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How to Manage Sandwich Generation Stress

April 2, 2020

Are you the caregiver for an aging parent or other senior family member? You aren’t alone. According to the Pew Research Center, one in eight people in this country finds themselves in this situation. They are caring for a senior loved one while raising their own family and oftentimes working outside the home, too.

These people are referred to as sandwich generation caregivers. The challenges they face juggling so many roles often mean especially stressful days.

What can you do to survive the sandwich generation caregiver years?

We have a few tips to help you navigate a demanding schedule.

4 Tips for Surviving When You Are a Sandwich Generation Caregiver

Set priorities: When a senior loved one’s health is declining, a family caregiver may strive to make everything as perfect as possible. It can result in unrealistic expectations. A better approach may be prioritizing the most important things and giving yourself permission to compromise in other areas.
Seek support: Adult children often feel duty-bound to care for a parent on their own. Many doubt anyone can care for their parent as well as they do. While that is a noble goal, it’s rarely achievable. When friends and family members offer to lend a helping hand, say yes instead of no. Easy tasks to ask for help with include running errands, picking up prescriptions, or sitting with the senior while you take a break. In addition to helping you, family members will enjoy spending meaningful time with the senior. If you don’t have anyone close who can help, call your local office of the Area Agency on Aging. The staff can typically offer a list of suggestions.
Get organized: Caregivers often struggle to manage an abundance of paperwork and appointments. It’s easy to become disorganized and stressed out. One of the best ways to reduce stress is to establish systems that give you peace of mind. One way is to set up a binder with the senior’s important health information and medical schedule. You might also want to create a master calendar that lists appointments for everyone in the house.
Commit to self-care: From failing to schedule an annual physical to skipping routine health screenings, sandwich generation caregivers often get so busy they neglect their own health. Maintaining a healthy diet and getting regular exercise may seem like luxuries you don’t have time for. Eventually, it can put a caregiver at risk for health problems such as high blood pressure and diabetes. That’s why it’s vital for caregivers to practice good self-care. Doing so will help you take better care of your family.

One final tip is to consider respite care services at an assisted living community. Your loved one will receive the same care and support as long-term residents while you take a restful, renewing break. Contact the Five Star Senior Living community nearest you to learn more!

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What Legal Documents Do Caregivers Need?

March 6, 2020

It’s happened.

You’ve become a full-time caregiver for your senior parent.

In addition to helping an aging loved one with activities of daily life (ADLs), such as bathing or grooming, you are probably also helping them manage their financial affairs.

Even if your parent is fortunate enough to live in a senior community that provides assisted living services, you’re probably still responsible for their legal and financial matters.

What legal paperwork should you have on hand to not just to pay for senior living, but to be prepared for an emergency?

Gathering the items on this handy checklist can make it easier to keep your loved one’s finances in order.

Last Will & Testament

This legal document is one of the most important to have should your loved one pass away. It indicates who receives their assets, including real estate, savings, and perhaps even household items with monetary value or sentimental significance.

Although 70% of Americans don’t have a will, helping your loved one draw one up can reduce fights or hassles over cash and property, and can also prevent having money left in probate until the court decides who should receive it.

Store the will in a fireproof safe with digital copies in a secure location.

Power-of-Attorney

This legal document gives the caregiver the authority to make financial, business, and legal decisions on behalf of their senior loved one. If the older adult in your care has Alzheimer’s or otherwise become incapacitated, this document makes decision making less complicated.

Life Insurance Documents and Other Investment Paperwork

While not legal documents, per se, having all relevant paperwork and account numbers handy for investments and accounts will make it easier for the person with power-of-attorney to access cash when it’s needed. It is especially helpful in an emergency.

Living Will

A living will tells medical professionals the extent to which your loved one wants end-of-life care. For instance, they might request palliative care but request that measures such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation or life support systems not be used. A living will may also include wishes regarding organ donation or autopsy.

While this document doesn’t affect finances, it can prevent disputes amongst family members and keep caregivers from having to make difficult decisions on their own.

