Eldercare 911

by BEERMAN, SUSAN MSWRAPPAPORT-MUSSON, JUDITH CSA

• ISBN13: 9781591020141
• ISBN10: 159102014X
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2002-10-01
• Publisher: Prometheus Books

Summary

The intricacies of elder care-giving duties and responsibilities can be overwhelming, especially because adult children of ageing parents do not know the ins and outs of the medical and social service systems, let alone how to cope with the emotional burdens of providing care for their ailing parents. They desperately wish for a single resource that answers their questions with "how to" information that restores their feelings of competence and control. "Eldercare 911" is that resource. With the steady growth of the elderly population, it is estimated that approximately one-third of Americans will be providing care for an elderly person in the near future. This well-researched, compassionate, and comprehensive handbook will empower caregivers to be the best they can be without neglecting their own very legitimate needs. The authors use excerpts from a compilation of caregiver interviews to demonstrate the most common problems in eldercare. The book is organised into easily accessible sections and subsections: 20 chapters divided into 131 topics and then into another 77 subtopics, making it simple for readers to find exactly what they are looking for. The authors give full consideration to the time limitations and career needs of working caregivers, and the special challenges faced by women with teenage children, spouses, or significant others who may not always be sensitive to the caregiver's balancing act. Among the topics discussed are knowing when elderly people need help; how to intervene; finding and using support systems; handling burnout; managing medical, insurance, and benefits issues; overseeing medications; coping with Alzheimer's Disease and other serious illnesses; how to decide when hospitalisation is necessary; detecting and dealing with abuse; working with eldercare professionals; setting up home care; making decisions and arrangements for alternate housing. The authors also examine rarely discussed, sensitive issues that affect family communication and relationships like parent's sexual behaviour, dating and remarriage, and death and dying.

