Try: If you are listed as a health care agent or health care representative for someone else on their healthcare power of attorney it may be difficult for you to make medical decisions on their behalf when this becomes necessary here are a few guidelines to help you make informed decisions discover the facts by asking the healthcare providers the following questions what is the name of the care recipient recipient’s cr cr’s condition if you cannot be exact as to the condition what are the possible problems how can the symptoms be explained what is the progression and what happens with this condition disease how severe or advanced is the condition disease are additional tests required and if so will the outcome of the tests make any difference in the treatment if not is the test absolutely necessary what is the purpose and the risks involved in each test does the risk of the test outweigh the outcome research the options how will each option contribute to the cr cr’s improvement how would you define the success of this option is it what the cr would consider success will this improve the cr cr’s quality of life can the treatment procedure be done on a trial basis with an option for a reevaluation after an appropriate time can the treatment be stopped if agreed upon if the cr were to die how might this option affect the circumstance of the cr cr’s death would it require hospital or home care what option would you recommend why how would the care recipient make the decision if all of the facts and options were known if you know the cr cr’s wants or preferences beforehand follow them if you do not specifically know the cr cr’s wants and or preferences consider values religious and or cultural beliefs past decisions or past statements try to choose as the cr would have chosen if you have very little knowledge of what the cr would want then you and the physicians will need to make a decision based upon what would be reasonable and in the best interests of another patient in the same situation the benefits and the burdens of the treatment will need to be evaluated as to whether or not the treatment will cause pain or suffering or likely to make the cr better information references adapted from a guide for health care representatives – law office of monica doerr

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Categories: Caregiver Needs&Support, Communication, Emotional Psychological, Financial, Legal, Medical Physical, Spiritual, Needs Some Assistance, Needs Much Assistance, Some Supervision, Maximum Supervision

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Keywords: Healthcare agent healthcare representative treatment procedures quality of life end of life

*This information is listed as a Fact Sheet and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: Unique employment opportunity once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a talented caregiver who is caring and compassionate at all times hours are all day every day being able to multitask is a must pay is negligible and appreciation is minimal duties will be exhausting challenging stressful and sometimes rewarding applicant must be able to interact well with all types of personalities and deal with all kinds of family dynamics and dysfunction position needs to be filled immediately and no application necessary how many of us would answer a job description of this type normally we would run as fast as we could in the opposite direction but in a family caregiving situation we have no choice but to respond and "step up to the plate " because of the "baby boomer explosion " there will be an increasing need for family caregivers in the future baby boomers started turning 65 on january 1 2011 at a rate of approximately 10 000 per day coupled with the fact that life spans are now longer and memory impairment diseases are becoming more prevalent there will be a significant need for an ever expanding family caregiving community unfortunately there are no universal tutorials for caregivers to prepare themselves for this type of job due to this fact almost every caregiving experience is unique unto itself no situation is normal and no two families have the same outlook or personalities caregivers are given no choice but to become pioneers and blaze a trail for themselves through uncharted territories without even a map trail guide or even a "clue " numerous articles books newsletters websites and magazines offer various solutions for both the novice and the experienced caregiver however without these tools caregivers have no choice but to flounder about waiting on someone else to throw them a lifeline even with these resources some are still "splashing around " waiting for their particular challenges to be recognized and addressed caregiving by and large is practiced by self-sacrificing compassionate individuals who are caring for a family member who at one time cared for them and wouldn’t have it any other way however now that the roles are reversed they find that it becomes increasingly difficult when physical demands or emotional turmoil’s affect their own personal health and well-being as well as their family life convincing a family caregiver to seek additional outside help for a loved one who needs care is nearly impossible the family caregiver who insists on doing all of the caregiving alone will probably come away from the experience with a flattened forehead caused by continually "beating his or her head against the wall " the best thing that you can do is step back keep your mouth shut and provide support and broad shoulders to hold the family caregiver up when he or she starts to falter and fall apart guidelines that family caregivers should be aware of and use it is ok to feel frustrated or cry you cannot turn back time nor can you expect a miracle cure all that is required of you is your care concern and compassion remember you are doing the best you possibly can realize you are not alone sometimes you may think that you are the only one who can do this particular job of caring for your loved one however there is support available ask for help no one is a mind reader remember friends neighbors and or family members may be available and willing to help but may not want to intervene without being asked every minute you care for someone else is a minute that you take away from another person or commitment in your own life your spouse children job service organization ministry hobbies and so on may be shortchanged you need to draw some boundaries for the time devoted to caregiving so that the other important areas of your life do not suffer your strength will come from within but be aware that each and every one of us has a "breaking point " nurture the moments of relaxation and recharge your inner self on a regular basis take care of your health this is vital someone important is counting on you to care for yourself so that you can care for them educate yourself on all of the different aspects of caregiving what works for others may or may not work in your situation but knowing what to look for will save hours of precious time many helpful resources are readily available on the internet and your local library may have valuable resources related to caregiving finally you may need to change your attitude and mindset about the disease condition or impairment that the care recipient is suffering from you do not have control over any of these things however you do have control over your attitude and response to the situation caregivers have wonderful gifts of compassion and caring this gift may not always be appreciated by the care recipient or other family members however don’t ever forget that you are special you are invaluable and you are making a major difference to the quality of life of those whose lives you touch information references adapted from a presentation made by nancy a brain an employee of active seniors’ options inc located in champaign illinois

