Try: Many nonprofessional caregivers , spouses adult children other relatives and friends , find taking care of an elder to be satisfying and enriching but the responsibilities and demands of elder caregiving which escalate as the elder’s condition deteriorates can also be extremely stressful the stress of elder care can lead to mental and physical health problems that make caregivers burned out impatient and unable to keep from lashing out against elders in their care risk factors inability to cope with stress depression which is common among caregivers lack of support from other potential caregivers the caregiver’s perception that taking care of the elder is burdensome and without psychological reward substance abuse even caregivers in institutional settings can experience stress at levels that lead to elder abuse nursing home staff may be prone to elder abuse if they lack training have too many responsibilities are unsuited to caregiving or work under poor conditions information references "elder abuse and neglect warning signs risk factors prevention and help" by laurence robinson tina de benedictis and jeanne segal 2011 available at

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

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Keywords: Elder abuse caregiver abuse sexual abuse fraud neglect emotional abuse psychological abuse financial abuse respite criminal activity

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

Try: Typically caregiving disagreements occur because of roles and rivalries dating back to childhood disagreements over an elder elder’s condition and abilities disagreements over financial matters and other practical issues burden of care steps to recognize and avoid conflicts hold regular family meetings as soon as the person begins to have health problems initiate regular family meetings with your siblings and other family members who will be involved in her care the goal is to share information and make decisions as a group; the meetings can also be a source of support and provide a forum for resolving disagreements if all or some of you live in different parts of the country the meetings can be held by conference call there are now many free conference call services available you can search online with the term free conference calls set a regular time for the family meetings that that’s convenient for everyone involved — it could be once a month or whatever suits your family — and if you can do so before a crisis occurs so this tool will be in place when you really need it if possible reserve a little time at the end of the meeting or conference call to chat and catch up divide the labor rather than insist that all of the care-giving tasks be divided equally consider a division of labor that takes into account each family member member’s interests and skills as well as their availability your sister may find it difficult to get away during the day to take your family member to his doctor doctor’s appointments but perhaps she can handle his finances or take the lead in finding an appropriate long-term care situation a family member who lives far away won’t be able to help with day-to-day care but may be able to come for a visit every few months to give you a break a fair division of labor can mitigate resentment and make caregiving more efficient the family meeting is an excellent time for setting up a caregiving schedule and dividing up tasks talk about it if you feel you’re carrying too much of the burden consider discussing it with siblings and other family members they may not realize that you’re feeling overwhelmed — or even know how much you’re doing in a calm quiet moment — perhaps at the next family meeting — explain how you feel in a matter-of-fact nonconfrontational way try to be specific when you ask for help for example ask your sister if she can take over the grocery shopping or find out if your niece can regularly drive your family member to doctor doctor’s appointments it it’s also important to communicate with other family members if you’re burned out and need a break if another sibling or family member is doing most of the caregiving offer support and encourage her to express her frustrations and talk about what would make it easier for her offer help even if you live far away if you live far from your family member and other relatives are responsible for most of the care be sure to offer support check in often to see how things are going and to offer whatever assistance you can ask about how the caregiver is doing and be a sounding board for frustrations and concerns be patient if the caregiver needs to vent the national caregivers alliance advises relatives who live far away to let the caregivers know how much you appreciate what they do and to make sure that primary caregivers get regular respite breaks visit regularly and take over your family member member’s care if you can and if you can’t find other ways to make sure primary caregivers get regular breaks perhaps you can pay for some additional care or offer to hire a housecleaner for the caregivers be part of the solution if you find yourself in conflict with another family member when caring for an elderly relative take a step back and get some perspective consider your own role in the conflict and ask yourself if you’re acting out an old family role or resentment it might help you to see a therapist for support and insight or it may help to get family counseling so the whole family gets the support they need even if your family doesn’t have specific disagreements you may want to see a counselor on an occasional basis because experts can help you tap into options and resources that you may not be aware of many problems facing caregivers have no easy answers take for example your argument with your brothers about whether your dad can still drive in a sense you’re both right he might well be too infirm to drive but he needs his independence an experienced counselor can help you work through dilemmas like this one and determine what what’s best for your family member — and for you to find a counselor contact your local senior center or area agency on aging take care of yourself if you’re the main caregiver make sure that you’re taking care of yourself by getting regular sleep nutritious meals and exercise if you’re the primary caregiver you also need to have regular breaks to avoid burnout put it in writing another way to avoid caregiving conflicts is to have a geriatric care manager family mediator or lawyer help you write a caregiving agreement the following are some examples of topics an agreement might cover which sibling has primary care of a parent and how caregiving duties will be divided among siblings whether a sibling will be reimbursed for caring for a parent where the parent should live with a child in assisted living in a nursing home how to decide whether a parent should move into a nursing home how the parent parent’s money will be managed whether the siblings will contribute financially to the parent parent’s care information references connie matthiessen 2009 "caring for elderly relatives how to handle family conflicts " available at elder law update 2007 "avoid sibling disputes over caregiving by putting it in writing " available at

