Build a Plan for Parental Caregiving
Aging.
Dementia.
Alzheimer's.
Caregiving.
These words on their own may not bring up negative images for the reader, but combined, they can give one quite a jolt.
Imagine your parents and their brains aging with dementia or what is diagnosed as Alzheimer's disease, and then you needing to offer caregiving services to them for the rest of their lives.
Even if they do not have difficulties with their thinking, their bodies will eventually become frail and they may need assistance, even if just on a part time basis.
The reality is that we are all aging and it would be a good idea to plan now for their future and your own.
Planning Now The first of the around 76 million baby boomers in the US, nearly 28 percent of the population, began turning 65 this year.
The average life expectancy increases every year, with men expected to live to 75.
7 years and women given a lifespan of 80.
8 years in 2010, according to the US Census Bureau, and that age rises to 77 and 82 by the year 2030.
This indicates that we certainly have an aging population.
The question is, who is going to take care of these individuals, as they need at-home care and assistance with living a healthy lifestyle, health services and even entertainment? As a baby boomer myself at the bottom of the spectrum, I understand that I will need care someday, but my parents will need it first.
My father has already told me that he will not be put into an assisted living facility or nursing home - that he will run away as fast as he can if he is ever placed in such a location.
The fact of the matter is that these "old age institutions" are not where people "want" to live, especially if they have had a comfortable, independent lifestyle and they have family that can house them.
In addition, with the baby boomer bubble, there will not be enough institutions for all of us, and all of them to live.
The expense of living in a facility may be cost-prohibitive as well, and the lower cost institutions will most likely offer a lower quality of care.
As a nation, we will need to come together and offer more family caregiving services.
The majority of caregivers are women, although by many estimates more than a third of them are men.
Sons and daughters alike can offer their help as soon as their parents begin to show signs of needing assistance, maybe when they need help with daily activities or are no longer able to drive.
The sooner the better, as it make take some time for everyone to adjust to the new arrangement.
My mother had her mother move into she and her husband's home when my grandmother was 94.
She had been aging in place for the last several years with the assistance of professional caregivers and family that lived in the same city.
She was healthy and could get around, and even help out with minor tasks.
It was truly a blessing for both of them for the over six months she lived with them before she died.
Independence Most of us want to be independent throughout our lives, although you might be surprised at how your parents may want to be taken care of as well.
As my parents are aging, I can only hope that they would be willing to accept a monitoring system with which I could be notified easily if they needed my help.
Devices that have GPS, detect falls and give heart rate are available and are inconspicuous for the wearer.
The individual wearing it won't even notice it, and updates are sent on a regular basis without them having to manage it.
As they age even more, I would want them to move in with me so that I could care for them as needed.
It's not that far away for me now, and as an older mom with teenagers, I can anticipate only a few years of empty-nesting with my husband before a parent or in-law moves in.
The probability of caregiving in our future is high.
By researching it and discussing it with your siblings and your parents now or in the near future, you will have a much better success rate - for you and your parents.
Dementia.
Alzheimer's.
Caregiving.
These words on their own may not bring up negative images for the reader, but combined, they can give one quite a jolt.
Imagine your parents and their brains aging with dementia or what is diagnosed as Alzheimer's disease, and then you needing to offer caregiving services to them for the rest of their lives.
Even if they do not have difficulties with their thinking, their bodies will eventually become frail and they may need assistance, even if just on a part time basis.
The reality is that we are all aging and it would be a good idea to plan now for their future and your own.
Planning Now The first of the around 76 million baby boomers in the US, nearly 28 percent of the population, began turning 65 this year.
The average life expectancy increases every year, with men expected to live to 75.
7 years and women given a lifespan of 80.
8 years in 2010, according to the US Census Bureau, and that age rises to 77 and 82 by the year 2030.
This indicates that we certainly have an aging population.
The question is, who is going to take care of these individuals, as they need at-home care and assistance with living a healthy lifestyle, health services and even entertainment? As a baby boomer myself at the bottom of the spectrum, I understand that I will need care someday, but my parents will need it first.
My father has already told me that he will not be put into an assisted living facility or nursing home - that he will run away as fast as he can if he is ever placed in such a location.
The fact of the matter is that these "old age institutions" are not where people "want" to live, especially if they have had a comfortable, independent lifestyle and they have family that can house them.
In addition, with the baby boomer bubble, there will not be enough institutions for all of us, and all of them to live.
The expense of living in a facility may be cost-prohibitive as well, and the lower cost institutions will most likely offer a lower quality of care.
As a nation, we will need to come together and offer more family caregiving services.
The majority of caregivers are women, although by many estimates more than a third of them are men.
Sons and daughters alike can offer their help as soon as their parents begin to show signs of needing assistance, maybe when they need help with daily activities or are no longer able to drive.
The sooner the better, as it make take some time for everyone to adjust to the new arrangement.
My mother had her mother move into she and her husband's home when my grandmother was 94.
She had been aging in place for the last several years with the assistance of professional caregivers and family that lived in the same city.
She was healthy and could get around, and even help out with minor tasks.
It was truly a blessing for both of them for the over six months she lived with them before she died.
Independence Most of us want to be independent throughout our lives, although you might be surprised at how your parents may want to be taken care of as well.
As my parents are aging, I can only hope that they would be willing to accept a monitoring system with which I could be notified easily if they needed my help.
Devices that have GPS, detect falls and give heart rate are available and are inconspicuous for the wearer.
The individual wearing it won't even notice it, and updates are sent on a regular basis without them having to manage it.
As they age even more, I would want them to move in with me so that I could care for them as needed.
It's not that far away for me now, and as an older mom with teenagers, I can anticipate only a few years of empty-nesting with my husband before a parent or in-law moves in.
The probability of caregiving in our future is high.
By researching it and discussing it with your siblings and your parents now or in the near future, you will have a much better success rate - for you and your parents.
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