Ten Commandments of Caregiving

Here is a helpful list that I wish I had written because I agree with every point. From leezasplace.org.

Before undertaking any effort in life, such as these Ten Commandments, always know that perfection is a false goal. Perfection in caregiving should be avoided at all times. These Ten Commandments are not for perfectionists and are created only for caregivers committed to the concept of “doing your best, no more nor less.”

I.: Take The Oxygen First
As the FAA says, when the plane gets into trouble and the life saving equipment falls from the upper compartment, you take the oxygen first and then give it to your child. With only 19 seconds of useful consciousness in such a situation this approach gives both of you a chance of survival. Caregiving is no different.

At its base, caregiving is an experience of confusion, challenge and mixed emotions. Love for your family member and the satisfaction you derive from helping
may create a situation where one sacrifices their lives at the “alter of caregiving.” That sacrifice gives rise to conflicting emotions such as guilt, stress, anxiety and a host of other mental health challenges. It is imperative as a caregiver to take care of one’s own mind, body and soul by taking the oxygen first.

Yes, that's me in the photo. I keep this photo posted in my bathroom as a reminder to take care of myself.

II.: Never Assume
Caregivers are no different than others in that we tend to make assumptions about other people and situations before actually having gathered all of the neede information. In fact, when we make an assumption we are really passing judgment without even realizing it. How often do we assume that our loved one knows what we know, or knows what we need or desire to have happen, when if fact we are not all psychic? The result of this is often misplaced anger or resentment. Let’s make a sincere effort to garner all the details before we make assumptions.

III.: Have Ongoing Family Conferences
Roles and responsibilities are extremely important to explain to all involved. Ongoing family conferences maintain the boundaries necessary to the caregiving process so that no one feels out of control or inadequate. This is a vital and should be done in person and as frequently as needed. Family conferences are like tuneups used to maintain the family car. This car needs to drive well, efficiently and for a long time. Schedule these conferences regularly, before the wheels fall off.

IV.: Do Not Isolate
Social isolation can detach and separate a caregiver and give rise to a wide variety of stresses for those taking care of a loved one. Isolation is dangerous because it cuts off family members from outside help and support they need to cope with the stresses of caregiving. Isolation makes it harder for outsiders to see and intervene in a volatile situation. Support groups help caregivers feel less isolated creating strong bonds of assistance and friendship. Participating in a support group helps caregivers manage stress by sharing their experiences and helping to improve caregiver> skills. It may also help you to face that some problems> have no solutions and that accepting the situation is reality. Join a Caregiver Support Group today.

I recognize my tendency for isolating too much.

V.: Do Not Take Anything Personally
Taking things personally is about self-importance, “the maximum expression of selfishness,” where we assume everything is about “me.” As a famous author once said, “Nothing other people do is because of you. It is because of themselves.” The actual words said by your loved one are not what is hurting you; it is that you have wounds that are touched by what was said.

VI.: Plan Ahead/Make Contingency Plans
Murphy's Law is a popular adage in our culture which broadly states that things will go wrong in any given situation. In American culture the law was named after an engineer working for a brief time on USA rocket sled experiments. No doubt if you are a caregiver than Plan A needs to be made but has to be followed up by Plan B, a contingency plan. Recognize what you can and cannot do, define your priorities, and act accordingly. Turn to other people for help - your family, friends, and neighbors. Prepare clear written list of tasks for anyone who may offer assistance. Planning ahead is vital as it gets all on the same page, allows your loved one to feel safe and to have continuity, lessening their anxiety. What if I go before my loved one does? The answer is plan ahead!

This step is so important that it is the first chapter of my book.