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Categories: Sage, Topic, Caregiver Needs&Support, Communication

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Keywords: Conflicts family disputes communication sharing responsibility

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

Try: There are huge differences between assisted living facilities while this can make the process of choosing seem difficult the plus side is that you have a good chance of finding a facility that is perfectly suited to the care recipient’s preferences and needs as you start your search try not to get overwhelmed by all the options remember amenities matter much less than the residents and staff it’s the people that truly make any place including an assisted living facility you can tell a lot about a facility by the people who live and work there you want a facility with an active social atmosphere, where the residents are friendly and the staff is caring and warm make sure that overall you feel the facility is a place where the care recipient will fit in and develop new friends evaluating a facility staff do they have time to speak with you and the care recipient or does it feel rushed do they appear genuinely interested in the care recipient do they interact warmly with current residents how do they handle emergencies residents do they appear happy do they enjoy interacting with one another do they seem like people the care recipient would enjoy getting to know are there hobbies or groups on site that look interesting to the care recipient care pathways has a checklist you can use when visiting facilities internet resources seniorliving net a place for mom assisted living federation of america references assisted living facilities tips for choosing a facility and making the transition by joanna saisan melinda smith doug russell and jeanne segal 2010 available at

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

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Keywords: Assisted living housing alternative care options

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

Try: Adult day care is a planned program of activities designed to promote well-being though social and health related services adult day care centers operate during daytime hours monday through friday in a safe supportive cheerful environment nutritious meals that accommodate special diets are typically included along with an afternoon snack adult day care centers offer a variety of activities including arts and crafts musical entertainment and sing-a-longs mental stimulation games such as bingo stretching or other gentle exercise discussion groups books films current events holiday and birthday celebrations local outings benefits benefits of adult day care centers include a safe secure environment enjoyable and educational activities improvement in mental and physical health enhanced or maintained level of independence socialization and peer support nutritious meals and snacks good candidates for adult day care centers are seniors who can benefit from the friendship and functional assistance a day care center offers may be physically or cognitively challenged but do not require 24-hour supervision are in the early stages of alzheimer alzheimer’s disease are mobile with the possible assistance of a cane walker or wheelchair are continent in most cases factors to consider consider using adult day care when a senior can no longer structure his or her own daily activities is isolated and desires companionship can’t be safely left alone at home during the day lives with someone who works outside the home or who is frequently away from home for other reasons during the day time finding adult day care services to locate adult day care centers in your area try your family doctor local social services or health department mental health centers local senior center area agency on aging call 1-800-677-1116 for the aaa in your area yellow pages listings under adult day care aging services senior citizens services and similar categories information references "adult day care centers finding the best center for your needs" by lawrence robinson jeanne segal and monika white 2010 available at

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Categories: Sage, Topic, Caregiver Needs&Support, Social

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Keywords: Respite care activities socializing caregiver needs help community resources

