Loosing contact, personal letter is a thing of the past

The personal letter is quickly becoming a thing of the past - The Boston Globe

Last lines
As the longtime practice of writing personal letters by hand to family and friends is quickly becoming a thing of the past in the age of cellphones, text messaging, and e-mails, Globe writer Milton J. Valencia sat down and penned his own letter to the lost art.
By Milton J. Valencia
Globe Staff / September 20, 2009

DOOR ALARMS, ENTRY ALERTS, DOORWAY ANNOUNCERS, ROOM MONITORS

WIRELESS LISTENING MONITORS such as baby monitors have drawbacks: signal blockage by concrete walls, conflicts with cordless phones, multiple monitors can mess up you hear on your unit. Never to discuss anything private when audio unit is on they broadcast to anyone's monitor in range. However, wireless audio monitors don't require installing wiring. There are millions of baby monitors in use.

When buying a listening device such as a baby monitor consider: size, portability, low battery warning, sound activated alarm light, multiple receivers for a single monitor, talk back features.

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ABSOLUTE AUTOMATION INC http://www.door-aarm.com/l

Wireless Door Alarms, Entry Alerts and Doorway Announcers. The wireless transmitter may be above or beside your door and be alerted of someone. There are door alarm systems which can be used to alert you when an individual has left their area. Other systems can alert caregivers of a person moving in their room or wandering in a hall.
They have Magnetic door switches which can be used to trigger monitors, chimes and/or send wireless signals back to other receivers or alarm units.

Fall Savers© | 59 Fulham High Street | London, SW6 3JJ, UK

http://www.fallsavers.co.uk/content/product.php
The Fall Savers company in the UK has monitors that are versatile portable battery powered bed and chair alarm designed for use with a sensor pad. The monitor sounds an alarm when the patient's weight moves off the bed or chair sensor pad.

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AMEDS.com 451 Warwick Industrial Drive, Warwick, RI 02886
http://www.ameds.com/product.php?

Door Guards which provide a strong visual reminder to individuals not to proceed through certain doorways.

UMP Infrared Bed Monitor which alerts the caregiver when an individual attempts to leave the bed.

The Smart Caregiver Wireless Fall Prevention Monitor System is a unique product that offers multiple functions. The Alarm can be silent or volume can be controlled, while continuing to transmit an audible alert to a caregiver in another location. The alarm in silent mode is ideal for situations where you don't want to disturb people in the room. It has a radio signa thatl is transmitted to a pager / alarm. Runs on 3 AA batteries and requires no plugs or wires.

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ABLEDATA 8630 Fenton Street,Silver Spring, MD 20910.
http://www.abledata.com/abledata.cfm?pageid=19327&top=10771&trail=22,10756

Accudata wandering patient detection system uses coded identification tags and sensors mounted at exits, and monitored areas. The Waterproof tags contain a miniature transmitter receiver and a microchip memory which contains the patient identification The sensor sets off an alarm when the presence of an identification tag is detected.

Alarm Cushion which is a foam or gel and foam seat cushion designed for use with geri chairs. It features a built-in weight sensor factory sealed inside a vinyl compartment in the cushion to protect it from urine and wear and to prevent it from shifting beneath the user's weight. When a person attempts to leave the chair or as a result of sliding, an alarm sounds..


The AliMed Seat Belt Alarm, is a seat belt and wandering patient system designed for use by individuals with Alzheimer's disease. This dual-function seat belt keeps the person in the chair and sounds an alarm if disconnected.

The Bed-Check System is a wander's system designed to alert caregivers if an individual with balance disabilities, Alzheimer's disease, or other disabilities tries to get out of bed unattended.

They offer a Professional series Care Trak Mobile Locator which is a wireless system for a clinical setting. This portable device can be used alone or with a Invisible Perimeter System to locate an individual who has wandered off by as much as a mile. One model can locate up to fourteen different individu

The Care Trak Sentry Door System is a system designed to prevent individuals from entering or exiting a door without assistance. It can monitor up to eight doors in a residential setting. The system uses a tamper-resistant transmitter that can be worn on a wrist or ankle

The Care Trak Invisible Perimeter System is a system designed to prevent individuals from entering or exiting a specific area. The system features a monitoring unit with controls to adjust the range of the invisible perimeter, a Care Trak wrist transmitter, and the Care Trak Mobile Locator (see separate entry). The system establishes an invisible circular boundary around the monitoring unit.

