reports on a 6-year study of elderly people caring for spouses with Alzheimer's Disease. The study not only found a significant deterioration in the health of caregivers when compared to a similar group of non-caregivers but also found the caregivers had a 63% higher death rate than the control group."
www.planforcare.org
This is a startling statistic causing a rethinking of your family's needs and priorities. Your "caregiver" parent is truly at risk. The identified patient parent is the focus of medical treatment, family concern etc. However, the healthy parent is shouldering the physical/emotional stress, daily physical care of their spouse, the household and themselves-and it is crushing.
Answers include; Day Care for the afflicted parent, short term respite time in a facility, considering placement earlier. family assuming more responsibilities, visit more frequently, use of technology, support groups and provide relief--- Time OFF for the caregiver to care for themselves and simply to recharge. Home Care, just a few days a week can make a difference---if nothing else then allowing the caregiver time away without leaving their spouse alone.