VII. Do Not Fall Prey To Shame & Stigma
Shame and stigma have tragic consequences. Caregivers with mental health challenges fail to see help for themselves because of the shame associated with their condition. As a result of this feeling many think they will experience some form of discrimination, whether in the workplace, from health insurance plans or in social settings. They must get help for their behavioral issues in the same manner they would get help for any other other medical condition. Though a loved one is surrounded by medical and behavioral complications at all times, matters get much worse if the caregiver represses their own mental health issues and keeps it in a closet. There is a high need for ongoing assessments for depression, anxiety, fear, alcohol usage and many other challenges. Often shame and stigma prevent vital access to in-depth evaluation of those on the caregiving path. There is no biochemical difference between a disease of the brain and a disease of the heart.

VIII: Use Community Resources
A full complement of support services that address the caregiver and the recently diagnosed exists in every community. The quality and the extent of such a continuum of resources may vary but just know that neither a caregiver nor their loved one has to be alone. Supportive services may include medical, behavioral, legal, dental and various psycho-educational support groups Investigate community resources that might be helpful. If there is a Leeza’s Place in your community, consult a Leeza Care Advocate or attend meetings and ask other caregivers for the resources that have helped them. If there is not a Leeza’s Place in your community try our Caregiver Connection Line.

IX: Honor Sacred Memories
Empower yourself and your family using experiential approaches to memories. Take time to “remember.” Get away from it all while relaxing with yourself and your loved ones. Use photography journaling, scrapbooking, holiday decorations or any other means to associate with the endearing “stories” of the family. If there is a Leeza’s Place near you, make sure you schedule time for LMTV, Leeza’s Memory Television. The caregiver and the care receiver can find common and connective ground in the face of the best and worst of times. Making sure that all members of the family are included is vital in this process. This is a great time to bring children into the process of honoring their elders and allows loved ones to connect in a valuable way. Keeping what emerges out of such a dynamic process is a great way to honor sacred memories and bridge the generations.

COMMANDMENT X: Find Humor In Many Places“Laughter Is the Best Medicine.” This is an old expression popularized by Norman Cousin’s book “Anatomy of an Illness,” in which he describes his battle with cancer and how he “laughed” his way to recovery. His hypothesis and the subject of many studies suggest that there are positive effects to be gained from laughter as a great tension-releaser, pain reducer, breathing improver, and general elevator of moods. It sounds miraculous, is not proven, but studies continue. In short, humor therapy is valuable and it helps us through difficult or stressful times. Try to see the humor in being a caregiver. Try writing on a card “Have you laughed with your loved one today?” and placing it in a conspicuous place in the bathroom or kitchen. Read funny books or jokes, listen to funny tapes or watch humorous movies or videos that make you laugh. Try it and you’ll like it!

I often advise my friends to watch the comedy channel frequently!

Dad Kept Us Up All Night Long

He is finally able to use the bathroom and summoned us every 45 minutes for help. Unfortunately, he won’t wear the new Depends pull-ups for men that I bought for him. I fell so groggy from lack of sleep. It might be my last memory of Dad. Last year, my March visit was the last time I saw Mom. Very sad.

Off to the airport now on St Patrick’s Day.

Note I Posted For Caregivers

Dear Ladies

Please make a note of these guidelines for the Scott Household:

Microwave Oven:--Please cover all food items with paper towel and clean after each use.

Kitchen:--Please mop floor, clean stove, clean microwave, clean countertops, and clean table.

Laundry:-- should never be left in washer overnight.

Medicine:--nurse will fill pill box weekly. Please check the box that corresponds to your shift.

Lights:—Please turn off when not needed.


Thank you for your attention to these matters.

Karla Scott

Shirley is a tireless friend

Like clockwork, Shirley comes by EVERY Sunday to visit my Dad and bring him First Holy Communion. She is unwavering in her dedication to bring sunshine into my Dad’s world. Here she is with Dad on his 96th Birthday. I Love Shirley!

Seniors Trade Cars for Rides in New Chicago Test

INDEPENDENT TRANSPORTATION NETWORK City to test program in May on N.W. Side

BY FRAN SPIELMAN City Hall Reporter/fspielman@suntimes.com

Edgewater resident Betty Steinke, 77, was recently forced to give up her driver's license because of the severe visual impairment known as macular degeneration.