Professional series Care Trak Wrist Transmitter is a wireless signal transmitter designed for use by caregivers of individuals in a clinical setting. This portable device can be used when the police or emergency rescue personnel have the Care Trak. Care Trak registers the frequency number of the transmitter with the appropriate agency.

They offer a The Door Mural system designed for use with individuals with Alzheimer's disease, dementia, or cognitive disabilities. When applied to a door leading to a cleaning supply storage closet or a stairway, the door is completely obscured.

Their Door or Window Alarm is a system featuring an insert that fits in the gap between a closed door and the doorjamb or between a window and the window frame. Once the insert is in place, if the door or window is opened even slightly, a loud alarm sounds

Their door Knob Guard prevents a disoriented or wandering individuals fro entering or exiting a door without assistance, fits most standard door knobs and is easily removed in case of emergency.

Motion Detector with Remote Alarm made up of a motion detector and a receiver chime alarm. The detector can be placed where needed (bedroom, stairs, exit door, etc.) to detect movement. The receiver can be carried in a caregiver's pocket.

They offer an alarm unit featuring a cord held in with a pin. At the other end of the cord is a clip that attaches to clothing excess tension on the cord sounds the alarm.

Another Personal Alarm enables family members, friends, or caregivers to record a spoken message to remind an individual to request assistance before getting up plus it offers five selectable alarm tones which can be use in conjunction with or separately from the voice message.

Passive Infrared Red, PIR, Alarm requires no pads or sensors and relies on passive infrared technology similar to that used by automatic doors and lights. The unit emits an IR invisible fan-shaped beam that covers the entire bedside and may be adjusted to detect only undesired motion.

A toilet mounted alarm warns of a person leaving a toilet. The sensor mounts beneath the seat and sets itself automatically.

Bed-Safe Alert and Chair-Safe Alert units emit a loud audible alarm when the user begins to get up out of bed, chair or wheelchair. The systems are portable .

The QualCare VOICE Alarm has a cord that can be clipped to the patient's clothing. When the cord is pulled from the alarm unit, a recorded message plays for 20 seconds, then an alarm tone sounds.

The Stray Away Alarm has a transmitter pendant and a receiver. The pendant features a lanyard for wearing around the neck and the receiver includes a belt clip. When the person is separated from the caregiver distance from 10 to 20 feet, a signal is sent frrom the pendant to the receiver, sounding an alarm.

The Talking Motion Detective is a wireless, two-piece, motion detector announces specific information to alert the caregiver. One speaker unit can monitor up to six motion detectors, each providing different information for different exits or areas of the home . For example, the system might announce "Dad is trying to go out the back door!" or "Mom is in the kitchen."

Telecom 4000 automatic dialer is an emergency alert, call signal, or wandering person system designed for use by individuals who are at risk for medical emergencies. Used in conjunction with a wireless pendant transmitter, this enables the user to summon help by pressing a button. Used in conjunction with motion sensors, it can monitor activity in the residence and send an alarm when the resident has been inactive

TrackerPAL is a system with a fully active global positioning (GPS) and interactive voice capability. The system covers virtually all of the United States and Canada and is monitored through a monitoring center. All voice communications with family members and the individual monitored are recorded and are kept in a WAV file for future use if needed.

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SECURITY2020 1680 Roberts Blvd. Kennesaw, GA 30144

Voice Alert System http://www.security2020.net/va6000s-voice-alert-system-6.html is ideal for residential and small business notification, security, and property protection. It combines wireless and digital voice technology to create the most flexible and cost-effective annunciation system available today. System monitors up to six zones using wireless PIR Sensor Transmitters and a remote Receiver/Speaker Base Unit. When a zone is breached, a signal is sent up to 1000 feet (300' through walls) to the remote Base Unit. Upon signal reception, the Base Unit plays a user (voice-recorded) message identifying that specific zone.

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TUNSTALL GROUP LTD.,Whitley Lodge, Whitley Bridge, DN14 0HR, United Kingdom
http://www.alzheimers-support.com/en-GB/solutions-a-to-z.html

Bed/chair sensor detects when a person leaves their bed (or chair) and can turn on a light gradually. It will also set a timer running (which can be set for varying periods of time) and if the sensor fails to detect a return to bed within this time it will raise an alarm call. This alarm can either be directed to a caregiver or to the monitoring center. It is then possible to speak to the person via the speaker on the central Lifeline unit. Alternatively the sensor can also be set to raise an alarm if a person has failed to get out of bed after a preset time in the morning or if they have failed to go to bed by a preset time. The pad can also be used with chairs and wheelchairs.