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Categories: Caregiver Needs&Support, Emotional Psychological, Spiritual

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Keywords: Caregiver strength burnout appreciation

*This information is listed as a Fact Sheet and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: When you are a caregiver who also has a full-time job as well as raising a family you are being pulled in several different directions at once which everyone wanting a "piece of the pie " this situation most often creates a "stress overload " statistics show that the average caregiver of an elderly parent is a 46 year old female with a full time job and 61 also have children and family responsibilities the u s department of labor estimates that nearly 54 of workforce employees are caregivers for an elderly parent stress related health issues for working caregivers has risen 27 two-thirds of caregivers have conflict arising from demands at home and demands from employers caregivers spend more time caregiving than they do at their job which results in a lower take home salary reduction in benefits missing out on promotions and travel and sometimes loss of their job altogether in essence a caregiver has two full time jobs this means that the caregiver has trouble engaging in stress relieving activities there simple isn’t enough time here are some suggestions to help ease the stress overload have a talk with and enlist the help of family members involve them in creating a workable plan to cut down on stress set aside personal time with your spouse and children each day – even if it is just a few minutes make it a part of your routine and stick to it involve children in planning and delegating the daily household chores remind them that less time spent on daily chores means more time for togetherness approach your employer and discuss possible flex time schedules or maybe working from home several hours a week be open honest and willing to compromise in order to make the work care situation run more smoothly for everyone concerned when trying to come up with a plan make sure that your needs are covered as well as everyone else’s references adapted in part from boomers with elderly parents information references

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Categories: Caregiver Needs&Support, Communication, Emotional Psychological, Medical Physical, Social

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*This information is listed as a Fact Sheet and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: Burnout-physical emotional and mental exhaustion-can occur when stressors become overwhelming stress and caregiver burnout are a leading cause of families moving their loved one into a residential facility symptoms of caregiver burnout symptoms of caregiver burnout include withdrawal from friends family and other loved ones loss of interest in activities previously enjoyed feeling blue irritable hopeless and helpless changes in appetite weight gain or loss changes in sleep patterns feeling sick or suffering illness often thoughts of wanting to hurt yourself or the person you care for irritability information references "guide to living with dementia" by home watch care givers available at www homewatchcaregivers com

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Categories: Sage, Topic, Caregiver Needs&Support, Emotional Psychological, Medical Physical, Personal, Social

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Keywords: Caregiver burnout stress respite rest

*This information is listed as a Fact Sheet and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: Here are some warning signs that let care givers know that they really need a break anger or sadness inability to concentrate unproductive worry frequent mood swings stooped posture sweaty palms tension headaches neck pain chronic back pain or fatigue weight gain or loss problems with sleep over-reacting or acting on impulse using alcohol or drugs withdrawing from relationships information references "guide to living with dementia" by home watch care givers available at www homewatchcaregivers com

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Categories: Sage, Topic, Caregiver Needs&Support, Emotional Psychological, Medical Physical, Personal, Social

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Keywords: Caregiver stress burnout respite rest

*This information is listed as a Fact Sheet and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: A variety of community services might help with your personal care and activities some services like volunteer groups that help with things like shopping or transportation may be low cost or the group may ask for a voluntary donation some services may be available at varied costs depending on where you live and the services you need below is a list of home services and programs that are found in many communities adult day care meal programs like meals-on-wheels senior centers friendly visitor programs help with shopping and transportation help with legal questions bill paying or other financial matters for information about community services call your local area agency on aging aging and disability resource center or center for independent living information references "guide to choosing a nursing home" by centers for medicare and medicaid services 2008 available at www medicare gov

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Categories: Sage, Topic, Caregiver Needs&Support, Maintenance, Medical Physical, Personal, Social

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Keywords: Community services adult day care

*This information is listed as a Fact Sheet and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: Below is a list of questions to ask a home care agency before deciding to hire one to provide hospice care how many years has the agency been serving your community what is their reputation in the community can the agency provide references from professionals such as a nurses or community social workers who have used this agency is the agency medicare and or medicaid certified can they provide you with recent state inspection results these reports should be readily available upon request if facility was cited for deficiencies has the facility corrected any quality of care deficiencies in their state inspection report each state requires the residence to be licensed and or certified does the facility have a current license certification and is it displayed each state requires the administrator to be licensed certified does she he have current license certification are all or most of care and services reimbursed through medicare part a-hospital and those medicaid eligible as this is customary are there any co-payment fees most private insurance reimburse for hospice care but verify what portion they will cover information references "hospice " available at www carepathways com

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Categories: Sage, Topic, Caregiver Needs&Support, Financial, Medical Physical

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Keywords: Home care agency hospice checklist interview hiring help

