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Elder CareTips:
Mastering The Eldercare Maze™
September 15, 2006
When It's Time To Use Your
Durable Power of Attorney
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If your parent has
planned well you will have the legal documents you
need when the time comes to step in and help manage
the finances. You will have a professionally prepared
Durable Power of Attorney that spells out what you can
do, and the circumstances in which you can act on your
parent's behalf.
In the best of all worlds, all you would have to do
would be to present your document at the bank or
brokerage when the time comes. Your attorney will
probably instruct you that this is all you have to do.
Unfortunately, it isn't always that easy.
Read the rest...
Unquestionably, there is progress. The
average American now pays out twice as much in
taxes as he formerly got in wages.
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Elder
CareTip:
Traveling With
Medications |
If you're planning on flying and your
elder takes medications you will have to take them in
their original labeled containers. If his or her
medication schedule is complicated, or if there are
more than one or two medications, it's often easier to
ask the pharmacist to blister-pack them. This involves
sorting the medications by time of day to be taken
(breakfast, noon, afternoon, bedtime, etc.) and
bubble-packing them together. The packs are labeled
and sealed, making the airlines happy. They are also
easy for other family members to keep track of if your
elder is visiting family who aren't familiar with the
medication schedule. Always order at least one more
day than you think you will need, just in case there
is a travel delay. Carry all medications with you
rather than in checked luggage.
Home
Alone
Seven Signs That Leaving An Elder Home Alone
Might Not Be A Good Idea |
Talk to professional caregivers and
you'll generally find that they have strong negative
reactions to the idea of leaving anyone but a 100%
functional person at home alone. They've been trained
to think first of liability, and that transfers over
when they give advice to caregivers.
On the other hand, our care recipients will probably
strongly disagree and argue that they are perfectly
safe at home alone.
So where's the line? It will be different depending on
whether your elder is disabled because of cognitive
problems such as dementia, or is physically disabled
but still fully able to comprehend.
Sometimes these concerns creep up. In the beginning we
might have been able to go to work, or out for the
evening, or at least run to the store for an hour or
two. But one day that might not seem like such a good
idea any more.
There are a few things that might make it easier to
decide if it's still safe to leave without having
someone else stay:
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Can he identify an emergency and call 911 if
necessary? |
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Could she get out of the house and find
shelter without help? |
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Would he be just as likely to invite total
strangers into the house as family members or
neighbors? |
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Does she need help to use the bathroom? |
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Even if he has never wandered before, if he
were to go outside for any reason, is he at any
risk of becoming lost? |
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When left to her own devices, is she likely
to try something that is dangerous or
destructive, such as climbing up on a ladder,
lighting a candle, or letting the water
overflow? |
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Does she become overly anxious when left
alone? One sign of over-anxiety is multiple
phone calls to you, other family members, or the
authorities. |
If you can still feel confident when
you answer these questions, then it is probably still
safe to leave your loved one at home alone. Keep the
list in the back of your mind and review it often,
because we all know that things do change.
If your answers to any of these questions left you
feeling uneasy, then it's time to look for support so
you can safely get out of the house. Depending on the
amount and kind of care needed, your options might be
another family member, a neighbor or a local teenager,
or a paid professional.
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