Family caregivers face a substantial amount of stress, the caregiver burden, from carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders. Not only are family caregivers responsible, or so it feels, for the livelihood of their senior care recipient, they might be overwhelmed by their many responsibilities. Between caring for their own family and children, working out of the home, managing a household, and looking after a senior, caregivers have a lot to deal with and little time to themselves.

To reduce the stress they feel as caregivers, those responsible for the care of a family member can use simple techniques to make their job easier, reduce the caregiver burden, and allow them to focus on their own well-being.

1)    Use assistive technologies that promote safety
2)    Ask for help from family
3)    Hire an in-home, non-medical caregiver
4)    Use services to help out with housekeeping (caregivers often do light-housekeeping, and agencies can assist with yard work and more strenuous chores)
5)    Attend caregiver support groups to talk to others in similar situations
6)    Enroll the senior in rehabilitation therapy to improve their mobility, and remember your own health
7)    Communicate with the care recipient and your family about your experiences
8)    Try to maintain the relationship that existed before caregiving when possible, both with your family and care recipient
9)    Take time out for yourself
10)    Don’t get yourself down if the care recipient’s condition seems to decline; you can help them, but can’t control it all!

Sources:
1.    Extension
2.   AARP

Home Care Florida provides home care for the elderly, aging, and seniors in Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Palm Coast. Call us today at 904-363-6699 or 904-794-9450.

Q – My mother is very ill, and I know that she has debt that was acquired by her and my father before he passed away. Will her children be responsible for paying off her debt when she passes away?

A – In your mother’s case, any shared debt with your father, would have been passed along to her in probate; especially if she was the sole beneficiary of his estate (or all assets were shared). Children are not directly responsible for the debts of their senior relatives, however, debts owing may first be deducted from the senior’s estate before distribution during probate, decreasing or eliminating completely the assets left to beneficiaries of the will or trust because when creditors are unable to collect debts during a senior’s life, seniors remain responsible even after they are deceased. If after your mother’s death, her estate demonstrates insufficient assets to pay off her debts, the creditors will be forced to take a loss; however, you and your siblings will not be responsible for paying her debts.

The only other situations where the survivors of a senior’s family may be responsible for the debts, are if they co-signed on a loan, or guaranteed payment to a creditor.

Sources:
1. Lawyers.com
2. Money Tips
3. Wikipedia

Image: debteradication.com

Home Care Florida provides home care for the elderly, aging, and seniors in Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Palm Coast. Call us today at 904-363-6699 or 904-794-9450.

Q – What should be included in a living will and should all seniors have them?
A – , to ensure that family and medical practitioners carry them out once they no longer have the ability to voice what they want. Every senior should prepare a living will before their health comes into question, because unfortunately illness just can’t always be predicted.

When creating living trusts and living wills during the process of estate planning, seniors should understand their options and clearly state their wishes when different medical issues occur. In a general statement, seniors can include treatments they would consider having or prefer should specific medical issues arise (for example, chemotherapy to treat cancer); while general statements are not legally binding, doctors will keep them in mind when determining the course of treatment. Advance decisions and advance directives also allow seniors to refuse specific treatments and actions by a medical doctor; for example, refusing life support under any circumstance. When creating a living will, seniors should also appoint an advocate, which can be a family member or caregiver, to ensure that medical wishes outlined in the living will are abided by.

Having a living will ensures that all seniors have a voice, and play a role in their own medical care; even when they are not physically able to communicate their healthcare needs.

Sources:
1.    CNNMoney.com Gerri Willis
2.    Directgov

Home Care Florida provides home care for the elderly, aging, and seniors in Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Palm Coast. Call us today at 904-363-6699 or 904-794-9450.

Q – I’ve been thinking of moving my elderly mother in to the house I share with my husband and children, is this a good idea and what can I expect?

A – There are many pros to having your elderly mother live with you from a care perspective, especially if she is struggling with independent living. But it will also be a challenging experience for both your mother and the rest of your family, who are not used to co-existing under the same roof.