Health-care Proxy and HIPAA Authorization

While a living will outlines a person’s medical wishes, a health care proxy gives the caregiver the authority to make medical decisions on behalf of the person.

In order to exercise your right as a health-care proxy, however, you’ll need your aging loved one to sign a Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) authorization form, which gives you legal access to their medical records.

The Power to Make the Right Decisions

From paying for senior living to making difficult choices about your loved one’s medical treatments, having the right legal paperwork in place and the necessary documents accessible can make life easier during this challenging time.

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Tips to Help Seniors With Medicare Open Enrollment

In order to give you the option to make changes to your plan, Medicare offers open enrollment from October 15^th to December 7^th each year.

What You Should Know About Medicare Open Enrollment

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about Medicare open enrollment:

How do I know if I need to change my plan?

If you or your senior family member is already enrolled in Medicare, you should be receiving materials in the mail with information about health or prescription drug plans. Be sure to carefully review these materials once you’ve received them, as changes are regularly made to plans.

Materials such as your “Evidence of Coverage” (EOC) or “Annual Notice of Change” (ANOC) will typically detail changes being made to your coverage or plan. Based on upcoming changes to your existing plan, you can assess your own health care needs and decide whether or not you need to make a change or help your older family member make one. If there are gaps with your existing plan, it is a good idea to consider other options during open enrollment.

How can I find information about plan options?

Information about the next year’s Medicare plans is released in October, right before the open enrollment period. To find general information about your coverage choices, visit How to Get Medicare Coverage for more information.

If it is challenging for you to navigate the Medicare website, you can also call 1-800-MEDICARE (633-4227) to get general Medicare information, as well as information about health plans.

Can I delay my Medicare Part B enrollment?

In certain situations you can delay your Medicare Part B enrollment without having to pay higher premiums or a late enrollment penalty.

The situations in which you may be able to delay your Medicare Part B enrollment without penalty include:

You or your spouse did not enroll before the deadline because one of you was still working at the time and had access to group coverage through an employer or union
You were volunteering overseas or living abroad when you turned 65, making you ineligible to claim Social Security benefits
You have become eligible for a low-income subsidy due to loss of income
You were eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid but have recently lost dual eligibility status
You are moving into certain types of skilled nursing facilities

If you have an extenuating circumstance and are not sure whether or not it will qualify you for a Special Enrollment Period, call Medicare to confirm at 1-800-633-4227.

What happens if I miss open enrollment?

Unfortunately, if you miss open enrollment and do not qualify for a Special Enrollment Period, you will be unable to change your plan until the following year’s open enrollment.

You can, however, disenroll from Medicare Advantage coverage between January 1^st and February 14^th. Should you decide to disenroll from Medicare Advantage, you will have the option to enroll in a stand-alone prescription drug plan, to ensure that your medications will still be covered by insurance.

Additional Resources for Seniors

Check out our blog for more helpful tips and informational for seniors.

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Virtual Caregiver Technology and Systems

We know families are often separated by many miles. As a parent grows older or begins to experience health concerns, caregiving across the miles can become challenging. Being able to see a senior loved one’s face and hear their voice can sometimes reassure an adult child that they are doing well. It can also help spot potential problems, such as a flushed face that might indicate a fever and infection.

The good news is that when you can’t be there in person, there are different types of technology that make it feel as if you are.

Technology and the Virtual Caregiver

Here are a few virtual caregiver systems to explore:

Grand Care: This versatile technology platform allows families to set up a comprehensive remote monitoring system in a senior loved one’s home. It can send alerts to family caregivers if something out of the ordinary occurs. Another nice feature of this system is remote video chat. You can talk “face-to-face” with your aging Indiana family member with this easy-to-use video platform.
Claris Companion: A tablet with a large screen and oversized on-screen buttons, this device is another one that allows family caregivers to easily stay connected to a senior loved one. The features include video chat, text messaging, email, medication reminders, appointment reminders and more.
Skype: This video chat platform can be another option for families to consider. It is easy to set up and free to use, especially if the senior has a tablet device. Adult children can use it to check in on a senior loved one as many times a day as they need to.

