Elder Care Cafe

Have you ever had a to-do list in mind and there was no force in the world that was going to keep you from accomplishing your goal? I know I have! As our population continues to age, more adult children go into their aging parent’s home to help with cooking and cleaning. That is one [...]

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What happens when you find the turkey is only half cooked, you don’t have all the ingredients for the mashed potatoes, the cranberry sauce is more like a cranberry juice and you have no idea what to do with all of the green beans. Has that ever happened to you? In the midst of your [...]

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Do you remember the Lone Ranger from the 1950s? I sure do – I watched that show every chance I got. Unfortunately, when someone becomes a caregiver that responsibility can easily take over their life. One of the biggest dangers caregivers face is trying to go it alone. It is easy to become so wrapped [...]

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Just who is the National Family Caregivers Association? They are a group of people who “educate, support, empower and speak up for the more than 65 million Americans who care for loved ones with a chronic illness or disability or the facilities of old age.” They believe all caregivers should have the recognition they deserve [...]

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The Administration on Aging (AoA) announced recently that 2010 is the Year of the Family Caregiver. This month celebrates the tenth anniversary of the National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP). To help honor the program and highlight the important role caregivers play in the lives of those they care for, the AoA created a new [...]

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In 1994, the National Family Caregivers Association launched their very first National Family Caregivers Week as a way of honoring family caregivers. The initial launch was recognized by then-President Bill Clinton who signed the first proclamation in 1997. Since then, every American president has since signed the annual declaration. A number of states and cities [...]

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In our previous post we talked about how to create a caregiver support team around you. Today we will talk about how to provide your own caregiver support system while you are coping with stress to help prevent burn out. Caregiver stress is a serious issue. Unfortunately, most caregivers forget they need to take time [...]

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As life expectancy continues to rise around the world, so does the number of senior citizens who will someday depend on others to care for them when they can no longer care for themselves. Much of that care will fall to family members and close friends of seniors who want to stay in their own [...]

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As most of us know, years of health care improvements including advances in medications, medical tests, and overall improved lifestyles, life expectancy has been climbing. Even our parents are often surpassing their parents in terms of years lived due to better health care conditions. Although most of us consider this good news because we want [...]

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Many older people quite often go through a stage when they feel that they are unloved and unimportant. At times they will need to be assured that they are loved and that they are not considered a burden to the family. In a way, making your parents happy can bring joy, contentment and peace of [...]

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Caring for an elderly loved one can and will cause stress. If you were ever a parent who raised even one child, you know how stressful that can be. That same type of stress exists when caring for a loved one on a daily basis. When you take care of your kids, the stress has [...]

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If you are a caregiver, you know that caring for a loved one involves many more duties and activities other than caring for someone’s physical needs. You may find yourself a primary caregiver to a loved one as well as an advocate in medical and legal situations as well. When you begin care, make sure [...]

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There is usually enough guilt to go around in most families when a parent or elderly loved one becomes unable to take care of themselves. If you are caring for a loved one, you already know what we are talking about. Since you are doing everything you can to provide appropriate care, why should you [...]

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A number of times on this site we have talked about the stress related to caregiving and how caregivers need to be mindful of the effect stress is having on their body and their mind. Every caregiver needs some kind of an outlet in order to release pent up emotions such as anger, frustration, and [...]

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It’s a fact that by the time you actually feel thirsty; your hydration is already depleted. Picture the same thing happening with stress.  By the time a caregiver is feeling stress, the stress has already taken its toll. Caregivers are GIVERS; that’s what makes caregivers do what they do. This is a problem when it [...]

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