Posted on June 24, 2010 - by Nurse Virginia

NEWSWEEK ARTICLE GETS CAREGIVING FOR THE ELDERLY RIGHT

Newsweek June 28 & July 5, 2010, has the best article I have read for sometime on caregiving called The Caregiver Boomerang by Gail Sheehy author of ‘Passages.’

Excerpts from article:
Nearly 50 million Americans are taking are of an adult who used to be independent.

It starts with The Call. It’s a call about a fall. Your mom has had a stroke. Or it’s a call about your dad-he’s run a red light and hit someone, again, but how are you going to persuade him to stop driving?

This is a caregiving role that nobody applies for. You don’t expect it. You aren’t trained for it. And, of course you won’t be paid for it. You won’t even identify yourself as a caregiver.

Brothers bury their heads in the sand. The farther away a sister lives, the more certain she will call the primary caregiver and tell her she doesn’t know what she’s doing.

Ailing elders seldom say thank you. On the contrary, they often put up fierce resistance to the caregiver’s efforts.

Once the solitary caregiver gets so stressed out emotionally that her own health declines, she can no longer provide the care. The only option left is to place the family member in a nursing home-the last choice of everybody, the most expensive for taxpayers, and guaranteed to leave the caregiver burdened with guilt.

Right, right and right again. The author touches on the physical tool of care giving, but then Gail goes on to give the reader what she calls “survival strategies.” Her strategies again are right on and worth while taking a look.

See blog for more resources: Caregiver Support

Virginia Garberding, R.N.
Director of Education, The Wealshire, Lincolnshire
Author: Please Get To Know Me – Aging with Dignity and Relevance
www.pleasegettoknowme.com