That left her 84-year-old husband as her only chauffeur. But it won't be long before Leroy Steinke is off the hook.

After two years of planning, City Hall is ready to roll out a pioneering program that will allow seniors to donate their cars to a new nonprofit agency in exchange for free rides around the clock.

The Independent Transportation Network is the brain child of Katherine Freund, whose 3-year-old son was run over by an elderly motorist in 1988 while playing outside their Maine home.
"When our family recovered, I said, how do I keep this from happening to other people? How do I fix it?" said Freund, whose son is now a healthy 23-year-old.
"Everybody's family has some older person struggling with this issue. People need an escort in and out of the car. They need someone to carry their packages or fold their walker. You cannot rely on adult children to leave their jobs every day to do this."

Before going citywide, Chicago's program is expected to debut in May in a district that starts on the Northwest Side and swings around to include five hospitals in the Illinois Medical District on the Near West Side.
AARP will send out a mass mailing next month to seniors in nine primarily Northwest Side ZIP codes, urging them to donate their cars or join ITN Chicago in exchange for a yet-to-be determined fee similar to a cab fare. A list of the pilot communities can be found at itnchicago.org.

If the Kelley Blue Book value of the donated car is $10,000, the senior will get credit for $10,000 worth of free rides. Donated vehicles will be sold, with the proceeds used to subsidize rides and the program, partially funded by a $125,000 state grant.
Initially, volunteer drivers will use their own cars after passing a road test and undergoing criminal background checks and screening for moving violations. Over time, the Chicago chapter of a network that began in Portland, Maine, and expanded to include Los Angeles, San Diego and Orlando hopes to reach agreement with a car-sharing service.

"Our goal is to fill a niche for seniors who probably should not be driving but don't want to be confined," said former Aging Commissioner Joyce Gallagher, who's spearheading the program and hopes to take it citywide in three to five years.
"I'm not trying to get them off the road. They are off the road. We're just trying to help them through the situation they find themselves in."
The first ride is expected to be provided in May by Leroy Steinke, chairman of the 23-member ITN Chicago board.

"I'm still able to drive. I have friends in their 90s who still drive. But there are people who can't. And they no longer have access to family members who can accommodate their needs," Steinke said.
"This would literally be a door-to-door accommodation."
When now-ousted Gov. Rod Blagojevich gave free mass transit rides to seniors, Freund called Gallagher and asked if Chicago wanted to back out.

But an appearance at a Northwest Side senior citizen center put Freund's concerns to rest. She asked an audience of 130 how many people felt their mobility needs were being met by public transportation. Three hands went up.
"What that tells me is that all of our existing systems were not built for people who live to frail old ages," she said.

Dad is 96 today!

Bring on the cake
Bring on the candles
Bring on the party hats
Bring on the cards
Bring on the gifts
Bring on the friends
Bring on the blessings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Glad To Be Here With Dad

Today, I met with Dad’s new social worker and his latest hospice nurse. I am glad I was here to answer all their questions and learn about his newest medicines and applications.

Here in Chicago The Same March Dates As Last Year

I just realized I came here last March 12-17-----also for Dad's birthday. He will turn 96 on Sunday.

BTW, It was 76F when I left Miami and 19F when I landed in Chicago.

Annual Caregiver Conference-Today, I Attended My 4th in Three Years

I found today's caregiver conference as helpful as they always are. I am re-posting what I wrote two years ago. The learning is as relevent now.

Blog caregiver conference repost
May 24, 2007

Gathering Information At the Fearless Caregiver Conference

I am feeling invigorated and empowered after attending the ninth annual Fearless Caregiver Conference, held yesterday in Ft Lauderdale. Two months ago I attended this conference when it was held in Miami.

