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Health & Fitness

NoVa Senior Issues: Honor Caregivers this November

Local Senior Home Care Agency Urges Community to Celebrate Family Caregivers

Since 1997, November has been honored as national caregivers’ month.  To help honor and support local family caregivers, several events have been scheduled in the greater Manassas area.

Caregivers are encouraged to attend one of two Caregiver appreciation nights, hosted by the Prince William Area Agency on Aging.

The first event will be held Wednesday, November 7th from 6pm-8:30pm at the Manassas Senior Center.

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The 2nd event will be event will be on 11/27 at Potomac Place, also from 6pm-8:30pm.  Respite care will be provided free of charge.

A family caregiver’s job, by definition, is already a difficult one.  Time away from work and family, and the worry of caring for a senior adult all can take a toll.  But when you consider that many seniors often resist help, that job becomes overwhelming for so many caregivers in our own area.

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A study of family caregivers conducted for the Home Instead Senior Care® network revealed that more than half of the respondents (51 percent) said that their aging relative was very resistant to care.  These seniors often object to help whether it’s from a family caregiver or a professional who tries to come into their homes to assist.  

This is a real problem for family caregivers worried about the safety of a senior loved one who might be forgetting food on the stove or neglecting to take their medications.  Some seniors are so resistant I’ve heard stories of them calling the police when their family members have arranged for a caregiver to visit their home.

But experts say that keeping fiercely independent seniors safe at home isn’t a lost cause.  There are solutions for them and their family caregivers.  That’s why the Home Instead Senior Care of Manassas, VA encourages family caregivers to take advantage of professional resourced located at www.caregiverstress.com. Home Instead is also happy to offer free education events on caregiver related issues.

Following are some strategies to help family caregivers turn resistance into assistance.


1.   Understand where the resistance is coming from.  Ask a senior parent or loved one why he or she is resisting.    

2.  Explain your goals.  Remind an older adult that you both want the same thing.  Explain that a little extra help can keep her at home longer and will help put your mind at ease as well.

Have a candid conversation with him about the impact this care is having on your life.  Oftentimes seniors don’t understand the time commitment of a caregiver.
 
3.  Bring in outside help.  If a relationship with a senior is deteriorating, ask a professional, such as a geriatric care manager, for an assessment.  A third-party professional can provide valuable input.

Also, go to www.4070talk.com for tips on how to talk with a loved one.  If you are having problems getting through to your older adult, consider asking another family member or close friend to intervene.  If you’re not making headway, perhaps there’s someone better to talk to that older adult.

4.  Research options to find the best resources for a senior in the community.  The local Area Agency on Aging or geriatric care managers are great community resources. 

Or go to www.homeinstead.com and click on the resources tab for The Home Care Solution, a guide for family caregivers to help them find the best in-home care for their loved ones.  If you decide outside help is needed, reassure your parents and tell them you have researched caregivers and you are confident you have found the best one you can find to come into the home to help.

5.  Respect a senior’s decisions.  Sometimes you won’t agree with an older adult’s decisions and that’s O.K.  As long as that senior is of sound mind, he or she should have the final say.

 

 

Thanks for reading my blog. If you have a senior care issue or question please email me at ian.lovejoy@homeinstead.com

Ian Lovejoy

Community Liaison

Home Instead Senior Care, Manassas

www.homeinstead.com/Manassas-VA

Office:703-530-1360

 

Founded in 1994, Home Instead Senior Care is the world’s largest provider of non-medical in-home care services for seniors.  Services are available at home or in care facilities for a few hours a week or as many as 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including holidays.

Serving Prince William, Fauquier, and portions of Southeastern Fairfax Counties

703.530.1360 (24/7)

877.530.1360 (24/7)

Each home Instead Senior Care ® is independently owned and operated.  © 2012 Home Instead, Inc.

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