Wet bedding sensor. Placed between the matress and sheet, this sensor provides immediate warning on detection of moisture

Tunstall's fall detector automatically detects a serious fall and setting off an alert to the designated caregiver.

Flood detector will raise an alarm if sinks or baths overflow

The Lifeline Connect+ home unit is supplied with a personal pendant, and can be used to raise a call from anywhere in the home or garden by simply pressing the pendant or red buton on the unit. Calls are received at the dedicated 24 hour response centre where the most appropriate action is taken. Requires an existing telephone line and electrical outlet.

Sensors can be added to the Lifeline unit, which are connected wirelessly and unobtrusively. Lifeline Connect+

Medication dispensers provides an effective solution to support medication compliance by automatically dispensing medication and providing audible and visual alerts to the user each time medication should be taken.

A wireless movement sensor/detector for both activity and inactivity monitoring, for example, to check if a person has got out of bed or visited the kitchen.

Tunstall is currently trialling safer walking technology , which allows freedom for the user to walk about in a safe environment and sends an alarm call should the user go outside a preset safe zone. The system comprises a wrist worn locatable alarm device, a home base, a secure location data processing system and a 24/7 Monitoring Center. The system uses Assisted GPS and GSM technology and recognizes when the wearer leaves a predefined safe zone . This will trigger an alert at the Monitoring Center who will contact the responsible carer/organization and assist with the provision of an appropriate response.

NFCA, National Family Caregivers Association

The National Family Caregivers Association educates, supports, empowers and speaks up for the more than 50 million Americans who care for loved ones with a chronic illness or disability or the frailties of old age. NFCA reaches across the boundaries of diagnoses, relationships, and life stages to help transform family caregivers' lives by removing barriers to health and well being.

Membership is free to family caregivers, and includes a quarterly, e-mailed newsletter. For those who would rather receive a print copy of the newsletter, NFCA offers an upgraded, Family Caregiver Plus membership at the special introductory rate of $10/year. Click here to join on-line.

nightmare for those with disabilities who are struggling to stay at home.

http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Columns/2010/February/020110Gleckman.aspx

Howard Gleckman, Senior Research Associate at the Urban Institute

Feb 01, 2010

There are programs run by states and similar projects run out of Washington. This is a particular nightmare for those with disabilities who are struggling to stay at home. If you don’t believe me, try to find a local phone number for elder care assistance.

Death Panels, Alaska | Sarah's "Palin Care For Seniors" Worked Even Better than Death Squads

Why Use Death Squads In Alaska When Sarah Palin Had Palin Care For Seniors That Worked Even Better?

"Sarah Palin is worried about Death Panels but many Alaskans are worried about Palin Care. During her tenure from 2006-2009, 277 elderly died from the poor management under her command! The Anchorage Daily News reported about this story last July, the situation in the state’s Medicare and Medicaid funded in-home elder care program became so bad that the federal government had to step in and force Palin to make the necessary improvements."
"In one 2 1/2 year stretch, 227 adults already getting services died while waiting for a nurse to reassess their needs. Another 27 died waiting for their initial assessment, to see if they qualified for help."

http://ow.ly/169ijf

A Study of need for services when reaching age 65

Comparing Costs For In-Home Care, Nursing Homes, RCFE Assisted Living And Adult Day Care | Elder Care Residential Services

A 2008 long term care study done by Prudential insurance has some surprising information regarding the costs of care for services needed as we age. This is information is important to assist in making plans for the “golden years”.

The study shows that the average cost of a nursing home can exceed $70,000 a year for a semi private room. A break down of the daily charges is $194 per day. A private room can exceed $79,000 a year or $217 a day. These costs will, of course depend on the area of the country you live in. Some areas will be more and some less. It was also noted that there has been a 7% increase in the cost of living in a nursing home over the past 2 years. Nursing home costs have had an increase of over 30% in the past 5 years.

Assisted living facilities have seen the greatest increase in costs over the past 2 years. The average for living in an assisted living facility rose to nearly $39,000 per year. This is an average daily charge of just over $100 per day.