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

Try: Finding a quality home health care provider is an important but often difficult process many family caregivers don’t know where to begin or what all is involved in the process this factsheet provides some basic information on fining and choosing a home health care provier where to start get recommendations from trusted professionals and community members your care recipient’s doctor financial advisor attorney other medical providers friends or family members may have familiarity and experience with local companies that do a good job a list of providers is also available from your local area agency on aging or hospital social work department issues involved in hiring caregivers consider issues such as taxes insurance liability and worker’s compensation backup coverage background checks oversight and training if hiring through a nurse registry or employment agency the care recipient’s family may end up being the official employer responsible for pay taxes and other obligations however fully licensed private duty home health agencies offer more comprehensive services and protections as employers of the caregivers to learn more about state agency requirements and protections contact your state licensing agency for healthcare organizations or visit the national private duty association at www privatedutyhomecare org communication issues it is also important to know how you will be communicating with the caregiver and how current their monitoring and communications technology is other communication monitoring issues include how easy is it to monitor the care the care recipient is receiving does the caregiver or his her agency use technology like telephone clock in systems and scheduling software for quality assurance how quickly are they aware if a caregiver has not shown up to provide care what methods do they use to communicate with you do they offer you conveniences such as online monitoring and paying bills online or via credit card do they keep up to date with aging in place technology and can they provide you recommendations that can improve care interviewing caregivers get to know who you’re hiring when talking with an agency get a feel for their process here are some questions you should ask will they allow you and the care recipient to interview potential caregivers how do they handle replacing a caregiver that is not a good fit what steps do they take to ensure accountability how do they supervise train and support staff do they strive for continuity or will the care recipient have a different caregiver each time how many caregivers will cover the shifts the care recipient needs it is also important to discuss the care recipient’s specific health issues and or conditions with the agency or caregiver find out the agency’s experience with similar situations and any special training and guidance they provide for example do they have training on working with clients with alzheimer’s disease other issues to consider look for providers that have a history in the community and the industry ask if they are involved with local and national associations such as the alzheimer’s association the area agency on aging and the national private duty association their involvement demonstrates passion and dedication for their field management staff that has a history in the community and the profession demonstrates a commitment stability and a positive reputation that they would want to protect information references "five tips for finding a quality home care provider" by ryan malone available at

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

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Keywords: Caregiver caregiving elderly care healthcare home care

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

Try: Being proactive about selecting a home health care provider can help you avoid worry heartache and financial and potential legal action knowing that a home health care agency does background checks is just the beginning not all background checks are the same and not all companies exclude potentially dangerous applicants based on the same criteria questions to ask a home health care agency choose the agency with the most thorough background checking process if the agency can’t answer these questions find another one how many years back in the person’s history does the background check cover does the background check cover both criminal and civil records does the company check licensing status across state jurisdictions are credit reports run are department of motor vehicles records obtained are gaps in employment history verified does the agency make the phone calls to references or are they outsourced is evidence of education provided and confirmed what criteria does the company use to deny employment what offenses are tolerated information references "five tips for finding a quality home care provider" by ryan malone available at

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Categories: Sage, Topic, Caregiver Needs&Support, Legal

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Keywords: Background checks elder abuse elder fraud elderly care home care

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

Try: Caregiver support groups are founded on the shared experience that comes from being a caregiver with all the emotions that come with that role because the focus is on the caregiver, not the disease or condition, caregivers can openly discuss their own difficulties caregivers don’t usually take the time or find the place to talk about their own needs so a support group may be especially valuable benefits some benefits include a safe haven for sharing feelings in a non-judgmental atmosphere a social outlet where you can make new friends information about reliable products and services a place to learn coping techniques that save you much trial and error advice on what lies ahead so you can anticipate changes support for your sanity and confidence, you are not alone help in dealing with family members tlc from people who truly understand your situation effective support groups while any given group may or may not work for you personally there are characteristics that make some groups more effective than others keep these in mind as you explore your own choices a caring atmosphere and trust among group members a comfortable mix of participants so bonds can build clear structure and purpose; members know why they are there and what will happen agreement on group rules including confidentiality a good leader finding local caregiver support groups go to select a state and county from the drop-down menu to view the support groups in this area online caregiver support groups for caregivers who can’t leave home or do not have access to a local support group there are several online caregiver support groups available elder care online caregiving com information references a family caregivers support group guide" by nancy carson available at "as families grow older" by winter park health foundation 2010 available at

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Categories: Sage, Topic, Caregiver Needs&Support

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Keywords: Support groups caregivers support respite respite care