Many in-home care providers now use tele-monitoring services to monitor patients’ chronic health conditions including congestive heart failure and diabetes. These remote systems typically work in conjunction with a tablet device that is left in the senior’s home. Your loved one’s primary care physician can be a good resource for learning more.

Short-Term Senior Living Stays

If you have to be away on a business trip or if your family will be taking a vacation over the holidays, respite care can provide you with a safe solution for a senior who lives alone. We invite you to contact the Five Star Senior Living community nearest you to learn more.

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What Is Sundowner’s and How Can You Prevent It?

When a senior loved one has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, one behavior family caregivers often struggle to manage is sundowner’s syndrome. Also referred to as sundowning, this behavior affects nearly 20% of those with Alzheimer’s.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, sundowning occurs when “people with Alzheimer’s and dementia have problems sleeping or increases in behavioral problems that begin at dusk and last into the night.” While an exact cause is unknown, scientists have some ideas about what contributes to sundowner’s syndrome.

Why Do Adults with Alzheimer’s Experience Sundowning?

A few reasons a family elder may experience sundowning include:

Having a disrupted sleep-wake cycle that mixes up days and nights.
Being overstimulated by a noisy or hectic environment.
Experiencing extreme fatigue at the end of the day, often caused by too much activity.
Sensing light changing as the sun begins to set. Shadows can be especially frightening or disorienting for adults with Alzheimer’s.
Reacting to an exhausted caregiver’s unintentional change in language or nonverbal cues.

While you may not be able to prevent sundowning completely, family caregivers can take steps to minimize it.

Managing Sundowner’s Syndrome

Structure the day carefully: When you are caring for a family member with Alzheimer’s, plan your day carefully to minimize the risk for sundowning. One goal should be to avoid overtiring your loved one late in the day. Schedule appointments and errands for mid-morning or early afternoon.
Limit daytime sleeping: While a senior with Alzheimer’s may benefit from a nap, try to limit how long they sleep. It’s especially important to avoid late-day naps. These strategies might help them sleep better and keep their days and nights from getting mixed up.
Get regular exercise: One of exercising’s many health benefits is relieving the agitation and anxiety common among people with Alzheimer’s. Helping a senior feel more relaxed and comfortable as day turns to night may reduce incidences of sundowning.
Use more lighting: Because sundowner’s syndrome occurs as the sun sets in the late afternoon and evening, it may help to create a brighter environment. Turn on all the lights in rooms the senior spends time in. Then lower the blinds and close the curtains so they can’t see it is actually dark outside. This may help ease the transition from daytime to night.
Create a calm environment: As the afternoon passes, make sure your home environment is as peaceful as possible. Instead of having the television blaring, turn on soft, soothing music. Encourage visitors to stop by earlier in the afternoon to keep the home calm and quiet.

If none of these suggestions help, call the senior’s physician. They may have other options for you to consider.

Memory Care at Five Star Senior Living

Five Star Senior Living is one of the nation’s leading providers of memory care. We call it the Bridge to Rediscovery. This award-winning program utilizes Montessori-based techniques to allow people with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia to feel successful and empowered. Contact us to learn more and to schedule a private tour of one of our senior living communities near you.

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Creating a Caregiver Back-Up Plan for a Senior

When you are the primary family caregiver for a senior loved one, you probably know their medical history as well as you know your own. You can easily explain the details of their treatments and medication schedule. But what would happen if you were suddenly unavailable to provide that care? How would others know what your aging family member needs, especially if your loved one has memory loss?

Having an emergency caregiver in place is important.

Creating a caregiver backup plan is a two-step process:

The Plan: The first step is to document and organize your loved one’s complete medical history including medications and necessary treatments.
Educate Others: Making certain others understand the plan and have access to it is equally important.