There was an average of a 15% increase in rates for the assisted living facility that provide care for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients.

In -home care has had the smallest increase rate of all the service providers. The rate of in-home care has had an increase of 5% over the past two years and only 17% over the past 7 years.

The average cost for a certified nursing assistant providing in-home care is $21 per hour. The services provided by a certified nursing assistant are bathing, dressing and care provided under the supervision of a register nurse. These services are ordered by a physician and generally covered by insurance. These services are only provided intermittently and for a limited amount of time.

The 2008 Genworth Financial study of cost of care also covers the non skilled in home care. This is a growing segment of the in-home care services, as many individuals want to remain in their homes as long as possible.

The average cost for homemaker services is $18 an hour. The rate of these services has increased by 4% over the last year. A homemaker provides companionship, light housekeeping duties, assistance with cooking and running small errands.

In- home care also provides home health aides. These individuals are able to provide basic assistance with personal care, but are not permitted to perform and medical tasks.

The average rate of a home health aide is $19 an hour. This is an increase of 3% over the past year.
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This lengthy article is well worth the read. http://ow.ly/15YGwf

NOTE: they show average values, you will find costs in your area may differ wildly.

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I suggest following the blog http://ow.ly/15YGwf provided by:

Elder Care Residential Services

Mailing address:
610 Cypress Street
Pismo Beach, CA 93449
805-473-7400
FAX: 805-473-4704

Cell: 805-452-3225 9am TO 5pm Pacific Time

info@eldercareresidentiaservices.com

NORCs | naturally occurring retirement communities

There are some federally funded programs to bring services to what are called NORCs, or naturally occurring retirement communities. For instance, in Philadelphia and New York City a van with a nurse will come to a building that has a large population of elderly people and provide health services on the spot. Similarly, intentional communities, driven by consumer involvement, bring the services of a retirement community to seniors in their homes. Beacon Hill Village in Boston is an example. Both are examples of trying to let seniors age in place.
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Robin Gerber is the author of Barbie and Ruth, the biography of Ruth Handler, the founder of Mattel Toys and creator of Barbie.

Caregivers-in-Waiting: Boomers Struggle to Map Out Plans for Aging Parent s By: Robin Gerber

The Diabetes Health Care Crisis

http://oregoneldercareservices.com/?p=712

The Diabetes Health Care Crisis
People with Diabetes Don't Have Access to Adequate and Affordable Health Care

* Health insurance policies don't cover basic diabetes needs and reward crisis care, not the continuous care needed to prevent a medical crisis.
* Pre-existing condition exclusions prevent people from enrolling.
* Health insurance premium surcharges for diabetes drive premiums above what individuals and small businesses can afford.
* Medicaid eligibility limits leave many low income people unable to access health insurance.

Health Insurance Options 65 and Above

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The following options may be available to you.

Medicare
Medicare provides health insurance benefits to persons 65 and older, persons under 65 who are disabled, and individuals with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD).

Medicaid
Medicaid provides medical care to certain individuals and families with low incomes and resources.

TAA Tax Credit
TAA is a tax credit available to workers who have lost their jobs or whose hours of work and wages have decreased as a result of increased imports.

Prescription Assistance
Most pharmaceutical companies have established patient assistance programs to help uninsured individuals get the medications that they need to stay healthy.

Medigap
Medigap policies are available to Medicare-eligible individuals. They can be purchased from private health insurance carriers and provide benefits that are otherwise not included in Medicare Part A or B

Additional Resources:

• Health Reform Task Force Recommendations
• Health Care Insurance Options for People with Diabetes
• Discrimination Based on Diabetes
• Coalition of Health and Consumer Advocates' Joint Statement on Delivery System Health Reform and Chronic Care

Sharing bad news with an aging parent

http://oregoneldercareservices.com/?p=712

Crucial Conversations
So, here’s the big question. What can you do to make handing in his car keys something your father wants to do? Or something he is at least willing to tolerate?

Answer: Don’t equate taking away the keys with helplessness, boredom, and the complete loss of independence.

