Caregiver Mothers
Mother’s Day approaching and May is Older Americans month. With this is mind, I started thinking about caregivers at the beginning and at the end of life, for those young and old. People most often associate caregiving with the harried young mother who has no time to shower or get dressed as she feeds, bathes and runs after little ones. However, those who care for seniors are often just as stressed, pressed for time and tied to their charges. We really need to reevaluate what mothers & caregivers do.
Caring for aging loved ones was never an easy prospect. However, up until now, caregiver stress was not much of an issue. Families lived in multi-generational households and together they shared the burden of their sick and elderly. That sandwich generation of those who are mothers & caregivers, while challenging, was more prevalent. And, there was more support for it. Today, families are scattered and the responsibility for care usually falls on the spouse to shoulder almost alone. But, the spouse usually has their own physical problems of decreased mobility and strength as well as pain discomfort. Paying for outside help can be quite expensive. Unless proper planning took place years before, funds are often not available for full-time relief. It’s clear that these caregivers need help.
Caregiving as Exhausting Business
Seniors needing care often have complex health problems warranting total care. Though it may be a labor of love, there is the routine activities of daily living (ADLs) such as bathing, grooming, dressing and feeding. Days may be centered around the need to properly nourish, ambulate and stimulate the patient. Those are all physically demanding activities. And, that become even more so if the patient has dementia or a personality shift due to a disease such as Alzheimer’s.
Caregiver burnout is all too common. (continue reading at my LinkedIn Posts……)
Anita Kamiel, R.N, M.P.S. is the founder and owner of David York Home Healthcare Agency. She is fully aware of all factors related to eldercare services and the latest guidelines for seniors. She holds advanced degrees in gerontological administration and has experience in the field as a Nursing Supervisor in a nursing home. Anita has been in the business of home care for over 40 years starting out in a NYC Medicaid agency.
Thirty years ago she realized the need for affordable, quality home health aide services provided and supervised by caring individuals. So, she boldly opened David York Home Healthcare Agency in Brooklyn, New York. She is the mother of 4 and the grandmother of many. When she is not on adventures like safaris in Africa, she still works 6 days a week and runs to her workout classes 3 of those nights. You can contact her at 718.376.7755 or at www.davidyorkagency.com where she is happy to share her experience and help you through your home healthcare issues.