Step 1: Creating a Health File for Your Senior Loved One

Begin by pulling together everything someone else would need to know to be able to care for your loved one including:

Complete medical history: Create a complete file for your senior loved one that includes past medical issues, health conditions, surgeries, and any known allergies.
Medication list: It is also important to keep an updated list of all of their medications in this file. Be sure you list the prescribing physician, pharmacy name and address, dosages, and times.
Back-up Caregivers Contact Information: Create a list of back-up caregivers along with their phone numbers. If you have identified a few senior living communities that would be a good fit for your elder family member, list those here too.
Physician contacts: Keep an updated list of all of the physicians and health professionals who are involved in your family member’s care. Include their contact information along with what condition your senior loved one sees the physician for.
Medicare and Insurance Information: Keep copies of your aging family member’s Medicare card, health insurance card and prescription cards in your file. Also make sure back-up caregivers know where and how to access the originals.
Miscellaneous Health Documents: If your senior loved one has documents that explain their wishes for future care, such as a durable power of attorney or living will, include copies of them here.

Step 2: Share Your Caregiver Back-Up Plan

It is equally important to make sure the people you are counting on to pitch in and care for your family member are comfortable with the plan and know how to find it. Some families have also found it helpful to use technology platforms and apps to store this information. Caring Bridge and Care Zone are two you might find helpful.

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What Is Legacy Planning?

Let’s look at the difference between estate planning and legacy planning, so that you, your loved ones, and your legal advisors can decide together which may better fit your situation.

Estate Planning Is…

Estate planning relates to arranging for the distribution of your assets after you’ve passed on. It involves writing a will and potentially setting up trust funds for children or grandchildren.

Estate planning may also include legal medical documents such as a living will and a durable power of attorney.

Legacy Planning Is…

Legacy planning takes into account a number of other factors. These may include:

Determining future charitable contributions and setting up foundations
Preserving family history
Establishing a business succession plan

Legacy Planning Represents Who You Are, Not Just What You Own

While estate planning ensures your assets will be divided the way you want, legacy planning looks not just at your assets, but at how future generations may conduct business and how they will be perceived. In short, it’s setting up your legacy for future generations.

A key part of legacy planning involves determining what legacy you want to leave. Meet with your legal and business advisors, as well as close family members and even business colleagues, to determine your personal mission and values.

What important aspects of your values do you want to preserve after you’re gone? How can you best convey these values to future generations?

Here’s what you should know:

Charitable Contributions: Establishing charitable contributions or setting up a foundation for a favorite cause in your name can ensure you’re remembered favorably for generations. It can also ensure your wealth goes toward causes you support.There are a number of ways to ensure continuing charitable contributions after you’re gone. Legacy planning helps determine the best ways while limiting tax liabilities so more of your money goes toward the causes you believe in.

Family History: Preserving your family history, through written documents or spoken word, is another important part of legacy planning.You don’t want all your family stories to die with you. Make sure you’ve recorded significant moments, values, belief, and knowledge. And store them in places where your loved ones can access them.

Material GoodsYour material goods also represent a part of your family history. This may include first edition books, arts and other collectibles, antique furniture, and real estate. Ensure property and collections will remain in the family through legacy planning.

Business SuccessionFinally, legacy planning often involves a succession plan for the business. Another family member may not always be the best person to take over your business when you can’t continue it.Your successor could be a key employee or someone else who’s been involved in the organization and understands how to keep the business running successfully.
Establishing a succession plan in advance, as part of legacy planning, can help prevent conflict when the business owner passes on.

How Are Estate Planning and Legacy Planning Different?

Estate planning represents the most basic preparations for someone’s death. Legacy planning is a more in-depth process that covers distribution of wealth, charitable contributions, family history, and a business continuity plan.

Expert advisors can help you determine which level of planning you need, and help you put together a plan that will ensure your wishes are carried out after your death.

Find Peace-of-Mind at Five Star Senior Living

Once you know your legacy will live on, it’s time to find peace-of-mind in the here-and-now. Five Star Senior Living ensures the quality of life you deserve and have worked so hard for. Find a senior living community near you to get started today!