Pros:
• Having your mother living under your roof will allow you to care for your elderly parent around the clock
• When living in the same home, you are available should a medical emergency or accident occur with your mother
• Your mother won’t have to worry about maintaining a home (cooking, cleaning); she can pitch in with tasks she’s capable of
• Not having to travel to provide care to your mother will be more convenient for you and your family

Cons:
• Roles in your household could change along with family dynamic
• Your mother may not adjust well to the functioning of your household, and may attempt to interfere with the raising of your children
• You might feel you need to look after your mother full-time when living under the same roof, so the caregiver structure may be more stressful
• There may be disputes over family finances if clear expectations aren’t set

Sources:
1. Associated Content
2. Women Today Magazine
3. US News.com

Home Care Florida provides home care for the elderly, aging, and seniors in Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Palm Coast. Call us today at 904-363-6699 or 904-794-9450.

According to a report published by the AARP, in 2007 the economic value of family caregivers would have been $375 billion if they had been paid for their home care assistance. However, it is the value of family caregivers that cannot be measured monetarily that makes a far more substantial impact on the lives of seniors they provide home care for.

Family caregivers sacrifice greatly to provide help to their senior relatives in need. A great majority of family caregivers are men and women with full or part-time careers, which they balance along with their in-home senior care responsibilities and providing care for their immediate family and often, young children. Family caregivers sacrifice in order to better the lives of their senior relatives or parents, by identifying the aspects of home life that seniors are struggling with and providing their assistance; allowing seniors to remain at home with some resemblance of an independent lifestyle that doesn’t require them to live in a community living facility for the elderly.

Sometimes seniors become resentful of their caregivers, and forget to place value upon what they’re sacrificing to improve the senior’s lifestyle, because they are resentful of the loss of independence that has occurred due to the aging process. So seniors asking for help from their families or hiring a caregiver need to remember just how valuable a contribution a caregiver can make to the life of a senior.

Sources:
1.    AARP
2.   National Family Caregiver’s Association

Home Care Florida provides home care for the elderly, aging, and seniors in Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Palm Coast. Call us today at 904-363-6699 or 904-794-9450.

Historically, 57% to 75% of family caregivers for seniors have been women of a certain demographic; but as gender roles change, so does the family caregiving structure; and more men are becoming involved in the care of an elderly parent or family member. However, statistics do show that many of these male caregivers aren’t caring for elderly parents; they are providing care for their spouse who is suffering from an illness or injury. When it comes to caring for an older relative, men continue to play a decreased role compared to their female family members; they provide support, but women still spend 50% more time caring for a senior.

However, as many women hold careers that are just as demanding as their male spouses and men are playing a greater role in the care of their children, we might begin to see an increase in the numbers of male family caregivers as the family structure continues to change and adapt. And, according to studies, an increase of male presence in home and community care for seniors will have its benefits. Male caregivers can initiate greater large motor activities, due to physical strength; might encounter fewer workplace injuries due to the strain of lifting senior care recipients; and might be able to handle more strenuous housekeeping duties.

If you know a male that is a family caregiver we would like to hear from you… please send us a comment about your experience and we can post it on our blog.

Sources:
1.    Onkar Caregiver’s Training Institute
2.    Family Caregiver Alliance
3.    MedicineNet.com

Image: Family Living

Home Care Florida provides home care for the elderly, aging, and seniors in Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Palm Coast. Call us today at 904-363-6699 or 904-794-9450.

When hiring a private home caregiver, without going through an agency, families, as employers, are often responsible for the costs of medical care if the caregiver is injured while performing their caregiver duties, unless the caregiver has comprehensive liability and workplace injury insurance. According to statistics, workplace injuries in private caregivers are substantial, with one in eight becoming injured on the job; 70% of which occur when lifting or physically supporting a patient.  If a caregiver does not have liability coverage, any task they are performing as part of their caregiver employment results in an injury, then families become legally responsible as employers to pay the medical bills. Workplace injuries for caregivers can include falls in the home, or even car accidents that take place when running errands for their elderly employer.

Since private caregivers not hired through an agency typically work as private contractors, many may not carry liability insurance; so when an injury occurs during senior care, medical bills may cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars, plus in some cases, compensation for lost wages due to the injury. Private caregivers may also be a greater liability for senior care injuries, since they may not receive the same training in proper lift techniques and other safety measures when caring for seniors as their agency counterparts. When hiring a caregiver, families need to take liability into account; because while private caregivers may charge less by the hour, the expenses derived from liability might last a lifetime.

