Caregiver's Guide for Canadians

Description

One in five Canadians are now providing eldercare
to a parent in need, and as baby-boomers age, this
number is likely to grow.
What do you do when your mother or father
grows old? It’s the natural course of life, but so many
children of aging parents are unprepared. When a
parent’s health begins to fail, an adult child is left
scrambling to find help, to balance their time, and to
cope.
The Caregiver’s Guide will provide readers with
valuable tips and advice to help them to provide the
best eldercare possible while balancing the demands
on their time.
This is not a mental “self-help” book. While it
does provide encouragement and support for
caregivers, it also provides practical advice on how
to care for elders in need. This comprehensive guide
answers all a caregiver’s common questions, such as:
• Should my parent stay at home or move to
assisted living?
• How do I balance caregiving responsibilities
with my personal life?
• When to apply for guardianship and/or
trusteeship
• How to hire a professional caregiver should
the need arise
Preface xi
1 Sharing My Story 1
2 Defining Caregiving 15
1. Understanding the R oles of Caregivers 17
2. Remember to T ake Care of Y ourself 18
3. What Kind of Caregiver A re Y ou? 22
3.1 Independent caregiver 23
3.2 Sharing caregiver 23
3.3 Collaborative caregiver 24
3.4 Coordinating caregiver 24
3.5 Delegating caregiver 25
3 Caregiving from a Distance 27
1. The Challenges of Long-Distance Caregiving 28
1.1 Communication 29
1.2 Frequent travel 32
1.3 Travelling with your parent 34
1.4 Finding accommodations 36
2. What to Do When Y ou G et T here 37
2.1 Find the necessary information and documents 38
2.2 Check the safety of your parent’s home 39
3. Respect the Decision T hat N ot E veryone
Wants to R elocate 40
4. Emotional Distance 42
Contents
vi Caregiver’s Guide for Canadians
4 Finding and Moving Y our Parent
into Suitable Acc omm odations 45
1. The Different T ypes of Living A rrangements 45
1.1 Home care 47
1.2 Independent living 47
1.3 Supportive living 48
1.4 Assisted living 48
1.5 Long-term care 48
2. Things to Consider When Searching for
Accommodations for Y our Parent 49
2.1 Location 51
2.2 Maintenance and cleanliness 52
2.3 Care staff interactions with others 52
2.4 Additional services 53
2.5 Residents’ rooms 53
2.6 Meals 54
2.7 Cost and subsidization 55
2.8 Safety 55
3. Moving Y our Parent 56
4. When Y our Parent Can N o Longer Drive 59
5 Organizing Y our Parent’s Docum ents 61
1. Keep the Documents O rganized 61
2. Understanding the I mportant Documents 63
2.1 Your parent’s will 64
2.2 Trusteeship and guardianship 64
6 Visiting Day 69
1. Activities to Do with Y our Loved O ne 70
2. Finding the B est T ime to V isit 73
3. Celebrating H olidays and B irthdays 73
Contents vii
7 Working w ith O ther F amily Members and Maintaining H armony 77
1. What to Discuss During the Meetings 81
1.1 Finances and banking 81
1.2 Medications 81
1.3 Diet and personal care 82
1.4 Parental quality of life 82
1.5 Responsibilities 83
8 Taking a B reak 85
1. Delegate Some of the Work 86
2. Socialize and Pursue H obbies 86
3. Join a Support G roup 87
4. Pamper Y ourself 88
5. Find a Day Program for Y our Parent 89
6. Interviewing and H iring H elp 89
7. Make Sure Y ou Schedule T ime for
Yourself R egularly 92
9 Remaining Ac tive 95
1. Preparing and T aking Y our Parent for
Seasonal O utings 96
2. Find T ime for Y our O wn Physical A ctivity 98
3. Activity I sn’t A ll about Physical E xercise 99
10 Mobility A ids and Em ergency
Safety Devices for Seniors 101
1. Mobility A ids and O ther Useful I tems 101
1.1 Walk-in bathtubs 102
1.2 Stair lifts 102
1.3 Lift chairs 102
1.4 Walkers 103
1.5 Scooters 103
1.6 Grab bars 103
viii Caregiver’s Guide for Canadians
1.7 Grab poles 104
1.8 Reachers 104
1.9 Faucet grippers 104
1.10 Magnifying glass 104
1.11 Large-buttoned telephone 104
1.12 Bell 104
1.13 Non-slip grip mat 105
1.14 Wall calendar 105
1.15 Raised toilet seats 105
1.16 Weighted cutlery 105
1.17 Medication reminder 106
1.18 Pill crusher 106
1.19 Cushions 106
2. Emergency Safety Devices 107
2.1 Personal security alarms 107
2.2 MedicAlert bracelets 107
2.3 Emergency telephone call buttons 107
11 Finding Joy in Caregiving 109
12 Final T houghts 113
Resources 117
Caregiving Checkl ists and Works heets 127
1. Your Circle of Caregiving 127
2. Scheduling “Me” T ime 128
3. Caregiving Self-Analysis 129
4. Caregiver’s Document Worksheet 131
5. Home Safety Checklist 132
6. Researching Long-Term Care F acilities 134
7. Driving Safety Checklist 136
8. Medical H istory Log 137
9. Medication Log 138
10. Caregiver’s F inancial E xpenses Log 139

Subjects

• Books
• Savoirs
• Medicine
• Caregiver
• Elderly care
• Médecine

Informations

• Published by: Self-Counsel Press
• Published: 15 February 2014
• Reads: 0
• EAN13: 9781770409002
• Language: English

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