... With upwards of 75 million adult children caring for their elderly parents, the primary question facing society is how we take care of our aging relatives in a way that honors them, without crushing the caregivers under the weight of responsibility? ABC News recently created a series entitled, "ElderCare: Families on the Brink", where Diane Sawyer reports on questions like car keys to funeral homes, what to do with Mom and Dad. (1) I used to say, "It isn't going to happen to me! Caregiving is an unscheduled event you are never fully prepared to do when the ... mask before helping those people around you." This totally makes sense. Care for yourself so you can care for others. If you are not breathing, how can you possibly help others? I also add, "Buckle up. You are in for a very bumpy ride!" 1) http://abcnews.go.com/WN/ElderCare/
Tags: elderly parents | family dynamics | elderly relatives | elderly caregiving | family obligations |

... care for most seniors and many families are leery of placing an elder in an unknown professional care situation. While there is no cookie cutter approach which will guarantee that a family will make the right choice, there are certainly many considerations which should be weighed carefully when selecting any eldercare facility, including a nursing home, assisted living center or other type of senior residence. First of all, it is crucial to understand the difference between the various types of senior housing and care centers which are available. Nursing homes are at the more comprehensive end of the care spectrum, as ...
Tags: nursing home | assisted living facility | longterm care | eldercare | senior citizens | nursing |

... of family, my career, and now my elderly parents. I now know firsthand the challenges of being a caregiver and have sought to learn all that I can about the subject. Through my journey and interviewing of over 200 health care professionals and caregivers, you could consider me now an eldercare expert. Nationally speaking and sharing my story has enabled me to hear the same consistent universal themes when it comes to caregiving. Some of the tips below might just help you become a better caregiver and understand the personal struggle elderly people experience through this transition in life as well ...
Tags: aging parents | adult children | elderly parents | aging parents needed | three generations |

Assertiveness is the ability to honestly share your beliefs, opinions, feelings, and rights without anxiety. This means that you should be able to share your thoughts without feeling worried, nervous, or guilty. If you sense that you are not in a job setting that values honesty, you need to consider whether you want to commit long-term to that position. Assertive behavior does not hurt the rights of others. It shows people you are positive, confident, and self-assured. Unfortunately, this can sometimes be perceived as a threat by others in the workplace who do not share your same level of competency and confidence. Assertiveness at work can include: Self-awareness of your actions and the ...
Tags: assertive people | professional communication | lack of assertiveness | communicating in a positive manner |

Assertiveness is the ability to honestly share your beliefs, opinions, feelings, and rights without anxiety. This means that you should be able to share your thoughts without feeling worried, nervous, or guilty. If you sense that you are not in a job setting that values honesty, you need to consider whether you want to commit long-term to that position. Assertive behavior does not hurt the rights of others. It shows people you are positive, confident, and self-assured. Unfortunately, this can sometimes be perceived as a threat by others in the workplace who do not share your same level of competency and confidence. Assertiveness at work can include: Self-awareness of your actions and the ...
Tags: assertive people | professional communication | lack of assertiveness | communicating in a positive manner |

I picked an Alzheimer Residential facility in Portland, Oregon, from the internet, because they were close to home and looked like an "up-scale" facility. When I met with the Assistant Director of the last-stage Alzheimer unit known as "Expressions," I came with an industrious proposal in hand. After reviewing my ideas, she politely suggested that I focus on using Reminiscent Therapy with the unit's 15 residents. She explained, "This is the end of the road for these folks. While their short-term memory is gone, they've retained their long-term memories. Allowing them to reminisce about their pasts would be the most therapeutic approach." I realized I knew nothing of last-stage dementia, so ...
Tags: Alzheimer | Alzheimers | Parkinsons | elder care | eldercare | last stage Alzheimers |

