When an aging parent begins to need more support with the activities of daily life, family tensions can heat up. The adult child who lives closest usually bears the burden of care. Siblings who live further away often refuse to accept how much care a parent requires because they don’t see them as often. It can cause conflicts that sometimes lead to permanent damage in family relationships. [Read more…]
Caring for an aging parent or other senior family member can be stressful. According to research from the American Psychological Association, 80% of Baby Boomers report living with high levels of caregiving stress. When your older loved one lives in a different city or state, the logistics make the role even more difficult.
How can you keep an eye on them when you don’t live nearby? What can you do to stay involved in decisions? How can you show your aging loved one that you care when you can’t be there very often?
Fortunately, there are a variety of different technologies you can use to help you be a virtual caregiver. With careful planning, you can help your north Texas senior loved one maintain their independence longer. [Read more…]
If you are the caregiver of a north Texas senior, juggling all the responsibilities in your life may feel overwhelming. Research tells us that the majority of family caregivers work at least part-time outside the home. Many also have children of their own to care for.
This balancing act creates a variety of issues for caregivers ranging from extreme stress to insomnia. It can lead to serious health problems.
In a 2010 survey conducted by Gallup industries, caregivers were asked a variety of questions to help researchers learn more about the physical impact of caring on family members. Symptoms participants most commonly reported included: [Read more…]
The holidays can be a challenging time of year for everyone. But for already overloaded family caregivers, there are added pressures. Seasonal tasks such as shopping for holiday gifts, wrapping presents, decorating the house and hosting parties can take a toll. When you add caring for a north Texas senior loved one to that list, it can result in a potentially serious case of caregiver burnout.
Not surprisingly, four in ten caregivers say they can’t manage it all during the holidays. But there are steps you can take to lighten your load and take care of your own mental, emotional, and physical health during the holiday season. [Read more…]
When you first begin to investigate senior care options for a Dallas or Fort Worth area loved one, you might find the terminology to be a little confusing. The senior living industry is prone to using acronyms to describe everything from what type of care an older adult requires to the tools they use to assess someone’s memory.
Two common terms you will encounter often are ADL and IADL. They stand for Activities of Daily Living and the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living. These are important ones to understand because they are used to determine how much care a future resident needs. In most cases, this information is used to calculate what their monthly fee will be. [Read more…]