At both conferences, I benefited significantly from the opportunity to learn from professionals in all aspects of elder care who presented products and services and shared their wisdom about caregiving. I was also able to connect with other caregivers who have dedicated a significant part of their lives toward caring for their aging loved ones. While I learned a lot, I realized how much I've already learned as a result of being a solo long-distance caregiver for more than two years now. During the question and answer sessions, I realized I could have contributed some wisdom to every single discussion.

Fearless caregiver conferences, hosted across the country, bring together caregivers and elder care experts, to share their knowledge and experience. These conferences, generally free to the public, are offered by several dozen sponsors and exhibitors who wish to provide information on the plethora of products and services available to assist caregivers in making the best decisions in giving the best care for their aging loved ones.

The format for these helpful conferences consist of an exhibit area, where more than 35 exhibitors provide caregiver information on some of the following: long-term care insurance, Alzheimer's disease, hearing a technology, personal emergency response systems (PERS) monitoring services, assisted living facilities, nursing home facilities, home health care services, reading and vision products, breast cancer research, hygiene products, blindness prevention, hospice services, geriatric care management services, transportation, helpful literature and many more. In addition, a panel of experts delivered presentations on specific areas of long-term caregiving and they shared their wisdom in a lively question and answer session designed to solicit rich discussion helpful to all attendees. The AARP even provided comprehensive training manuals for caregivers in both English and Spanish.

Gary Barg, a noted speaker, writer and publisher on caregiving issues created the Fearless Caregiver Conferences. He is an inspiration to me providing a forum where elder care experts and experienced caregivers can share their knowledge with others. He draws upon his experience as a caregiver since 1995.

I learned some key information during yesterday's event:

---I learned a whole new definition of hospice that dispels the commonly held myths and misconceptions. My impression was that hospice means sending your loved ones to an institution where they will die—sooner rather than later. When my Moms doctor advised me she was a candidate for hospice in February 2005, I unequivocally rejected the notion of separating her from her husband, friends, and unfamiliar surroundings. The new model of hospice entails caring for terminally ill loved ones wherever your loved one lives with a focus on care vs. cure. Hospice professionals will provide services in their home. The reality is that most people prefer to remain in their home, rather than moving to an impersonal institution staffed with strangers.

Since my Mom has been diagnosed as hospice ready, there are a plethora of resources available to our family free of charge. I spoke with a representative from VITAS, the country's largest provider of end-of-life care, who informed me that daytime respite care, prescription medications, and even equipment we are paying for are available to us at no cost. I will certainly explore.

---I also found out there is caregiver assistance program (CAP) training at North Broward held on a regular basis. Because this training, scheduled for four consecutive days, is funded by a federal grant, it is provided free of charge, and even includes meals. I will investigate the training schedule and register for the sessions.

---In most cases, if your loved one has reached a certain level of incurability, it is best to avoid hospitals altogether. Even in some emergency situations, it is best to find solutions at home. It was acknowledged that often, older patients receive minimal attention in emergency rooms and often hospital patients fall victim to other diseases during their stay.

---I learned that there are no conclusive tests to diagnose Alzheimer's disease. Based upon clinical results and patient history information, physicians simply draw conclusions. Although there is also no definitive understanding of the cause of Alzheimer's, genetic links have been established.

---Depression plays a major role in Alzheimer's disease-- primarily because of grieving losses-- loss of self, loss of independence, and loss of hope for a bright future. It is perfectly normal for someone with Alzheimer's disease to suffer from depression, and there are many helpful antidepressants prescribed to treat this heavy condition.

---Reverse mortgages can serve as a helpful solution for some clients.

---In dealing with Alzheimer's patients, the best medicines are empathy and unconditional love.

---Caregivers provide billions of dollars (est. $250 billion) of uncompensated eldercare.

I highly recommend that you consider attending one of these helpful conferences. Attending such an empowering conference will allow you to gather a bundle of information, all under one roof, and all you have to invest is three to four hours of your time. They even include breakfast, a nice lunch, and a dessert break—all for free or a nominal entry fee.


