Visiting your elderly loved ones this holiday season?

As our population ages and the baby boomers retire, one thing to keep in mind as a benefit to look for in a company is if they offer eldercare programs. These programs not only take care of the elderly person, but also the caregiver. When caring for a family member, the caregivers often suffer lost work time due to doctors appointments, sickness caused by stress, mental stress caused by the additional financial and healthcare demands. On behalf of my collegue Veronica here is a reminder for the holidays.
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"One might think at this point in our struggling economy, demand for benefit related programs such as eldercare would decrease. However, it was reported that in the last economic slump of 2002 there existed a greater need for eldercare assistance because with smaller numbers of employees in the workforce, people have to work harder, which leads to a greater need with family related assistance."
The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. Pension & Benefits Reporter 2002

The holidays are the perfect time to increase your awareness of the overall health of your older adult loved one. A few quick tips:

Be diligent in noticing changes in mood, memory and the general appearance of the older adult loved ones’ home. By mood, I am referring to the possibility of depression and/or anxiety. Try to increase your patience and ability to listen for clues to these issues.

Two quick communications from which to refrain if your loved one is experiencing memory loss: Do not ask them “Don’t you remember?” and when asking them a question, keep the options from which they choose limited. Bringing attention to their memory loss and/or confusing them with too many options increases their anxiety and fear, especially in regard to a possible forthcoming conversation related to moving from their present living environment.

One of the first areas memory loss becomes apparent is with numbers and calculations. If you can, help the elder “check the checkbook” for possible inaccuracies; make sure bills are being paid.

Is the home in disarray? It may be increasingly more difficult to keep up with household chores. Check the food in the refrigerator: are any past their expiration date? What about medications? Are they taking them as prescribed? Are you concerned about alcohol consumption?

Throw and scatter rugs cause many falls; one solution is to purchase the material used to help keep it in place from your local hardware store. It comes by various names; ask for the material used to keep area and scatter rugs secure; it can be cut to form. While this aids in avoiding a fall, the older adult must be alerted to their use and feel, so you may want to add one to start while you are visiting to determine the effectiveness and acceptance by your elder. (You can also suggest the actual removal of scatter rugs, but I forewarn you that this may not be welcomed.)

Before December 31st is the crucial time to help your elder review their Medicare enrollment. For more information visit: http://www.corporateeldercaresolutions.com/archive.html or www.medicare.gov.

Finally, remember that larger groups of people can be confusing to an older adult. They can become exhausted both physically and emotionally. Providing them with some quiet time will help them be more comfortable during these busy times.

I wish you a safe and happy holiday season.

Veronica Woldt, MA
Corporate Eldercare Solutions, llc
www.corporateeldercaresolutions.com
veronica@corporateeldercaresolutions.com
Veronica Woldt, M.A., is the owner and principal of Corporate Eldercare Solutions, llc, providing both employee and employer solutions to eldercare concerns that result in the positive enhancement of company productivity and associated employee work/life issues.