Issue link: http://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/545384
The Caregiving Challenge Nearly 44 million adults in the United States currently provide care for an older loved•one. While it can be rewarding, it can also be challenging. STEP 1: FALL-PROOF THE HOME Whether your parent is returning home after a hospital stay or has been living in an environment that's not senior-friendly, fall prevention should be your top priority. Simple alterations, such as removing items from the fl oor to create wider walkways and installing grab bars in the shower, can help prevent dangerous accidents. STEP 2: WORK TOGETHER You shouldn't tackle caregiving alone, particularly when it comes to its most basic element: determining the level of care your parents need. In addition to discussing this topic with your parents, consult their primary care physician, friends and other children. Consider hiring a home health aide to help when you're unavailable. STEP 3: COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY Caregiving can be a delicate endeavor, especially if a parent has dementia. Be straightforward and clear in your communication, don't obsess over trying to get them to think or act rationally, and ground every conversation in love and respect. STEP 4: MAKE A PL AN If you're preparing meals for your parents, consider recipes that can be frozen and reheated throughout the week. Create a schedule to keep track of chores your parents need help with. Calculate a caregiving budget for grocery shopping and other expenses. Often, a parent's acute illness or injury, such as a stroke or broken bone, is the catalyst for caregiving by an adult child. For other families, gradual changes in a parent's mental condition, perhaps due to dementia, lead to a need for ongoing support that develops and increases as time passes. No matter how you came to be a caregiver, the following steps can help you navigate the experience. Are you feeling stretched by the demands of caregiving? CHRISTUS Care at Home provides in-home medical services and education that can ease the burden of managing a parent's illness or injury. For more information visit christushomecare.org. Support for Every Setting The medical journey following an elderly person's acute illness or injury can be full of twists and turns. CHRISTUS Care at Home can assist patients along the way, ensuring their needs are met after the hospital stay. Seniors who require treatment to stabilize and improve serious conditions, such as heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or who are recuperating from surgery, are candidates for this type of in-home nursing and therapy after they leave the Hospital — often times at no cost to the patient. Specifically, skilled nursing, physical or rehabilitation therapy, pain management and patient and caregiver education may be provided in the comfort of patients' own homes, depending on their needs. "Our team of nurses and therapists act as personal health care coaches with our patients' physicians, delivering excellent continuity of care throughout the healing process," says Peter Blanchard, MHL, vice president of business development with CHRISTUS Care at Home. "We utilize our skilled assessments along with the physicians' recommendations as we coach our patients to better health. Our goal is to help patients take control of their health moving forward." For more information about CHRISTUS Care at Home visit christushomecare.org. 10 christussantarosa.org