Keep your eyes and ears open for caregiver conferences. Consult your local alliance for aging agency via The National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4A.org) or Fearless Caregiver Conference at caregiver.com for details.

Too Few Seniors Receive Much-Needed Home Care:

AARP report finds Medicaid limits access

Here is an interesting article that exposes the shortfalls in care for the largest segment that needs care: seniors who are not developmentally disabled.

By Trish Nicholson - July 11, 2008 - AARP Bulletin Today

Even though most older Americans would prefer to receive care at home rather than in nursing homes, many states have been slow to reform their Medicaid programs to make that choice widely available. Instead, most states have done a much better job of using Medicaid dollars to help people with developmental disabilities remain in their homes and communities than to help older people and adults with physical disabilities.

Those are among the findings in A Balancing Act: State Long-Term Care Reform, a report released July 11 by the AARP Public Policy Institute. The report is the first ever to examine Medicaid spending specifically for older people and adults with physical disabilities, as distinct from other groups needing long-term care.
The study yielded surprising data. “We really didn’t realize how far behind services for older people were, compared to services for people with developmental disabilities,” says Enid Kassner, the institute’s director of independent living and long-term care, and lead author on the report.
For years AARP researchers had examined annual data from the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services showing the extent to which states were balancing Medicaid dollars between nursing home care and home- and community-based services. It appeared that states were making steady progress toward offering alternatives. “But when we broke out the numbers,” Kassner says, “there were pretty dramatic differences in serving different populations.”
Seventy-five percent of Medicaid spending on long-term care for older people and adults with physical disabilities goes to nursing home care. In contrast, most Medicaid dollars for people with developmental disabilities go toward services that can help them live independently.

A major barrier to leveling the playing field is Medicaid’s institutional bias. Medicaid is required to provide nursing home care for ailing older adults who are impoverished. The program is not required to provide home- and community-based care, even though it is often less expensive than nursing home care.
“This is backwards,” Susan Reinhard, senior vice president of the Public Policy Institute, said in a statement when releasing the report. “People are entitled to more costly nursing home care, but not to care in their homes.”

Despite federal rules that hinder states’ ability to balance Medicaid funds between nursing home care and home- and community-based services, a handful of states have succeeded in tipping the scales. In 2006 Alaska, Oregon, Washington and New Mexico spent more than half of their Medicaid long-term care budgets for older people and adults with physical disabilities on services that allow them to live at home or in the community.

These successes, Kassner says, “have shown that it can be done. It is not mission impossible. But it really takes a lot of work, and it takes a commitment from state officials. They have to embrace the philosophy that people have the right to control their own care. If the state doesn’t believe that, they’re not going to make it happen.”

Nationwide Medicaid spending on home- and community-based services for older people and adults with physical disabilities increased by 65 percent from 2001 to 2006, while Medicaid spending on nursing home care increased 16 percent. But nursing home funding began at higher levels, and the rate of change was not evenly distributed among the states. Indeed, more than half the states boosted funding for nursing home care more than for home-based services. If recent rates of change continue, the nation will not reach a 50-50 spending balance between the two types of care until 2020.

Changes in funding are not the only indicator of progress, however, because of differences in cost. The amount of Medicaid dollars that can pay for home care for nearly three people on average can only pay for nursing home care for one.
AARP researchers therefore also looked at changes in participant data over a five-year span, from 1999 to 2004. A state might be behind the national average in terms of spending yet may have reduced the number of people in nursing homes while boosting the number receiving in-home care. “We would call that a partial success,” Kassner says.

The report includes a two-page profile of every state, with pie charts showing how the state compares to the national average in terms of balancing funds and a table showing changes in participant data. Each profile describes programs and progress within that state.

