Caregiver

Medical supplies for the elderly are especially helpful for allowing aged individuals to perform satisfactorily in the bathroom – including shower, tub, and toilet. Not being able to go to the bathroom by themselves deprives the elderly of both privacy and independence, but these supplies can allow them to preserve much of those two attributes, even if a caregiver must be present to supervise the proceedings and lend a hand when needed.

Caregiver stress is real, and so are these articles, books, and other resources which are available – either for free or for a small sum – to help you relieve anxiety and avoid burnout.

People with Alzheimer’s disease may completely lose interest in sexual activity or become oversexed – and everything in between. The following list of resources may help caregivers cope with these changes in intimacy and sexual demeanor.

A caregiver must often lift and/or hold a patient’s limb in place while some type of treatment, for instance a cast application, is being given in orthopedic care. The caregiver should keep a neutral body posture – upright, not fully flexed – and adjust table height. It is important to ensure that the weight of the leg or arm does not exceed the strength capability of the caregiver. The following ergonomic tool has been designed to aid caregivers to determine if a specific lift and/or hold of an extremity is acceptable and whether a lift or hold device is required.

The right answer depends on your family member’s needs and what each setting has to offer. For example, independent living facilities are ideal for active seniors who can thrive in a community but still treasure their privacy. Many include studio or multi-bedroom apartments with kitchens to promote independence.

Continuing care retirement communities (CCRC) are more suitable for seniors who require a transition from independent living to skilled nursing care in a single place. CCRCs also feature multi-bedroom apartments for more independent residents as well as private or shared rooms for residents who require more care.

Assisted living facilities are designed for seniors who must be cared for and supervised but are not quite in the skilled nursing care phase yet. Private or semi-private rooms within a complex are available.

Board and care facilities offer more of an advantage for physically- or mentally-disabled seniors who nonetheless do not need round the clock skilled nursing care. Usually a large home or other type of complex with private or semi-private rooms and communal dining.

Let’s face it… Fewer people are having babies nowadays.  I respect that, and honestly I completely understand why they are taking this decision.  I am a mother of two and I love my children with all my heart; however it is no secret that they will be exposed to so many man-made atrocities.  As parents, we do not want to see our children suffer which explains why, among many other reasons, young adults do not want to have any kids. It is inevitable though. The fewer children that are born the fastest we are going to run out of caregivers.

Disney movie Big Hero 6, recently winning an Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film, gives us an idea of what the future of caregiving will be (without the superheroes, flying, and adventurous parts of course) as Japan has presented their new caregiver prototype robot called: Robear.  This cute guy features a sweet polar bear face with big round eyes.  Robear is strong enough to carefully and easily lift and transfer elderly patients of those in need of the assistance to and from the bed, chair or bath.  Robear has been designed to provide stability and strength to the patient as well as kindness and cleanliness.

People with Alzheimer’s disease may start acting like they never would have before, but that’s the disease acting out. Underneath is the same person that you knew and came to love and that you now provide care for. As such, the following fact sheets, articles, and assorted resources can help you adapt to those changes in behavior while at the same time offering tender love and care.

There may come a time when the changes that a person with Alzheimer’s disease experiences become too much for a single, unpaid caregiver to handle. Finding a new place for a loved one to stay requires quite a bit of research, online and on the phone as well as on the field, to make sure that the needs you can no longer meet will be met by trained, professional staff in a safe full-time care facility.

You don’t have to be trained at the Behavioral Analysis Unit in Quantico to know that Alzheimer’s disease causes people to act differently that they used to do. Some of these changes in behavior can be dangerous to the person with Alzheimer and those around them. The caregiver must then take preemptive measures to makes sure that the patient doesn’t hurt himself while wandering or rummaging, or if they are having hallucinations, illusions, or delusions.

The Captain could have been talking about Alzheimer’s disease when he said “what we've got here is failure to communicate. Some men you just can't reach.” However, the following list includes articles, books, videos, and other resources that a caregiver may use to get through to the person with Alzheimer.