Care-grieving and Kind Ethics

Are you experiencing care-grieving?

Please join me Tuesday, June 15, 2010 @ Noon EST: www.blogtalkradio.com/sandra-haymon. Viki Kind will be my guest. Viki is a clinical bioethicist, medical educator, hospice volunteer and the author of: The Caregiver’s Path to Compassionate Decision Making – Making Choices for Those Who Can’t.

If you are a caregiver for an elderly loved one, how would you answer these questions?
1. Does your loved one have the ability to make his or her own decisions?
2. Based on past conversations, do you know what your loved one would want in various medical situations?
3. How can you keep your elderly loved one included in ways that are safe for her/him to participate?

Wouldn't it be a relief to know that you are making decisions your loved one would want?

Join me and Viki as we discuss ways caregivers can be empowered to make appropriate, kind and ethical decisions.

We will look at ways families and healthcare professionals might be guided through the process of making decisions for those who are losing or have lost capacity to make decisions for themselves.

We will also discuss Viki's adaptable system for making difficult choices, including end-of-life decisions, while respecting the individual's values and beliefs. This is not a one-size-fits-all solution but can be adapted depending on the person's level of incapacity and the situation.

Who should listen? Any and everyone caring for elderly loved ones, especially those diagnosed with Alzheimer's (or other types of dementia), strokes, brain injuries, mental illness, developmental delays or other mental limitations will benefit from listening to this episode.

Listeners will learn the decision-making pathway and tools to help give voice to those who can't speak for themselves.

Listeners will also learn specific strategies, questions to use, and how these tools will work in real life situations.

Respect and compassion are the core values of this decision-making process.

Whether you a professional caregiver or a family caregiver, you will come away feeling more knowledgeable and confident about making decisions for those in your care.

As Viki would say: "Have a kind and respectful day."
Sincerely,
Sandra-Caregiver Guru for the Caregiver Generation
http://www.babyboomerssandwich.com/ www.youtube.com/sandrawhaymon

Emotional Issues of the Caregiver

Happiness is a conscious choice, not an automatic response.

Mildred Barthel

Caring for elderly loved ones is often like being on an emotional roller coaster. The downside of that roller coaster might include frustration, anger, guilt, resentment, sadness, and depression, as well as feelings of helplessness and of being overwhelmed.

The upside might include feelings of honor, privilege, acceptance, joy, and peace. It is important to identify your feelings with a single word, as well as the thoughts behind them. Counter-productive and subtractive feelings are fear driven. Feelings do not have to be acted on.

The process of caregiving could go on for ten or twenty years, so careivers need to take care of themselves. Schedule downtime, eat healthy, exercise, get plenty of rest, have regular physical exams, and talk about your feelings with a trusted friend, family member, or professional. Find sources of help and assistance for your loved one and for you.

Sincerely,

Sandra - Caregiver Guru for the Caregiver Generation

http://www.babyboomerssandwich.com/ www.youtube.com/sandrawhaymon

Medical alert saves lives!

Here's some more information from Philips Lifeline Medical Alert website: http://www.lifelinesys.com/ This site offers amazing information!

"Preserve independent at home living with the Lifeline Medical Alert Service"

This year 13.5 million people, 65 and older will fall. If you or a loved one experience a medical emergency, time is of the essence. That's where Philips Lifeline can help, connecting you to the right help for the situation, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year at the push of a button. Whether you need emergency services or just the assistance of a family member or friend to help you get back on your feet, we can help.

My own aunt, who was in good health and lived alone, fell and was not able to get up. Her son found her several days later and the coroner concluded she had been dead three days before her son found her. I truly believe if she had had Lifeline Medical alert the outcome of her fall would have been significantly diffrent.

Philips Lifeline offers a free assessment. Give them a call at 1-866-674-9900 Ext. 4492.

Scroill down for You Tube video.

Sincerely,

Sandra - Caregiver Guru for the Caregiver Generation

http://www.BabyBoomers Sandwich,com www.youtube.com/sandrawhaymon

http://www.twitter.com/CaregverGuru

Medication errors are serious business, especially for seniors!

Just want to share some information I just read on: http://www.lifelinesys.com. This is from the Philips Lifeline Medical Alert website.

Reduce the risk of medication errors

If you value your health and independence, you know it's important to take medications exactly as your doctor prescribed. Yet improper medication management and falls can get in the way of independent living, creating stress for you and your loved ones.

With the complexity of medications many seniors take, it's no surprise: 1 in 10 hospital admissions for seniors are a result of medication errors.* Philips Lifeline now offers a simple, proven Medication Dispensing Service that can help.

Philips provides an easy-to-use solution that helps maintain the proper medication schedule. Hear a simple audio reminder and at the push of a button, get your medications at the pre-programmed times.

Sound easy? It is—and it's effective. Philips Medication Dispensing Service has been proven to deliver a 98.6% in-home dispensing adherence level among monitored subscribers.

Visit:http://www.ManageMyPills.com to Learn More

This is a fantastic website with invaluable information! I have a link to it from my own website: http://www.BabyBoomersSandwich.com www.youtube.com/sandrawhaymon

Sincerely,

Sandra - Caregiver Guru for the Caregiver Generation

Every Second Counts in Caregiving

Presence is More Than Being There.

(Malcolm S. Forbes)

Several hours ago at 9:00 AM, Tuesday, May 18, 2010 I had the most interesting guest on my BlogTalkRadioShow (http://www.blogtalkradio.com/sandra-haymon). Sandy Wahl, Representative for Phillips LifelineCommunity Outreach and Our Family Services (swahl@ourfamilyservices.org) came on to talk about the most amazing technology. Phillips Lifeline Medical Alert Service has just introduced to the market.

Phillips has created an Auto Alert pendant that can call for help even when the peron wearing it can't. Within 20-30 seconds after the person falls the Auto Alert pendant recognizes that the person has fallen, and is unable to push the call button. It automatically phones for help!

Phillips is the only company in the United States that offers this second layer of protection and the good news is that you can get this for only a few dollars more than the original lifeline--less than one fast food lunch a month!

Lifeline the #1 medical alert service:
* is trusted by thousands of hpospitals
* has helped more than 6 million people with the peace of mind and confidence to help maintin independent livng
* is recommended by over 65,000 healthcare professionals

This year 13.3 milion people 65 and over will fall, and half of them will not be able to get up by themelves. This blogpost is certainly not an infomercial for Phillips. It is, however, a very strong endorcement of a product and company that I totally support and highly recommend.

If there is any thought in your mind that you, or loved ones could benefit from such a service, I strongly urge you to call your local Phillips Lifeline Medical Alert representative and ask her/him to come out, perform an assessment, and help you make this "no-brainer" decision before it's too late.

I know from personal experience that the statistics about elderly folks falling is all too true. However, most families are in denial and wait until there is a broken hip, leg, neck, etc., before they admit that todays' technology not only offers them peace of mind, but could offer a higher quality of life for a much longer time--perhaps as long as they live.

Make a decision today that you won't regret. That's part of taking care of yourself. Scroll down for YouTube.

Sincerely, Sandra - Caregiver Guru for the Caregiver Generation

http://www.babyboomerssandrich.com/ www.youtube.com/sandrawhaymon
http://www.twitter.com/CaregiverGuru

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/sandra-haymon