John in Los Angeles is preparing for an important meeting, and he receives a call from a hospital in Minneapolis, which says that his mother had emergency medical care, and the doctor wants to know what medicines she has, what diseases she has, and whether there are any is DNR. He is not only upset by this news and is trying to find the right information for the hospital, but he is desperately trying to think of someone who could take his place at the meeting at the last minute so that he can fly to Minneapolis because there is no other family there.
Judy visits as often as possible, and every day Skype is her dad, but still she is at a distance of 2000 miles from her, she cannot be there personally just as she and she were worried. "Dad becomes forgetful and not as stable on his feet as before." She is also concerned that he did not eat anything, because no one cooked for him. And she is concerned that important documents and even important checks may well be lost somewhere in the piles of papers that are charged. "How can I keep it all straight when I live for several hours?"
If you are familiar with any of these scenarios, you are probably not only worried about your elderly parent, but you are actually experiencing one or more of the symptoms of stress that many caregivers experience, such as loss of appetite, weight loss, depression, illness stomach, anger and / or aggressiveness, problems with sleep, difficulty concentrating, reduced immune response and hair loss.
Interesting fact : 4 7% of employed carers indicate increased care costs that force them to use EVERYTHING or MORE than their savings.
- Overview of the economic downturn and its impact on family care; -National Alliance for care and business. March 2009
This is not surprising. You do not have the ability to assess the factors that contribute to the well-being of your mom or dad on a daily basis. You are not alone. As the population in the US increases, long-term care for elderly family members has become a real problem. According to the National Institute on Aging, approximately 7 million Americans are manipulated by long-distance services and work and family. Lynn Feinberg, a care expert, said that this number will only increase, as economic factors will be people who will be wherever they are. While family care is always tense, distance and hard work can cause overwhelming pressure and anxiety. Feinberg says: "... it can have terrible consequences, not only for the quality of life, but also for someone." Entering work late, leaving early in the morning, completely abandoning work or leaving vacation, are not unusual side effects of family care.
The financial aspect of providing care for a family can also be overwhelming. In a study conducted by the National Alliance of Caregiving and Evercare for 2007, a division of the United Group, the average annual expenditure was about $ 8,728, which is much more than a local family allowance. The study reported that many had to work less hours, take on personal debt and seriously reduce their own expenses.
Interesting fact: for family caregivers experiencing extreme stress, it was shown that they age prematurely. This level of stress can take up to 10 years from the life of a family guardian.
- Elissa S. Epel, Department of Psychiatry, Univ of Calif, SF, et al.
- From the materials of the National Academy of Sciences, December 7, 2004, No. 101, No. 49
The answer for many family caregivers living at a distance from their parents is found in home care agencies that offer home care for the elderly, affordable care, customized to meet your needs, as well as the needs of your parent. Services can be configured to simply register your parent daily or weekly. Most of them offer accompanying help, and many times this is a real life path when a caring companion becomes a true friend. Diet, exercise, socialization and mental activity improve the quality of life and give a senior a sense of purpose.
If you worry that your parent exists on tea and toast, because they either have lost their appetite, or are just too difficult to prepare their own food, they can go shopping for groceries at home and prepare meals. It is also possible to have your parent bath and get dressed, doing laundry, changing bed linen and doing housekeeping. Medicine reminders can be part of the service. Reporting is provided to a family outside the city on a regular basis and, as necessary, arises from medical or other emergencies.
All this is more accessible than you think, and the best part of your parent can remain comfortable in his own home, surrounded by familiar objects of life. In the meantime, you can be sure that the picture shows a local guardian hired by a professional agency that has a back.