*This information is listed as a Fact Sheet and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: Below is a list of additional questions you might want to ask a home care agency before deciding to hire one to provide hospice care what other resources does the agency provide to help you find financial assistance if it is needed are standard payment plan options available does the agency have written statements describing services eligibility criteria costs and payment procedures employee job descriptions malpractice and liability insurance does handling of payment and billing seem reasonable is agency in good financial health does the facility follow generally accepted accounting procedures check with the better business bureau local consumer bureau or the state attorney general general’s office is the agency accredited by nationally recognized accrediting bodies such as the jcaho joint commission on accreditation of healthcare organizations or chap community health accreditation program or other accreditation bodies if you are not certain whether your loved one qualifies for hospice how flexible are they regarding an assessment to help clarify these issues or help you decide whether you even want hospice care are there references on file for home care employees ask how many references the agency requires two or more should be required ask whether the caregivers are licensed and bonded as this is a national requirement how quickly can the hospice initiate services and what are its specific geographic area is served check to see if patient changes locations that care will still be accessible does the agency train supervise and provide ongoing in-services for caregivers who makes supervisory visits and how often supervisory visits should be made by nurses does the agency create a plan of care tailored to each patient patient’s needs does the care-planning process include family caregivers and any other members of health team ask how often does agency send a nurse to the patient patient’s home to review the care being given to the patient and actually updates care plan to fit patient changing needs is the plan of care written out with schedule of specific duties and work hours days to be provided by agency does the hospice require a designated family primary caregiver as a requirement of admission and what responsibility is expected of the family caregiver what additional help can the hospice provide to supplement the family caregivers regarding work schedules child care obligations travel and other responsibilities if the patient lives alone what other options can the hospice suggest or offer are volunteer services available through the agency what is the procedure for after hour emergencies is 24 hr on-call service available and will necessary home visits be made after hours who can you call with questions or complaints about a patient patient’s care what is the procedure for resolving issues does the hospice offer rehab services such as pt ot st dieticians respiratory therapists and social workers grief counselors does the hospice provide medical equipment to enhance the patient patient’s quality of life and help them maintain independence do they have access to any donated resources for supplies and equipment if financial resources limited or not covered by healthcare insurance information references "hospice " available at www carepathways com

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Categories: Sage, Topic, Caregiver Needs&Support, Financial, Medical Physical

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Keywords: Home care agency home hospice checklist interview hiring help

*This information is listed as a Fact Sheet and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: Can you tour the inpatient unit or residential facility prior to admission what is your first impression of facility facility’s outward appearance is location convenient for family members to visit and is this encouraged hospice philosophy always values family involvement what are the program program’s policies regarding when inpatient care is appropriate and where is such care provided is care provided in hospital nursing home or hospice facility what are the requirements for inpatient admission and if short-term care provided how long can patients stay in-patient hospice care is usually provided on short-term basis how and when is the initial needs assessment done is there an ongoing process for assessing a resident resident’s need for services and how often are those needs evaluated is there a written plan of care for each resident describing available services and are residents and families involved in care planning process what type of care regarding pain and symptom management is provided as is most common cause for inpatient care what happens if the patient no longer needs inpatient care but not well enough to return home can hospice care be resumed at home are physical occupational or speech therapy services available onsite or contracted out who coordinates these services and how are they billed to medicare medicaid or other third party insurance what hospitals and local nursing homes contract with the hospice for inpatient care what kind of follow-up does the hospice provide for those patients does the hospice provide similar amount of nursing social work and nursing aide care for each patient in the nursing home as it does in the home setting are religious services held on the premises or arrangements made for nearby services what percentage of the rooms beds is available is there a waiting list if so how long do they estimate it will take to be admitted does a staff physician visit the resident regularly for medical checkups or can resident his have own personal physician are all or most of inpatient care and services reimbursed through medicare part a-hospital and those medicaid eligible as this is customary are there co-payment fees most private insurance reimburse for hospice but verify what portion they will cover is a written contractual agreement available that clearly discloses healthcare accommodations personal care and supportive services all fees and admission and discharge policies does handling of payment and billing seem reasonable information references "hospice " available at www carepathways com

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Categories: Sage, Topic, Caregiver Needs&Support, Medical Physical

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Keywords: In-patient hospice checklist interview hiring help

*This information is listed as a Fact Sheet and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: Home care agencies seniors who prefer to live independently in their own homes or stay with a family member and have access to outside supportive care and assistance when needed independent living communities seniors who want to and are able to live independently prefer to live among their peers desire additional security but no longer want to maintain a home continuing care retirement communities ccrcs seniors currently living independently but want the security of being cared for when needed throughout the aging process assisted living facilities seniors that require some assistance with activities of daily living but wish to live as independently as possible and do not require skilled medical care nursing homes convalescent seniors or those with long-term illnesses or disabilities that are not able to care for themselves and have numerous health care requirements hospice care all persons regardless of age who have a life-threatening or terminal illness may receive hospice care patients with both cancer and non-cancer illnesses are eligible to receive hospice care information references "facility home care checklists " available at www carepathways com

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Categories: Sage, Topic, Caregiver Needs&Support, Maintenance, Medical Physical

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Keywords: Home care agency independent living checklist housing moving continuing care retirement communities assisted living facilities nursing homes hospice care

*This information is listed as a Fact Sheet and is not explicitly medically licensed