Kerry Patterson is author of three bestselling books, Influencer, Crucial Conversations, and Crucial Confrontations. Read the rest of his answer to this very important question here. http://ow.ly/15X2Vp

Senior Centers and Adult Day Care activities

Browsing the Web to see what many adult day care programs and Senior Centers were offering. I found the following:

Active floor and table games
Art Therapy,
Arts
Bingo
Card Games
Chair exercises
Chorus & Music Therapy
Cooking
crafts,
Daily Exercise
Discussion groups (books, films, current events)
Discussions: contemporary and devotional
Entertainment
Exercise classes personalized for individual levels of activity and ability.
Gardening
Group discussions on a wide range of subjects
Guest speakers from community organizations
Health awareness talks
health monitoring by a nurse to meet individual needs. There is a
Holiday and birthday celebrations
Horticultural Therapy
individual counseling,
Inter-generational Programs
Kosher Lunch
Local outings.
Mental stimulation games such as BINGO
miniature golf course on site
Music
Musical entertainment and sing-a-longs
nutrition education,
Nutritional Snacks
meals and snacks individualized for specific dietary needs.
field trips,
On Site Library
Organized games of bridge, bingo, cards and trivia,team events
personal care,
Pet Therapy
podiatry care,
Poetry Class
Pottery
quiet rooms with rest areas and television
recreational classes,
Relaxation time
Reminiscing
Spiritual Program
Stretching or other gentle exercise
Student Interns
Tai Chi Class
Talking about current events
Transportation
Volunteers
Weight Loss Club
Woodworking Shop

KnowItAlz is an Alzheimer's resource focused on the caregiver

Company Info - KnowItAlz.com Blog

KnowItAlz is an Alzheimer's resource focused on the caregiver. We give caregivers the opportunity to get current information, participate in a community and gain additional insights about caregiving for someone with Alzheimer's.

More than 26 million people worldwide have Alzheimer's disease, and a recent forecast says the number will quadruple by 2050. At that rate, one in 85 people will have the brain-destroying disease in 40 years.

Alzheimer's disease not only affects the person who has been diagnosed, but almost always also impacts the family members and friends who become caregivers. Caring for an Alzheimer's patient can be emotionally, psychologically and financially draining, and a support system often difficult to find. As the disease progresses, caregivers often find themselves cut off from friends, other family members and regular social activities.

In addition, most caregivers have the additional responsibilities of full time jobs and caring for a family of their own, as well as the responsibility of caring for a parent, spouse or other loved one. As a loved one begins to experience the many often difficult behavioral changes, even the most dedicated caregivers will struggle with guilt, resentment or frustration, at some point in their role as caregiver. Finding a balance is critical.

KnowItAlz.com provides, information and useful Alzheimer’s related resources, but more importantly a community of caregivers to providing the necessary support as you take on this difficult, yet often rewarding journey.

Our content is a combination of information from experts in both the Alzheimer’s and geriatric fields, as well as “real life” experts like you who have first-hand experience as a caregiver. Our goal is to build a community that connects caregivers to the information that can help them at every stage, as well as the opportunity to see the lighter side of caregiving—and yes, there is one!

The KnowItAlz Group was founded in 2007 by Kathy Hatfield and Nancy Hatfield.

Grief is a natural part of life–and change–any change can trigger grief.

Grief Starts Early With Alzheimer’s, Ways to Honor The Grief Process «

Ways to Honor Our Grief:

* Take some photographs. See the beauty in vein-riddled hands and silver-white hair. There’s a sense of beauty that comes with aging, I liken it to the beauty and intricacy of a spider’s web. Even when the photographs reveal the ravages of time and disease, there’s something important about acknowledging today–just as it is.

* Dig out some old photographs–baby pictures, grade school, high school, the dating years, wedding photos. Remember who your loved one is–and was. Create a bridge by taking note of each decade, each life event. Display these photos so when grief comes, you can ease its sting by acknowledging what an amazing life journey they’ve had–and you’ve had with them.

* Write letters and share what you’re experiencing. Even if no one ever reads them, you need to write them. Grief is like a suitcase we carry with us–and if we have a place to put it–our thoughts, our worries, our memories–when we write them, we ease our own emotional load.

* Talk to those who share your experience. Call your sister, a cousin, or a friend who has been through a similar situation. Knowing that someone will listen to you, someone you can reminisce with, confide in–makes our grief bearable

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Carol O'Dell's blog speaks to caregivers around the country. Carol offers suggestions, ideas and insights that will help others.

While Carol's blog is supported by Dakim Brain Fitness, Carol is not blogging to promote the Dakim company or products..