Thickened liquids are often recommended for patients with dysphagia. Very few of these patients are compliant with the use of thickened liquids if they are able to obtain drinks on their own. For those who are compliant, dehydration and/or reduced appetite are often side effects which, over time, may create more problems than the original diagnosis of dysphagia. So is there a solution to this problem? For some patients, the answer is "yes." If a patient is being seen by a speech pathologist and has a physician's order, the Frazier Water Protocol can be used. This protocol is based on the fact that the human body is made up of water and if small amounts of water enter the lungs through ...
Tags: thickened liquids | frazier water protocol | dysphagia | eldercare |

Each home care situation is unique. In the beginning, family or friends step in to help with simple tasks and support for aging seniors who want to stay in their homes. As long term care needs progress, more time is required to manage those needs. If an illness or recovery from surgery requires nursing care or physical therapy, a physician may order skilled home care services that provide both skilled providers and personal aides. Usually, the decision is then based on the obvious medical determinations made by the doctor, but what if it isn't? Each home care situation is unique. In the beginning, family or friends step in to help with simple tasks and support for aging seniors who want to ...
Tags: home care | home care services | choosing home care | home care company | in home care for elderly | eldercare |

Talk of productivity pervades every industry - even service industries such as healthcare. Are there ways to insure that a business stays profitable without talking about productivity? Does productivity even have anything to do with profit margins? If not, why all the talk about productivity? I have spent over 20 years in healthcare management and, even though that time was spent supervising people who were providing care to others, my supervisors spent most of their time analyzing associate productivity. While it makes sense to insure that employees are working in the most cost-effective manner possible, measuring productivity seldom has any type of correlation to the bottom line. Case in ...
Tags: increase productivity | productivity levels | profit margins | employee motivation |

March 14th is officially International Ask a Question Day. With that in mind I wanted to bring up the importance of asking questions of your health care provider. Remaining silent and not asking questions could literally be hazardous to your health or the health of your loved one. We used to think that it was a sign of disrespect to question any physician or health care provider and that if we were "good patients", we would simply absorb what the provider said and not question their advice. Fear of "rocking the boat" and speaking of embarrassing issues may also play a part in poor communication between health care provider and patient. But times have changed and studies have shown that ...
Tags: health care | health care provider | ask questions | side effects |

... pay package may include: * Progressive Compensation Package * Healthcare Benefits (Medical, Prescription Drugs, Dental and Vision) * Retirement Savings Plan * Stock Options and Discount Stock Purchase Plan * Income Protection Plan (Life and Disability Coverage) * Management Bonus Plan * Adoption Assistance Plan * Domestic Partner Benefits * Referral Programs and Support Resources for Child and Eldercare * Discounted Starbucks Merchandise And of course, all partners get a pound of coffee each week. A pound of coffee a week?! Well....no wonder the service is exceptional and the partners are so vibrant and jubilant...Starbucks has their staff all jacked up on coffee! But seriously, researching ...
Tags: customer service | coffee | exceptional customer service | service industry | starbucks | training |

The very essence of being human means we exist within a social structure where we interact with others. We talk, spend time together, laugh and sometimes cry together - but, there are times in life where interaction can become minimal. Everyone experiences loneliness at one time or another and generally, these feelings do not last long. However, loneliness sometimes takes on a different role in the lives of seniors. Lack of companionship can become a way of life that can have a negative impact on the overall health of the elderly. Whether loneliness is caused by the loss of a loved one, living miles away from family and friends, or because a senior's social circle is not active - studies ...
Tags: seniors | loneliness | combating | eldercare | assisted living |

It's no secret that communicating with parents who suffer from dementia is difficult, especially in the latter stages of the disease. So what can we do to communicate our love to a person who may not even remember who we are? The answer may be to look at ways in which they expressed their love to us. When you failed a test at school, or your friends "left without you" or you were not feeling well, what did your Mom or Dad do to make you feel better? I remember that when I had a cold, my Mom would always rub Vick's Vapo Rub on my chest. I hated the smell and the stickiness but never-the-less, it showed me that she cared. Once when my 2 best friends were playing the "Three's a Crowd" game, ...
Tags: aging parent | expressing love | dementia | communicating with parents who suffer from dementia |