AARP will host an Innovations Roundtable in August, inviting state officials and advocates to use the report and share information on best practices.
Because Medicaid is the primary payer for long-term care, how a state uses those funds can affect its long-term care infrastructure. If most of a state’s Medicaid budget goes to nursing home care, the market for entrepreneurs to develop businesses offering in-home care may be inadequate. As a result, even people who pay for long-term care out of their own pockets may have a hard time finding in-home services.
On the other hand, among states that have invested in home-based care, several have established a “single point of entry” to the long-term care system, providing one place where state residents can go to get all the information they need about options for care, whether they are eligible for Medicaid or not.

The national trend toward apportioning some Medicaid funds for home- and community-based services—which began in the 1980s—got a boost from the U.S. Supreme Court in its 1999 Olmstead decision. The high court rejected the state of Georgia’s appeal to keep two women with mental illness and mental retardation in a state psychiatric hospital long after treatment professionals recommended their transfer to a less restrictive community-based setting.

“Older people don’t want to be in institutions, either,” Kassner says. “AARP will have to ramp up its advocacy to remove the disparity in services for different populations. If we’re not going to fight for this, who will?”

Double Bind: As boomers juggle work and caring for aging parents, business pays price

Here is an article, published in AARP magazine, about the toll caregiving takes on the employed and about how employers are faced with having to provide support.

New York gerontologist Ellen Eichelbaum was giving a speech on elder care issues in Dallas when she was interrupted by news of her own elder care crisis.
Eichelbaum's 89-year-old mother urgently needed medical attention following oral surgery. At the same time, Eichelbaum received word that her pregnant daughter was in labor.

"I ran out to where my mother lives in New Jersey while my daughter was giving birth in Pennsylvania. The stress was so unbelievable that I could feel my blood boiling," says Eichelbaum, 58, who counsels companies about how to help their employees care for ailing parents. "My own life has become hell because I'm constantly making choices. Who should I take care of first—my grandchildren, my mother or my husband?"
As people live longer, more boomers like Eichelbaum are finding themselves caring for their parents while trying to balance the demands of a job and the needs of their children. Doing double, sometimes triple duty takes a toll not only on their emotions but also on their finances and their productivity at work. Increasingly, employees—and employers—are looking for ways to cope.

More than 44 million Americans are involved in caring for an aging relative or friend, and about 29 million of them are employed, according to the nonprofit National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) in Bethesda, Md., and AARP. Among boomers, 35 percent say they are, or have been, responsible for their parents' care.
And with the 85-plus population growing at the fastest rate, the U.S. Department of Labor predicts that by 2008, 54 percent of the work force will be involved in caring for an older person—including making doctors' appointments, calling around to find out about care facilities or handling emergency situations.

Not everyone is able to manage the often conflicting demands of working and caregiving. The "MetLife Juggling Act Study," reported by the MetLife Mature Market Institute in 1999, found that 16 percent of employees quit their jobs and 13 percent retired early because they could not manage full-time work along with the demands of caring for children, spouses and parents.

The study found that of 950 working caregivers, the average loss per person was an estimated $566,500 in wages, $67,000 in pension benefits and $25,500 in Social Security benefits—a lifetime loss of $659,000. The reasons cited were reduced work hours and missed promotions, transfers or training opportunities.
While taking a toll on workers, elder care problems also hurt business. The MetLife report estimated that U.S. companies lose $11 billion to $29 billion a year in reduced productivity. Gerontologist Sandra Timmermann says a new report due out soon will reveal the loss is much greater.

"This next decade is bound to be the elder care decade," says Timmermann. "People are working, they live far away from their parents, there are fewer siblings, and they don't have support systems in place."

Despite the growing number of workers with caregiving responsibilities, only about one in four U.S. businesses offers employees elder care support services and benefits such as flexible hours and telecommuting, according to the Society for Human Resources Management in Alexandria, Va.