Motivation And Improving Health In Older Adults, Medical News Today

Boosting Motivation And Improving Health In Older Adults, With The Use Of A Simple Tool

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have identified a tool, the "Getting-Out-of-Bed (GoB) measure" to assess motivation and life outlook in older adults. The study, which appears in the October issue of the /i>Journal of Psychosocial Oncology, shows that the tool has the potential to be an easy-to-use measure to bolster motivation and thus, improve health behaviors and outcomes in the growing population of older adults.

Center for Aging Families Blog | Beverly Parsons

Center for Aging Families - Beverly Parsons Bio

Beverly Parsons, LGSW
Licensed Graduate Social Worker

Beverly is a caregiver, who has spent the last decade finding solutions to the thorny and often very difficult and unclear issues that caregivers face. She is a licensed social worker who has 10 years of geriatric care management experience working with caregivers and aging families.

Beverly draws on 30 years of personal and professional training to provide a unique approach of psychotherapy for caregivers and elders, using self-awareness, working with emotions, conversation and presence. Beverly is an adjunct faculty member at the Community College of Baltimore County, Elder Care. She was a research assistant at the National Institute on Aging and was trained by the Alzheimer’s Association as a group facilitator. She is trained in Elder Mediation to assist families in the decision-making process concerning aging issues.

Twitter: http://twitter.com/AgingFamilies

Seniors, Care-Partners, take active role in their care

“Doc Tom” Ferguson A Voice of the Patient Engagement Movement

An engaged patient plays an active role in his or her care. Or, as e-patients.net founder “Doc Tom” Ferguson said, “e-Patients are Empowered, Engaged, Equipped and Enabled.”

We who’ve become e-patients don’t wait for our providers to tell us everything; we get it in gear, we ask questions, we do what we can to help.

Trust yourself.
You know more
than you think you do.

Ten Facts About the Child and Dependent Care Credit, IRS Tax Tip 2009-46

Top Ten Facts About the Child and Dependent Care Credit If you paid someone to care for a child, spouse, or dependent, you may be able to reduce your tax by claiming the Child and Dependent Care Credit on your federal income tax return. Below are the top ten things you need to know about claiming a credit for child and dependent care expenses.

1.
The care must have been provided for one or more qualifying persons. A qualifying person is your dependent child under age 13. Additionally, your spouse and certain other individuals who are physically or mentally incapable of self-care may also be qualifying persons. You must identify each qualifying person on your tax return.

2.
The care must have been provided so you – and your spouse if you are married – could work or look for work.

3.
You – and your spouse if you are married – must have earned income from wages, salaries, tips, other taxable employee compensation or net earnings from self-employment. One spouse may be considered as having earned income if they were a full-time student or they were physically or mentally unable to care for themselves.

4.
The payments for care cannot be paid to your spouse, to someone you can claim as your dependent on your return, or to your child who is under age 19, even if he or she is not your dependent. You must identify the care provider on your tax return.

5.
Your filing status must be single, married filing jointly, head of household or qualifying widow(er) with a dependent child.

6.
The qualifying person must have lived with you for more than half of 2008.

7.
The credit can be up to 35 percent of your qualifying expenses, depending upon your income.

8.
For 2008, you may use up to $3,000 of the expenses paid in a year for one qualifying individual or $6,000 for two or more qualifying individuals.

9.
The qualifying expenses must be reduced by the amount of any dependent care benefits provided by your employer that you exclude from your income.

10.
If you pay someone to come to your home and care for your dependent or spouse, you may be a household employer. If you are a household employer, you may have to withhold and pay social security and Medicare tax and pay federal unemployment tax. For information, see Publication 926, Household Employer's Tax Guide.

For more information on the Child and Dependent Care Credit, see Publication 503, Child and Dependent Care Expenses. You may download these free publications from IRS.gov or order them by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).

Minorities's; resistance to seeking AD assistance | related issues

A Psychoeducational Model for Hispanic Alzheimer's Disease Caregivers -- Morano and Bravo 42 (1): 122 -- The Gerontologist
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Extract for discussion:

There is a growing body of literature that examines the use of formal services by minorities, and more specifically by Hispanics <snipped> The extensive use of informal support, such as family members, has been suggested as one reason why Hispanics underuse formal services . structural barriers, such as limited access to multilingual case managers or office locations, that discourage the use of formal in-home services by elderly Latinos.; the discretionary nature of social services were additional barriers to Hispanics' use of formal services. Restrictive hours, such as being open only during the traditional hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the location of agency offices are two structural barriers limiting use by Hispanic caregivers ;limited income and lack of insurance as additional structural barriers.