Table of Contents

Preface	19	(1)
You Are Not Alone	19	(3)
How to Use This Book	22	(1)
Write Us	23	(2)
The Pros and Cons of Being a Caregiver	25	(11)
Do You Want This Job?	25	(1)
Making the Eldercare Decision	26	(1)
If Eldercare Is Not for You	27	(1)
If You Decide to Care for Your Parent	28	(2)
Handling That First Crisis	30	(1)
The Effects on Your Family, Time, and Health	31	(2)
What If You Fail?	33	(3)
Knowing When Your Parents Need Help	36	(22)
What's Normal?	36	(2)
Loss of Loved Ones, Friends, and Advisors	38	(5)
Loss of Self	39	(1)
Loss of Independence and Control	40	(3)
Decline Is a Fact of Life	43	(1)
Why Parents Refuse Help	44	(5)
Difficult Parents	47	(2)
What Are the Warning Signs?	49	(9)
Memory Loss/Dementia	49	(1)
Diminished Hearing	50	(2)
Diminished Sight	52	(1)
Falls	53	(1)
Incontinence	54	(1)
Self-Neglect	55	(1)
Drug or Alcohol Abuse	56	(2)
Intervention: When? What? How?	58	(29)
Trusting Your Instincts	59	(1)
Planning Ahead	60	(3)
When Not to Intervene	63	(2)
Getting a Professional Assessment	65	(5)
Private Assessments	66	(2)
Public Assessments	68	(2)
Talking to Your Parents	70	(2)
Talking to Your Family	72	(2)
Choosing the Right Intervention	74	(8)
Preventive Intervention	76	(2)
Partial Intervention	78	(2)
Total Intervention	80	(1)
Crisis Intervention	81	(1)
Legal/Financial Intervention	82	(1)
Taking the Car Away	82	(5)
Providing Substitute Transportation	84	(3)
Caregiving Realities	87	(21)
Do You Have Realistic Expectations?	87	(3)
Understanding Your Responsibilities	90	(1)
Learning to Be an Advocate	91	(3)
Hands-on Care	94	(2)
Supervising Others	96	(3)
Financial Management	99	(3)
Recruiting Friends and Family	102	(1)
Using the Skills You Already Have	102	(1)
Where to Get the Training You Need	103	(5)
Long-Distance Caregiving	108	(21)
Why You Need a Long-Distance Support System	108	(4)
Creating Your Long-Distance Support Network	112	(7)
Geriatric Care Managers	116	(1)
Elder Law Attorneys	117	(1)
Other Attorneys	118	(1)
Physicians	118	(1)
Friends and Neighbors	118	(1)
Preparing for Your Visit	119	(10)
During Your Visit	122	(1)
After Your Visit	123	(6)
Finding and Using Help and Services	129	(26)
What's the Right Support System for You?	129	(2)
Identifying Your Needs	131	(17)
Adult Day-Care Programs	135	(2)
Social-Model Day-Care Programs	137	(1)
Medical-Model Day-Care Programs	138	(2)
Medical Support	140	(2)
Family Support	142	(1)
Community Support	143	(1)
Parent Support	144	(2)
Significant Other Support	146	(2)
Respite	148	(7)
Handling Burnout	155	(20)
How Do You Know If You're Burned Out?	155	(2)
Getting Help	157	(4)
Reaping the Benefits of Respite	161	(3)
Managing Your Time	164	(2)
Restoring Your Quality of Life	166	(3)
Taking Care of Yourself	169	(2)
Setting Limits	171	(4)
Managing Medical Issues	175	(22)
Learning to Be an Advocate in the Doctor's Office	175	(2)
Choosing a Doctor	177	(2)
Board-Certified Physicians	177	(1)
Geriatricians	178	(1)
Specialists	178	(1)
Preparing for the Visit	179	(4)
Gathering Medical and Insurance Information	180	(1)
Bringing Medications and Prescriptions	181	(2)
Asking the Right Questions and Getting the Answers	183	(2)
After the Visit	185	(6)
Complying with Physicians' Orders	185	(3)
Getting a Second Opinion	188	(1)
Returning for New Treatment Options	189	(2)
Understanding Patients' Rights and Responsibilities	191	(6)
Overseeing Medications	197	(16)
Administering Medications	197	(3)
Keeping Track of Medications	199	(1)
Developing a Relationship with the Pharmacist	200	(2)
Pain Management	202	(2)
Misuse of Medications	204	(2)
Abuse and Dependency	206	(3)
Over-the-Counter and Alternative Medications	209	(4)
Managing Benefits and Insurance	213	(20)
Why It's Worth the Effort	213	(4)
What to Do When a Claim Is Denied	217	(1)
Medicare	218	(6)
How It Works: Parts A, B, and C	219	(3)
Health Maintenance Organization (HMO)	222	(1)
Point of Service (POS)	223	(1)
Preferred Provider Organization (PPO)	223	(1)
Medigap (Private Insurance)	223	(1)
