The Complete Eldercare Planner, Revised and Updated Edition: Where to Start, Which Questions to Ask, and How to Find Help - Couverture souple

Loverde, Joy

Couverture souple

ISBN 10 : 0307409627 ISBN 13 : 9780307409621

Editeur : Harmony, 2009

Synopsis

Book by Loverde Joy

A propos du livre

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1

Effective Planning

A Place to Start

I work full-time. How am I supposed to take on this responsibility and keep my job, too? Where will the money come from to pay for care? I'm an only child and I can't possibly do this alone. I live miles away from my family, so who can I turn to for help? Why do I feel so guilty all the time? How do I know if I'm doing the right thing?

Most of us are inadequately prepared to face and accept the complex challenges associated with eldercare. And yet the aging of our loved ones is a natural part of life and a predictable phase of human development. The need to care for our elders is also a normal part of life, and something we can plan for.

Each caregiving situation is unique and typically involves simultaneous complex physical, emotional, and financial issues. How one family addresses an eldercare situation is not necessarily the right approach for another. What seems to be working one day could change drastically--overnight. How then do we proceed under these seemingly chaotic circumstances? The answer lies in planning.

Planning, however, takes on a whole new meaning when it comes to caring for older family members. Historical family decision-making patterns will no longer apply; the question of "Who's in charge?" is up for grabs. What was once written in stone regarding family rules and roles will no longer apply. What we can plan on when care issues crop up is the never-ending challenge of responding to changes of all kinds. When it comes to eldercare, family life as we once knew it will never be the same.

The true nature of assisting an older loved one includes a roller coaster of emotional upsets; consequently, the process of caregiving requires conscious and continuous management of our attitudes and our decisions. The Complete Eldercare Planner is your road map through this unfamiliar and often unsettling territory and is an invaluable tool as you begin to create your customized caregiving strategies.

PLAN ONE

Don't read this book. Use it.

We're all busy people who have the need to juggle multiple commitments and stay organized, and The Complete Eldercare Planner has been designed to help you do just that.

Manage Paperwork

Be sure to make use of the spaces provided for recording telephone numbers, setting goals, and locating documents. Over the years, readers of the first and second editions of this book have offered valuable feedback regarding the worksheets and checklists supplied throughout this book. As a result of readers' insightful suggestions, the forms in this book are now readily accessible online.

To download, customize, and store the documents at your convenience, please go to the Joy Loverde website (www.elderindustry.com). You may choose to store your documents on your desktop, a CD-ROM, or a flash drive. Making the effort to complete the information electronically, then printing and storing paperwork in clearly labeled files, will pay big dividends. Do what you can to keep the information current and accessible.

An important document that you will want to complete and keep handy right away is the "Elder Emergency Information Chart" found on page 5. You'll have peace of mind knowing that you have access to immediate assistance when you need it.

Prioritize Caregiving Issues

The introduction and Objectives sections at the beginning of each chapter offer a quick overview of the chapter contents and help you to prioritize your most pressing caregiving issues. Knowing the basis for what you are reading, and why, will be especially helpful when the emotional aspect of caregiving threatens to undermine your ability to do what is needed at the time. Effective planning is specific, realistic, and written.

Staying on course with your care plans will be easier with the use of the "Eldercare Goals Chart" found on page 25. Tracking your progress with the use of the action checklists offered at the end of every chapter will also give you insights on where to focus your energies.

Tap into Professionals

There are knowledgeable and skilled professionals available to help you along the way. Look to the "Low-Cost and Free Resources" sections in each chapter and the hundreds of organizations and websites listed throughout The Complete Eldercare Planner, and at the end of every chapter. Indexes of the organizations and websites can be found at the end of the book. Resources are listed alphabetically for a faster and easier search.

You now have everything you need to get started.

PLAN TWO

Carve your own caregiving path.

How you approach and implement your care plans will most likely be different from others who are in similar situations. There are no cookie-cutter answers. Your family decision-making patterns, the help you receive from others, eligibility for specialized programs, and the availability of financial resources are some of the reasons why each care plan is customized. Ultimately, your process may include incorporating one plan, several plans, and even a combination of plans in order to solve a particular issue. Decide what method of planning and care works best for you.

