| Care for the elderly in home can be | | | | The first step is to write things down. When you |
| overwhelming. To avoid elder care stress it is | | | | start your caregiver's journey, have a notebook |
| important for the caregiver, or potential caregiver, | | | | and pen with you at all times. Stress causes |
| to help the aging adult organize and plan for the | | | | distractions and you may tend to forget things. |
| unplanned events in life. Taking a proactive | | | | At home, it is important to get all the medical, |
| approach with the aging adults in your life will save | | | | legal, financial, home maintenance, religious and |
| you time, energy, money and undue stress. | | | | social information together and put in an easily |
| Of course it is always best to attempt to plan for | | | | accessible place. Develop a system where all the |
| the unplanned emergency and get all paperwork | | | | names, addresses and phone numbers are in one |
| and legal papers in order while the aging adult in | | | | spot for ease and accessibility. |
| your life is still well. It is not always possible. Many | | | | The medical information is important, as good |
| families are unable to have the necessary | | | | record keeping can delay time wasted when |
| discussions or are in denial insisting that everything | | | | treatment is necessary. Good record keeping can |
| will be fine. Then, one day, a phone call comes in, | | | | also prevent another invasive or painful test being |
| and it is the local hospital, your aging loved one is | | | | preformed. It is important to have the name, |
| in the emergency room and the news is not | | | | telephone number, address and specialty of each |
| good. | | | | health care provider that cares for your aging |
| There is a rush to the hospital, and the healthcare | | | | loved one. |
| professionals have many questions that you are | | | | Develop a master schedule, to keep track of |
| unable to answer. While your aging loved one is in | | | | when medications need to be reordered, |
| the hospital, you now are left to look for | | | | appointments are scheduled, when the trash it to |
| important papers and do other things like pay the | | | | go out etc. It sounds silly, but care giving is |
| bills for your loved one. You may even have to | | | | intermittent, unpredictable and overwhelming at |
| make serious life altering decisions, under duress, | | | | times. It is easy to get distracted and forget |
| because these were subjects that just are not | | | | something. |
| discussed. | | | | Develop a file system. Sections for filing will be |
| This is an everyday occurrence in every hospital | | | | medical bills, legal papers, resources, financial |
| in the country. Families are faced with the stress | | | | papers. Paperwork can pile up, so make a file for |
| of making decisions they are unprepared to | | | | things that will need to be filed. When things get |
| make, provide information they must research. | | | | overwhelming, filing may be a task to delegate to |
| Many start writing things on scraps of paper. | | | | another family member. |
| There is the "to do" list, the appointment list, | | | | Keep a log of those that you talk with in regards |
| names and numbers of healthcare providers, your | | | | to the care of your aging loved one. A call log |
| own schedule and maybe even your families | | | | with the name of the individual you spoke with, |
| schedule. Care giving can be overwhelming and | | | | date and time and a brief snippet what the call |
| can cause an incredible amount of unnecessary | | | | was about is important in case something is |
| stress. | | | | missed or care is delayed. |
| Avoid unnecessary elder care stress. Care for the | | | | Learn to make copies of medical bills, medication |
| elderly in home requires planning and organization. | | | | scripts; if you are mailing them, insurance claims |
| The key to survival is planning and organization. | | | | anything that you are mailing out and any |
| Planning is important as we age. We all want to | | | | important legal documents. Always have a backup |
| maintain control, independence and our dignity as | | | | plan in place. If there is an emergency, or if the |
| we grow older. Being proactive and discussing the | | | | primary caregiver is suddenly ill, there must be an |
| important issues with our loved ones, even putting | | | | alternative plan in place for someone else to step |
| our wishes in writing, gives the aging adult control | | | | in. Expect that life will have many unplanned |
| over their lives even when they can no longer | | | | events. Try and prepare for them |
| speak for themselves. | | | | Avoid elder care stress by being prepared. Care |
| Organization is important. There are so many | | | | for the elderly in home requires one to be very |
| aspects of our lives that we take for granted. | | | | organized. It is important to ask questions, make |
| When you care for the elderly in home, it is | | | | sure you understand the answers so that you |
| important to have things in one place and | | | | can learn, plan and be organized for those |
| information easily accessible to make life easier. | | | | unplanned life events. |