And that hasn't changed in a decade, says Donna Wagner, director of gerontology at Towson University in Maryland. "Only the big companies offer this, and the majority of the American work force doesn't work for big companies, so you're touching very few lives when it comes to this issue."

Deborah Russell, AARP's director of work-force issues, believes that a shift in corporate policy and culture must occur for workers to successfully balance the demands of work and family. "As boomers age, this issue will become even more important," Russell says. "Employers will have to have resources in place, like flextime and programs to help caregivers at a distance, or else productivity will go down."

Slowly, companies are responding. Some offer support groups for employee caregivers during lunch hours. Others contract with elder care services to offer programs such as one-on-one counseling, referrals to dependent-care services and at-home assessments to determine what services an older adult needs to live independently.
Mortgage giant Fannie Mae invests $100,000 annually to provide elder care benefits for its employees in Washington—about 1,200 workers have taken advantage of the program. A survey in 2002 showed that 28 percent said they would have been forced to quit without such help, says Senior Program Manager Michelle Stone.

According to Stone, a full-time, on-site gerontologist advises employees on elder care resources and services. She can assist with counseling, long-distance caregiving, financial issues, housing options—even phone calls. "With this kind of help," says Stone, "employees are then able to focus on their role at work rather than spend time doing the research themselves."

Despite the recent attention, a stigma in the work place remains attached to elder care, according to NAC president Gail Hunt. "People are afraid that when their companies are downsizing, they'll be remembered for taking time off to care for their mother," Hunt says.

Gerontologist Eichelbaum believes that companies that do adopt compassionate policies are bound to get more satisfied, loyal and productive workers in return. "It would be nice to work in an environment where people understand your challenges, where your boss understands," she says. "When companies are compassionate, everybody works harder."

By Carole Fleck 2006-05-19 13:32:00-04:00 - AARP Bulletin Today

Respite Care for the Caregiver*

Here is an informative article about respite care (for caregivers*):

In the United States today there are approximately 50 million people who are caring at home for family members including elderly parents, and spouses and children with disabilities and/or chronic illnesses. Without this home-care, most of these cared for loved ones would require permanent placement in institutions or health care facilities at great cost to our society.[1]

Even though most families take great joy in providing care to their loved ones so that they can remain at home, the physical, emotional and financial consequences for the family caregiver can be overwhelming without some support, such as respite. Respite provides the much needed temporary break from the often exhausting challenges faced by the family caregiver.

Respite is the service most often requested by family caregivers, yet it is in critically short supply, inaccessible, or unaffordable regardless of the age or disability of the individual needing assistance. While the focus has been on making sure families have the option of providing care at home, little attention has been paid to the needs of the family caregivers who make this possible.

Close to 80% of all long-term care is now provided at home by family caregivers to children and adults with serious conditions, including mental health issues, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), multiple sclerosis (MS), traumatic brain injury, cancer, paralysis, developmental and physical disabilities, cognitive impairments and Alzheimer's disease. Parents and family caregivers are the backbone of the long-term care system and save health-care insurers and governments billions of dollars annually.

Research has shown that providing respite can have a positive effect on the health of the caregiver. Without respite, not only can families suffer economically and emotionally, caregivers themselves may face serious health and social risks as a result of stress associated with continuous caregiving. Three fifths of family caregivers age 19-64 surveyed recently by the Commonwealth Fund reported fair or poor health, one or more chronic conditions, or a disability, compared with only one-third of non caregivers.

*A widely-accepted definition of a carer/caregiver is:
“Someone whose life is in some way restricted by the need to be responsible for the care of someone who is mentally ill, mentally handicapped, physically disabled or whose health is impaired by sickness or old age.”

Taxes-Sadness

I just worked on Dad's 2008 taxes using software. It automatically tranferred his account info from last year's program. It was sad for me to have to indicate that his spouse is deceased.

I hope I did it all correctly.

Will Go Home For Dad's 96th Bday

Dad wil turn 96 soon and I am honored to be able to celebrate with him!