Currently, around 34 million Americans are part of the sandwich generation. They provide care for their kids and their elderly parents at the same time.

Barsamian gives some advice on how to prepare yourself for the challenge. In her previous work, the author helped many families cope with catastrophic illness, so she’s specially qualified to offer insight into the social issue.

Talk About the Issue Before
Barsamian suggests that you find out what your parents want their care to be like. She notes that it’s important to have the conversation before the urgency arrives.

Get the Right Help
The author recommends determining if a home setting is appropriate. Perhaps your loved one can remain in their own home, but assisted living/nursing home care could be required.

Don’t Go It Alone
Barsamian urges you to reach out to extended family and friends for help. Take shifts and divvy up responsibilities. Try to create a whole circle of caregivers to ease the burden.

Understand the Finances
The cost of caring for a parent can escalate rapidly. Barsamian suggests researching what options and resources are available within your family and outside help.

Care for the Caregiver
The author recommends taking time to care for yourself too. You should pay attention to your mental and physical health.

Sustenance and Hope for Caregivers of Elderly Parents is available from several national retailers and online at amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.

(Book cover image: Praeger)

Post from: Blisstree

New Book for Caregivers of Elderly Parents

If you’re concerned about your elderly parents, physically challenged parents, or those who may be targets for attacks, robberies, and physical abuse, check out the possibility of them taking a cane-fu fighting class.  (You may want to take it along with them!)

This is physical defense using a cane.  The cane-fu classes also are good sources of exercise and many senior centers are offering them.

Check out the post about cane-fun fighting at Elder Guru for more information (click on link above).  There’s also a video to give you “live” action information.

Derrick mentions that even the Wall Street Journal recently published an article about this popular self-defense/exercise activity and links to it.

In Derrick’s post, he relates the incidents where an older citizen protected himself with his cane.  Of course, you have to use common sense when defending yourself, but a cane-fu class would appraise you of these matters.

Post from: Blisstree

“Cane-Fu Fighting” for Parents’ Safety

What I’m increasingly running into is Mom’s lack of “getting it” that her energy levels are quickly declining. She will run errands, try to flip a mattress (seriously!), pull weeds, or clean the house. Then she’s so tired she can’t even talk. She refuses to make a list of things she needs us or any of my sibs to do when we come. Things that any of us could do in 10 minutes, but would take her an hour and risk an injury.

Though she wants her mother to be independent as long as possible, it seems her mother doesn’t understand about conserving energy for things she enjoys doing.

I can relate, I think parents don’t want to “bother” their children with things that they’ve always been able to do before.

Not too long after my dad’s back surgery a couple of years ago, I went to his house only to find him standing on a chair in the kitchen reaching overhead to change a light bulb.

He truly didn’t see what that was a problem (shall I list the problems, here?) because it’s not something he’d ever needed help with before. I’m still learning to keep an eye out for things I can do at his house that he should probably stay away from.

At the same time, though, I can’t imagine what it would be like if my kids implied that I could no longer do a simple task I’ve always done, that’s got to be hard to accept, even if that task consumes all your energy.

Post from: Blisstree

Aging parents recognizing limits