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

Try: As your care recipient nears the end of his or her life you will help the care recipient carry out many hard decisions those decisions include what kind of care the care recipient would like to receive and where end of life care options include curative treatment is any medical treatment that is given to cure the care recipient’s disease or to try to help him or her live longer palliative care helps to provide relief from pain and any other symptoms the care recipient may have with his or her disease the palliative care team will help coordinate the care recipient’s medical care with other doctors and help the care recipient with medical decisions palliative care also provides emotional and spiritual support for the care recipient’s family or other caregivers hospice care provides palliative care for people who are close to the end of life choosing where to die home care the care recipient may choose to die at home or in the home of a family member hospice care can be provided at home inpatient care the care recipient may prefer round-the-clock care at a nursing home hospital or dedicated inpatient hospice facility hospice and palliative care can be provided in any of these settings choosing the right option when you discuss the options with the care recipient consider the care recipient’s preferences special physical emotional and psychosocial needs he or she might have available support network–how much support can be provided by family members and friends finances and insurance coverage seek professional advice talk with your care recipient’s health care team or a social worker you might also want to ask for a referral to palliative or hospice care specialists these are health care providers trained in specific care for people nearing the end of life finding end or life care below are some resources you can use to locate end of life care options state resources you can contact your state’s departments of health or social services or department on aging to get a list of licensed agencies the state health department oversees certification of hospice services certification makes them eligible for medicare and medicaid payments google maps you can find nearby hospices by going to google maps and enter your city state and the word "hospice" without the quotation marks in the upper left-hand corner of the page click on search maps and you will see the locations of community hospices some of the facilities listed may be home health care or other services but all of the area hospices will be somewhere in the list with contact numbers the national hospice and palliative care organization information references "hospice" by carepathways com 2011 available at "capc development tool needs assessment checklist" by center to advance palliative care available at "care at the end of life – overview" healthwise 2010 available at "end of life caring for a dying loved one" by mayo foundation for medical education and research 2011 available at

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Categories: Sage, Topic, Caregiver Needs&Support, Medical Physical, Independence, Maximum Supervision, Cognitive Awareness, Unaware

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Keywords: End of life hospice care palliative care alternative care options

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

Try: Care recipients cr with alzheimer’s often show behavioral and psychiatric symptoms of the disease the following is a brief description of the behavioral and psychiatric symptoms for many crs when alzheimer’s disrupts memory language thinking and reasoning these effects referred to as "cognitive symptoms" of the disease the term "behavioral and psychiatric symptoms" describes a large group of additional symptoms that occur to at least some degree in many but by not means all individuals with alzheimer’s disease in the early stages of disease people may experience personality changes such as irritability anxiety or depression in later stages other symptoms may occur including sleep disturbances; agitation physical or verbal outbursts general emotional distress restlessness pacing shredding paper or tissues yelling ; or delusions firmly held belief in things that are not real ; or hallucinations see hearing or feeling things that are not there many crs with alzheimer’s and their families find behavioral and psychiatric symptoms to be the most challenging and distressing effects of the disease these symptoms are often a determining factor in a family’s decision to place a loved one in residential care they also often have an enormous impact on care and quality of life for crs living in long-term care facilities information references adapted from mace n & rabins p 2006 the 36-hour day baltimore the johns hopkins university press

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Categories: Caregiver Needs&Support, Cognitive Intellectual, Medical Physical

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Keywords: Alzheimer alzheimer’s

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

Try: Care rrecipients crs often have difficulty with bathing as they age while the cr may have physical limitations that impede bathing other causes could affect the ability to bathe some of the possible causes for difficulty with bathing are deatailed below physiological or medical causes depression or other physical illness can cause a loss of interest in physical hygiene damage in the region of the hypothalamus can change the sense of perception of hot and cold water temperature low vision may make it difficult for the older adult to see the bathtub or shower environmental causes poor lighting lack of privacy room temperature is too cold water is too deep water is too hot or cold other causes fear of falling fear of water or of being hurt by it disruption in daily routine or schedule unfamiliar caregivers the task involved in taking a bath is too overwhelming the purpose of taking a bath forgotten the humiliation of being reminded to take a bath agitated from an upsetting situation such as an argument with caregiver feeling of being rushed by caregiver feeling embarrassed and vulnerable about being naked or having another person in the bathroom fatigue fear of hair washing which is no longer understood person kept waiting too long while caregiver prepares bath information references adapted from understanding difficult behaviors robinson a spencer b & white l

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Categories: Caregiver Needs&Support, Medical Physical

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Keywords: Bathing

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