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5 Ways Respite Care Services Benefit Caregivers

As a family caregiver, your days are likely hectic. Caring for a spouse or parent whose health is declining leaves little time for anything else. Caregivers are often unaware that self-care should be a vital part of a senior loved one’s caregiving plan.

When a spouse or adult child fails to care for their health, they may experience burnout or a medical crisis of their own. Initially, it may be minor health problems, such as headaches or fatigue. As time passes, however, caregivers may experience serious health issues, like back injuries, diabetes, and depression.

Respite care can be a solution for helping busy caregivers make time for themselves.

What is Respite Care?

Respite care services are designed to support family caregivers. They assist by giving the senior a safe place to stay while their caregivers take a break or enjoy a vacation. Respite guests can stay at an assisted living community for a few days or even a few weeks. Despite how easily accessible these programs are, few families take advantage of them.

According to a study by the National Alliance of Caregiving and AARP, only 12 percent of family caregivers utilize respite care. Many times it is because the caregivers are unaware of respite, other times it is because they feel guilty turning a loved one’s care over to someone else. Experts say routinely using respite services actually makes the family member a better caregiver.

For more information, read our “What is Respite Care? Everything You Need to Know About Respite Care Services” guide.

How to Use Respite Care Effectively When You Are a Family Caregiver

Here are a 5 of the main reasons why caregivers should explore respite services for a loved one:

Time to recharge: Caregiving is mentally and physically exhausting. No matter how much you relish caring for a loved one, taking time out to recharge is vital.
Maintain health: Caregivers are notorious for neglecting their own health while caring for a loved one, including falling behind on routine physicals and health screenings. Remind yourself if you take a little time now to stay on top of health needs, you will lower your risk of a medical emergency that prevents you from caregiving altogether.
Catch up at home: While cleaning out closets or scheduling a handy man to do household repairs isn’t very exciting, they are tasks that must be done. Scheduling respite care on a routine basis will give you the time you need to feel more in control of your own life and home.
Enjoy family time: Caregivers frequently experience bouts of loneliness or even depression. While caring for a loved one may be rewarding, it can also be isolating. Respite services allow caregivers to take time out to enjoy themselves without worrying about their loved one.
Create an emergency plan: No one likes to think the worst will happen. When you are a caregiver, however, it’s important to have an emergency backup plan. In the event you experience a medical crisis or are otherwise unable to care for your loved one, knowing there is a plan in place will allow you to rest easier. Trying the respite care services at an assisted living community in your area will allow you to be better prepared.

Respite Care at Five Star Senior Living

Short-term respite is a popular service at Five Star Senior Living communities across the country. Respite guests enjoy the same services, support, and amenities as long-term residents. Contact us to learn more or to schedule a respite stay for a senior loved one today!

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How to Recognize Seasonal Depression in a Senior

Seasonal Affective Disorder, also known as SAD, can affect people of any age. From children to seniors, SAD leaves people feeling blue. It occurs most often in the winter months following the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. Knowing how to spot the signs that you might need to intervene and get help for a senior loved one is important.

Symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder in Older Adults

If the senior you love always seems a little down during the winter months, it might be more than just the post-holiday blues. The long grey days of winter and lack of exposure to sunlight may actually be the culprit.

A few of the common signs that might indicate an aging parent or older loved one is battling more than a case of cabin fever include:

Sleepiness and fatigue
Feelings of sadness that don’t go away
Lethargy or a loss of energy
Problems sleeping including both insomnia and sleeping too much
Unintended weight gain or weight loss
Feeling worthless
Withdrawing from favorite groups, hobbies and organizations
Difficulty concentrating and maintaining attention span
Change in personal hygiene
Short-tempered and irritable
Tearful or weepy

If the senior you love is exhibiting one or more of the symptoms listed above, it is likely time to talk with their primary care physician. He or she is the best one to be able to decide if it is the post-holiday blues or something more serious that requires professional medical treatment.