Since nothing remains the same for very long when it comes to the people we care for, the process of caregiving will require ongoing assessments of the situation at hand. Older people are in constant transition; change is always on the horizon. A plan may work one day and not the next. Remaining open-minded and flexible will be one of the keys to your effectiveness as a family caregiver.

Open up the lines of communication right now with your elders and family members. Making assumptions about what is happening instead of talking with each other always does more harm than good. Do your best to approach problems and situations from fact, not fiction. Seek the advice of geriatric-care professionals if you need an unbiased opinion.

Keep your eldercare planning and timeline expectations realistic. Ask yourself on a regular basis these three simple questions: What can happen? What will my elder be able to do about what happens? What can the rest of the family do to help?

And plan early. When we plan we have choices, and the well-being of the entire family will rest on the quantity and quality of eldercare options, decisions, and plans that were put in place ahead of time. If fears about getting started are keeping you from acting now, the consequence of doing nothing is far worse.

PLAN THREE

Implement planning principles.

Follow these six basic planning principles for maximum results.

1. Set goals. Know what you are doing and why. Make use of the "Eldercare Goals Chart" on page 25.

2. Create support systems and use them. Surround yourself and your elders with family members and friends as well as people from the local community as a way to share responsibilities and protect against caregiver stress. Don't turn anyone away if they are willing to help you.

3. Write it down. Put dates on all of your notes. Record plans, goals, ideas, phone numbers, questions, answers, promises, decisions, tasks, and appointments and keep them in a convenient, accessible location. Make good use of the forms in this planner. Download the forms from the website www.elderindustry.com if it will make it easier for you to write things down.

4. Organize information. Create a system using a file or binder that organizes your eldercare information. You'll constantly be digging for paperwork of all kinds. Be sure your system is mobile--you may have to produce documents at a moment's notice. Keep all paperwork in a safe, twenty-four-hour accessible location. Better yet, if you have a computer, download vital information onto a flash drive and keep it on your key chain. Flash drive key chains are available at your local computer outlet and convenience stores.

5. Allow sufficient time for research. Gathering information and creating options is critical to thoughtful action. Always research more than one option. You have a better chance of being successful with your elders and family members when you offer them choices and options.

6. Research all costs and who pays. Create budgets and seek sources of funding eldercare-related expenses early on.

PLAN FOUR

Be prepared for the runaround.

Gathering information, locating resources, making appointments, and putting caregiving services in motion can cause a great deal of stress and anxiety. Detailed application processes, waiting lists, lengthy interviews, endless document searching, being put on hold, outdated telephone numbers, out-of-date websites, and web links that go nowhere are not uncommon. Use the checklist below to help minimize the negative effects of potentially stressful situations.

Quick Eldercare Planning Tips

·  When initiating telephone calls, always get the name, title, and the direct telephone number (and cell phone number if available) of the person on the other end of the phone.
·  Take notes on important calls, including the date the call was made.
·  Confirm appointments a day in advance with everyone involved.
·  Repeat the purpose of the appointment to make sure everyone is on the same page.
·  Arrange to have someone accompany your elder to every appointment.
·  Attend all meetings with paper and pen in hand. Ask permission to tape-record the conversation if that's easier (and they allow it).
·  Distribute copies (not originals) of important and legal documents.
·  Evaluate the quality of services received and report anyone who treats you or your elder disrespectfully.

Staying in their own home is a popular choice for older adults and with a growing aging population, the number of assisted-living services and options available is also expanding. Assessing and arranging for community and state assisted-living and at-home services, however, is no easy task. Here's why.

·  Each person requires a unique combination of eldercare services.
·  Caregiving services and eldercare programs are often listed under different names from state to state.
·  Programs and services are rarely available from one source.
·  The process of becoming eligible for state-offered public programs is complicated.

When investigating in-home eldercare services, ask the following questions, where applicable, and keep a written record of your findings.

What's your name and title?

Are you a staff member or a volunteer? (Ask to speak to a staff member.)

What services are available?

How much do services cost?

What is the average cost for my particular needs?

Are fees or commissions negotiable? Is there a sliding scale?

Are initial consultations available free of charge?

What free services are available?

What other costs should I anticipate?

Are payment plans available?

Does insurance cover costs?

Is the cost of your services tax deductible?

What documents do I need to supply to you? Originals? Copies?