Sources:
1.   Strength for Caring.com
2.    Seniors Resource Guide
3.   Liebertonline

Home Care Florida provides home care for the elderly, aging, and seniors in Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Palm Coast. Call us today at 904-363-6699 or 904-794-9450.

At approximately $174,000, the average lifetime cost for senior Alzheimer’s care, the disease can take a toll on the finances of seniors and their families. There are two major aspects of Alzheimer’s and finances that seniors and their families need to consider; advance financial planning, to prepare for a stage when the senior may be unable to be involved in their own financial decisions; and understanding the costs associated with Alzheimer’s care.

Elderly costs for Alzheimer’s care do vary dependent upon the progression of the disease; but can average around $18,000 per year for early Alzheimer’s care, $30,000 for a senior with moderate Alzheimer’s symptoms and $36,000 during the latter stages of Alzheimer’s disease. 75% of the costs incurred are due to Alzheimer’s care required in the home, while the other 25% of average Alzheimer’s costs relate directly to health care. Since costs of Alzheimer’s care are so significant, often seniors are unable to support the costs self-sufficiently, and family caregivers may become responsible for medical and care costs.

Seniors who suffer from Alzheimer’s, may also become physically and mentally unable to manage their finances self-sufficiently, so during the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease it’s important for seniors to establish a living will, appoint a Power of Attorney, and ensure that all bills and financial documents are consolidated.

With appropriate planning and consideration of the costs implications of Alzheimer’s, seniors and their families can put greater emphasis upon health over finance.

Sources:
1.    Alzheimer’s Association
2.    About.com

Home Care Florida provides home care for the elderly, aging, and seniors in Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Palm Coast. Call us today at 904-363-6699 or 904-794-9450.

Talking to your senior parents about estate planning can be an uncomfortable subject, because many adult children don’t want to feel like they’re interfering with their parents’ personal affairs. Estate planning typically includes a legal will that outlines distribution of assets; a financial power of attorney which dictates who will look after a senior’s finances when they become unable; a medical power of attorney, the person responsible for carrying out a senior’s medical wishes; and a living will, which establishes a senior’s healthcare wishes if they become unable to speak for themselves. Discussing your senior parents’ estate early on with them ensures that you understand the role that they expect you to play after their deaths or during a medical emergency so that their wishes are carried out.

Talking to your elderly parents about estate planning becomes more important if they have not completed the necessary steps to protect their assets and secure their wishes. When approaching the topic of family estate planning, make sure that your siblings and immediate family members are involved so they don’t perceive your interests in your parents’ estate as self-serving. Ensure your parents understand you do not need to have the division of assets explained; it doesn’t matter how much they are planning on leaving you. What’s important is that they put the legalities in place to ensure they control what happens to their assets, even once they loose the ability to represent themselves.

Sources:
1. SeniorJournal.com   Robert Valentine
2. FamilyEducation.com

Home Care Florida provides home care for the elderly, aging, and seniors in Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Palm Coast. Call us today at 904-363-6699 or 904-794-9450.

When it comes time to make decisions regarding senior care services for your aging parent, one of the major factors to consider is affordability. Believe it or not, in home care services are one of the most affordable options for seniors who are struggling to live independently in their own homes. Hiring a caregiver to help out in your aging parent’s home can cost anywhere from $12 to $25 an hour, depending upon the services provided by the agency and the state that you live in. Compared to a traditional nursing home or long-term care facility, which cost on average of $153 per day in the United States, the costs of in-home care are substantially lower, especially because of the flexibility it offers. With in-home caregiving services, families can decide the amount of care required by an in-home caregiver, which can start at a few hours a week to 8-hour long caregiving days. This can be determined both on care requirements of the senior, and the finances they have available for home care.

In order to determine if senior services are affordable for the senior in your family, take a close look at both their income and expenses; ensuring that their budget allows them to continue to put away 10% to fund future medical and housing needs. Medicare and Medicaid do not typically cover in-home care services, but many private insurance policies do; so ensure you determine which home care costs would have to be paid out of pocket and make sure that all the numbers add up to figure out if home care is an affordable option.

Sources:
1. Business Week, Beth Piskora
2. The Federal LTC Insurance Program
3. Senior Living Today

Home Care Florida provides home care for the elderly, aging, and seniors in Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Palm Coast. Call us today at 904-363-6699 or 904-794-9450.