Helping a Senior Overcome Seasonal Affective Disorder

There are steps you can take each winter to prevent yourself or a senior loved one from developing SAD. They include:

Avoid alcohol or limit intake to just one or two glasses a week
Eliminate sugary foods, sodas and sweets from your daily diet
Commit to 30 minutes of daily exercise, like walking or swimming
Adopt a mindful form of exercise, such as chair yoga or Pilates
Eat a healthy diet consisting of lean proteins, fruits and vegetables
Spend time with family, friends and loved ones on a regular basis

Finally, mental health professionals often recommend a device referred to as a “light box.” It helps people suffering from the winter blues by decreasing the amount of melatonin in the body. Less melatonin helps you feel less fatigued. Talk with your primary care physician to see if this might be an option for you or the older adult you are a caregiver for.

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Kitchen Safety Checklist for Older Adults and their Family caregivers

The kitchen is often the hub of a home, and that is true for seniors too. Besides baking and cooking it’s the room where many of us read, create craft projects, pay bills, and more. But kitchens can also be places where safety issues hide. From slip and fall accidents to fires, older adults need to be aware of potential dangers and take the necessary precautions.

Conducting a kitchen safety audit to identify and correct problems is one step adult children can take to keep an older parent safe.

Kitchen Safety Checklist for Seniors and Caregivers

The first step is to assess the room for potential fire hazards and other general risks:

Remove any dish towels hanging on oven handles or on the wall over a stove top where they can brush against burners and ignite.
Keep potholders and plastic utensils away from burners on the stove top. Likewise, check the length of curtains near the stove to make sure they can’t brush against burners either.
Talk with your senior loved one about safe clothing choices while they are cooking. Specifically, encourage them to wear short sleeves or roll their sleeves up when cooking to prevent them from falling against a flame or oven coil and igniting.
Dirty kitchen ventilation systems are a common source of kitchen fires. Be sure the one in your older family member’s kitchen is cleaned regularly.
Make certain there is a working smoke detector installed near the kitchen. One that sounds an alert for both flames and smoke is best.
Store an easy-to-operate fire extinguisher in the kitchen and review the instructions for operating it together.
Remind your parent not to leave pans simmering on the stove without setting a timer. It’s too easy to walk away and forget something is cooking.
Good lighting over the stove and countertop area is also important for preventing fires and injuries related to food preparation.
Keep knives, kitchen shears, and other sharp utensils safely stored.

Food Safety for Older Adults

Another issue that is important not to overlook is food storage. Here are a few tips you can use when evaluating a senior loved one’s kitchen:

Make sure the refrigerator is set to 40 degrees Fahrenheit to keep meats, dairy, and other perishables safe.
Encourage your family member to use a permanent marker to write the purchase date on anything they store in the refrigerator that doesn’t have an expiration date on the label.
If you are concerned your senior family member is a little forgetful, installing an automatic shut-off feature on a gas range or utilizing a product such as Cook Stop to monitor activity in the kitchen can help. These devices turn the burner off if no movement is detected in the kitchen for a pre-determined amount of time.

Preventing a Senior from Experiencing a Fall in the Kitchen

Slip and fall accidents in the kitchen can lead to serious injuries among seniors. Here are a few steps you can take to lower their risk:

Tile flooring can present a fall risk for older adults who are bare foot or wearing slippery soled shoes. Remind the senior to wear skid-free slippers or shoes in the kitchen.
Arrange kitchen cupboards so that frequently used food items are stored in areas that are easiest to reach. That prevents the senior from needing to use a step stool or ladder.
Invest in unbreakable dinnerware to avoid injuries caused by broken glass.
Install motion-sensitive night lights along the path the senior takes to the kitchen at night. This is another step that can help lower their risk for a fall.
Place a non-skid mat or rug in front of the sink. It can soak up spills and prevent water from ending up on the floor and creating a fall hazard.

Senior Living Communities Offer Safe Options

If the burden of keeping yourself or your loved one safe in the kitchen and home in general is becoming too much, it may be time to transition to a senior living community. Five Star Senior Living communities provide a comprehensive sense of security that goes beyond just physical safety. Find a community near you to learn more.

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