Medicaid	224	(2)
How It Works	224	(1)
Applying for Benefits	225	(1)
Social Security	226	(3)
How It Works	227	(1)
Special Situations	228	(1)
Survivor Benefits	228	(1)
Veteran's Administration	229	(4)
How It Works	229	(1)
Who Is Eligible	230	(3)
Dealing with Serious Illness	233	(26)
Insisting on an Accurate Diagnosis	233	(4)
Managing Major Illness	237	(5)
The Importance of a Second Opinion	239	(1)
Researching Treatment Options	240	(2)
Coping with Specific Conditions	242	(1)
Depression and Anxiety	243	(3)
Dementia	246	(3)
Agitated, Hostile, and Aggressive Behavior	249	(3)
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, or AIDS, in the Elderly	252	(7)
Coping with Alzheimer's Disease	259	(23)
Facts about the Disease	259	(2)
Testing and Diagnosis	261	(1)
Treatment Options	262	(1)
The Effects on Your Family	263	(1)
What to Expect as the Disease Progresses	263	(2)
Organizing to Handle Mild Memory Impairment	265	(1)
Primary Communication Tips and Coping Skills	266	(11)
Remember Your Body Mind and Spirit	277	(1)
Planning for the Future	277	(5)
When Hospitalization is Necessary	282	(24)
Facing Your Fears	282	(2)
Choosing the Right Hospital	284	(5)
Being Prepared	289	(2)
Emergency Admissions	291	(3)
Preplanned Admissions	294	(2)
What to Bring with Your Parent, What to Leave at Home	296	(1)
During Your Parent's Hospitalization	297	(3)
Planning for Discharge	300	(2)
Leaving the Hospital	302	(4)
Detecting and Dealing with Elder Abuse	306	(22)
The Realities of Elder Abuse	306	(8)
Finding Help in Your Community	309	(2)
Protective Services for Adults	311	(1)
Guardians	312	(2)
Physical Abuse	314	(2)
Familial Abuse	316	(2)
Financial Abuse	318	(1)
Homecare Abuse	319	(2)
Social Abuse of Drugs and Alcohol	321	(2)
Rebuilding Trust	323	(2)
Ageism	325	(3)
How to Hire a Homecare Worker	328	(24)
What Are Your Options	328	(5)
Family Caregivers	330	(1)
Paid Homecare Workers	331	(2)
Geriatric Care Managers	333	(1)
Evaluating Your Parent's Needs	333	(6)
Duties and Skill Levels	334	(1)
Expectations: Reality Check	335	(4)
Interviewing the Homecare Worker	339	(4)
Legal and Professional Certifications	339	(2)
Training and Experience	341	(2)
Supervising Homecare Workers	343	(4)
Your Responsibilities	344	(3)
Your Right to Complain and Replace the Worker	347	(5)
Making Decisions About Housing: When? What? How?	352	(30)
Evaluating the Need for Change	352	(5)
Safety and Quality-of-Life Issues	354	(2)
Guilt Issues	356	(1)
Adapting Your Parent's Home for Safety and Security	357	(7)
Assistive Devices and Helpful Equipment	362	(2)
Moving Your Parent into Your Home	364	(5)
Space and Territory	366	(2)
Adapting Your Home	368	(1)
Adult Homes	369	(2)
Assisted Living Facilities	371	(2)
Nursing Homes	373	(1)
Moving Your Parent	373	(4)
Who Does What?	375	(1)
Paring Down Your Parent's Belongings	376	(1)
Advocating after the Move	377	(1)
Visiting Your Parent	378	(4)
Evaluating the Move to a Nursing Home	382	(29)
Making a Difficult Decision	382	(3)
Choosing the Right Nursing Home	385	(2)
Location	387	(2)
Religious Preferences	389	(1)
Dietary Requirements	389	(3)
Specialized Care	392	(1)
Cleanliness	393	(1)
Activities for Residents	394	(1)
Who's Who in the Complaint Process	395	(1)
Medication/Pain Management	396	(2)
Patient Advocate and the Bill of Rights	398	(1)
Moving to a Nursing Home	399	(12)
Making the Room Comfortable	402	(1)
Clothing	403	(5)
Valuables and Personal Items	408	(3)
Dating, Sex, and Remarriage	411	(18)
Your Parent's New Relationship	411	(3)
Remarriage	414	(8)
Financial/Legal Issues	417	(5)
Dating, Love, and Intimacy	422	(7)
Sexuality and Sex	423	(3)
Safe Sex	426	(3)
Death and Dying	429	(26)
Facing Your Feelings and Fears	429	(6)
What Are Your Parent's Feelings and Fears?	435	(4)
Honoring Your Parent's Wishes	439	(2)
Funeral Arrangements	441	(5)
Grief and Mourning	446	(4)
Saying Good-bye	449	(1)
A New Beginning	450	(5)
Caregiver Organizations and Resources	455	(12)
Notes	467	(4)
Glossary	471	(10)
Index	481