Discrimination and language barriers, particularly for older and less acculturated Hispanics, have also been suggested as reasons why Hispanics underuse formal services . In addition to the suggested barriers that limit use of formal services, the caregivers' perception of the illness could also limit intervention participation . The belief that AD is a mental illness or that nothing will help could also affect a caregiver's willingness to seek assistance. Fabrega found that Hispanics' negative perception of mental illness and psychological services increased their resistance to seeking assistance.
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see:
The Gerontologist 42:122-126 (2002)
© 2002 The Gerontological Society of America
A Psychoeducational Model for Hispanic Alzheimer's Disease Caregivers
Carmen L. Morano, PhDa and Marina Bravo, LCSWb
Correspondence: Carmen L. Morano, PhD, University of Maryland, School of Social Work, 525 West Redwood Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. E-mail: cmorano@ssw.umaryland.edu.

Decision Editor: Eleanor S. McConnell, RN, PhD
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Home safety for elder care or alzheimer's patient

Preparing the Home for an Alzheimer's Patient from http://www.webmd.com/

Preparing the Home for an Alzheimer's Patient

Caring for an Alzheimer’s patient at home can be difficult. In taking the proper steps to become a successful caregiver, it is essential that you prepare your home for your loved one's arrival. Likewise, if your loved one's Alzheimer's is mild and they still live on their own, it is important that you ensure that their living environment is safe.

Not only must space often be reorganized, but every room in the house that your loved one will be using should also be made as accident-proof as possible. There are many basic guidelines that can be followed in order to provide safe and effective caregiving in the home.

In order to ensure a thorough approach, a room-by-room checklist can be very helpful. The following guidelines can be used for the caregiver's own home if the loved one is living with the caregiver, or for an elderly loved one's home.

Creating A Safe Home by Anne Marie Mills

Creating A Safe Home

Creating A Safe Home. Santa Clara Signal staff writer, Anne Marie Mills

One of the simplest modifications involves creating a “barrier-free” home. According to Santa Clara Signal staff writer, Anne Marie Mills in her article, “Is Your Home Safe?” what this means is that the home has no barriers prohibiting people with disabilities to freely navigate the home. For example, a person in a wheelchair needs to have door opening sizes increased from the basic 29 inch to 30 inch width to as much as 36 inches to 42 inches. Carpets need to be commercial-contract carpet similar to the type used in banks and office buildings, rather than the traditionally thicker home carpets so that a person in a wheelchair or using a walker will have no problem walking on them.

In addition, there are three other key areas of focus for modifying your home for your elder--lighting, the bathrooms and home furnishings.

The older we get, the more we need to tackle clutter

Surf Net Parents is part of the Surfnetkids.com family of kids sites from syndicated columnist Barbara J. Feldman a syndicated newspaper columnist, online publisher, author, mother, wife and Net surfer.

This information was found on Surf Net Parents and helps with the clearing out clutter tasks faced by many caregivers.

Tackling clutter is not always easy, and most people are not really sure how to do it, so the clutter worsens, and it becomes more and more overwhelming to tackle it later. However, there are ways to tackle clutter, and the following tips will help:

Choose a place to start: Honestly, the biggest problem with clutter is people look at it, get overwhelmed by it, and because they do not know where to start, they never do. So, if you want to tackle clutter, choose a place to start. One of the best places to start is whatever cluttered place you see most often, whether that is your room, your kitchen, your bathroom, or wherever. If you want to tackle clutter you have to start somewhere, so pick somewhere to start.

Reduce and simplify: Once you have your starting point, the best thing you can do is start reducing and simplifying. You want to get rid of as much stuff as you can. If you want to get rid of clutter you have to start by getting rid of as much of the stuff causing clutter as possible. So, make "reduce and simplify" your motto. Make sure you get rid of anything you have not used in a while, anything that you do not need, anything that invites clutter, etc.

Most homes have a certain degree of clutter. Book bags get dropped off at the door, mail piles up on the entry table, and drawers and closets are full of things like coupons, clothing, and other items you are certain at some point you will use.

For people who hate to throw things away, or who find sentimental value with many of the items that clutter their home, it can be difficult to get rid of clutter.