Will you put fees and estimates in writing?

Will you provide written contracts? Regulations?

Will you itemize bills?

Will you provide references? Credentials?

Do you have brochures or literature you can send me?

Are you a member of any professional organizations?

Are you certified? Licensed? Bonded?

Will you put me on your mailing list?

Do you provide pickup and delivery service? Transportation?

Do you have telecommunication access for hearing- or visually impaired people?
PLAN FIVE

Prioritize your caregiving responsibilities.

If you're just getting started and putting a plan in place, and you'd like direction on which eldercare issues should be addressed first, here are the top three issues that you'll most likely encounter--in this order:

1. Money matters (see chapter 6)
2. Housing (see chapter 9)
3. Locating documents (see chapter 15)

PLAN SIX

Make good use of eldercare resources.

The eldercare service providers, organizations, and websites listed at the end of every chapter will assist you in a variety of ways. If you're providing family caregiving assistance and are not computer savvy or do not have frequent access to a computer, obtain copies of your elder's local telephone directories--the White Pages, the Blue Pages, and the Yellow Pages. Be sure to update copies of telephone books whenever new editions become available.

Look under the following headings in the Blue Pages of the telephone book to obtain government office contact information:

·  Area agency on aging/department for the aging
·  Department of insurance (Medicare)
·  Department of mental health
·  Department of public aid (food stamps, Medicaid)
·  Department of public health
·  Department of rehabilitation services
·  Internal Revenue Service (tax relief)
·  Department of transportation (reduced fares, taxi coupons)
·  U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

If you plan to use the Yellow Pages of the telephone book to locate eldercare resources, here are the headings to research:
·  Hospitals (ask for the discharge planner)
·  Religious congregations
·  Senior centers
·  Social-service organizations

Call the local hospital, religious congregations, senior centers, and social-service organizations and ask about the availability of the following resources:
·  Free community eldercare directories
·  Books, tapes, and DVDs on caregiving topics
·  Caregiver newsletters
·  Internet websites
·  Physician referrals services
·  Community education programs
·  Prerecorded telephone health information
·  Registered nurse telephone advice
·  Infusion services
·  Hospice programs
·  Behavioral-health programs
·  Home respiratory services
·  Visiting nurses
·  Chronic disease and pain management
·  Personal-care services
·  Home medical equipment
·  Hotline telephone numbers
·  Caregiver support groups
·  Parish nurse services
·  Volunteer programs
·  Benefits eligibility
·  Community health fairs
·  International eldercare resources
·  Foreign language services

Take a look at the eldercare services listed below. Under each service are suggestions about the many different organizations from which you can obtain these services. Contact them for recommendations on local service providers. There are several ways to search for the organizations listed below. While some people will make use of the local telephone book's Yellow Pages and Blue Pages, others may conduct a keyword search in their Internet browser.

HOMEMAKER SERVICES (housecleaning, personal and health care, errands, cooking)
·  ...

Présentation de l'éditeur :

The only guide you’ll ever need to manage the care of your aging family

FULLY REVISED AND UPDATED

As our population shifts and ages, the care needs for our elders continue to change and evolve. Today’s generation of family and professional caregivers faces new decisions and challenges, as well as previously unavailable options. This thoroughly revised and updated 2009 edition of The Complete Eldercare Planner equips you with reliable, up-to-the-minute information to help you plan and manage caring for your loved ones.

Comprehensive and detailed, sensitive and realistic, practical and accessible, the 2009 edition provides even more tips on prioritizing and organizing caregiving tasks, balancing work and family responsibilities, and navigating the complex maze of eldercare services. In addition to an expanded index of Internet resources and access to downloadable forms of key documents, you’ll find indispensable checklists, worksheets, step-by-step action plans, lists of questions to ask, low-cost and free alternative resources, and The Document Locator™. This new edition covers:

•Getting started on creating a long-term care plan
•Finding help, especially if you live far away
•Managing the financial aspects
•Talking to elders about sensitive subjects
•Senior housing–move or stay put?
•Managing medications
•And many other topics of vital interest to anyone caring for an elder

À propos de cette édition

• Éditeur: Harmony
• Date d'édition: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0307409627
• ISBN 13: 9780307409621
• Reliure: Broché
• Nombre de pages: 400