Pamela D. Wilson - The Care Navigator

All of us will need help at one time or another as we age and our physical or cognitive health weakens.  Many of us have friends who will help. Some have friendships through groups like a church.  In a perfect world these helpers will be able to set their self interests aside, meaning that they seek no reward in return for helping.  This is not always the case. Friends from church very often feel entitled to money, household goods and other personal items of the person they’re helping. The person needing help, feeling guilty that someone is helping them often give access to friends and acquaintances to bank accounts, money and personal treasures.  The entitled person uses the church as the foundation for the donations because the person needing care has a deep belief in their faith.  Many older adults needing help are willing to give money and property to their “church”.  However they don’t realize that the person they trust to transfer the gift keeps it for themselves.  Be careful of helpful friends and acquaintances who want to help in return for money or gifts.  You’ll save yourself time, grief and loss by hiring professional caregivers.  

A report by the President’s Cancer Panel was recently released.  Common things that we use and do every day have the potential of causing cancers.  Pesticides sprayed on golf courses to keep them green, dry cleaning solvents even re-using plastic bottles can be hazardous.  Naturally occurring arsenic or electronic waste filled with lead that seeps into our drinking water is hazardous.  Access this report at www.thecaringgeneration.com, “as heard on” and then “articles”.  You can also hear Dr. Richard Clapp discuss this report Sunday 6/6 on The Caring Generation.

What is it about sports figures that society places them on a pedestal; that is until they fall.  Young children idolize and dream of Shaquille O’Neal, they want Michael Jordan tennis shoes, LeBron James t-shirts.  What happened to valuing education, wanting books instead of trinkets?  Have the values of society become so slanted that we’re valuing the wrong things.  Look back 60 or 70 years.  Education and employment were valued.  People did everything they could NOT to go on unemployment.  Today people expect it.  The United States has one of the highest high school drop out rates in the world.  Are we paying attention to and valuing the wrong things?  Listen Sunday 5/30 to The Caring Generation, www.thecaringgeneration.com

What happened to opening doors for other people, to politeness, to thank you cards?  Has society lost its values?  Listen to interviews on The Caring Generation 5/23 with the Emily Post organization including two etiquette mistakes commonly made by men and with Rear Admiral Richard Young.  We’ll compare morals and values of general society to that of the military where morals and values are instilled on a daily basis.  If you missed the program visit www.thecaringgeneration.com, click on as heard on and then listen to past programs.  

Caregivers help loved ones out of a sense of responsibility and duty.  Many times they become stressed and depressed, becoming ill from caregiving duties.  It’s important to take a break, to hire help — even though it’s likely your parents only want YOU to provide care.  Depending on the circumstance this may be unrealistic.  Family caregivers have careers, children, attend classes and need free time for themselves.  Make sure you’re taking a break and taking care of yourself or your body will eventually tell you different.

Today on my radio program we’ll be talking about generational differences.  Interestingly enough there are comparisions between the Millennials, age 18-29, and the greatest generation.  Not in morals, values or military service but commonalities in the belief that family should care for their own.  This is perhaps apparent because many 18-29 year olds are unemployed and still living with parents.  They also believe in the institution of marriage, however fewer are married and nearly a third of women have had children out of wedlock.  It seems the Millennials have beliefs that aren’t supported by their actions.  At least not yet.  Time will tell.  Visit www.thecaringgeneration.com, click on As Heard On and listen to the 4/11/10 program for more information about the differences and commonalities among generations.

I often have the honor of visiting with World War II veterans still living.  We’re losing them by the hundreds daily.  I meet a man who survived the Omaha Beach landing who said the movie, Saving Private Ryan, comes close to the truth of what really happened.  I met another man who was there when the flag raised on Iwo Jima.  He can tell the real story of the Clint Eastwood movie, Flags of Our Fathers, and was invited to the movie premiere.  These men live among us.  They are the true story, the living history.  Yet many young adults and children today are more interested in their cellphones, IPODS and computers; they can’t even hold conversations.  We must learn to take advantage of the living history among us, not the technology that tells us what history was like.   

To talk to Dr. Temple Grandin on the telephone you’d find a person constantly busy, flying here and there for meetings, work and educational projects.  Yet when you research or talk to Dr. Grandin you’ll find out she was diagnosed with autism at birth.  Her parents didn’t take the diagnosis lightly and soon thereafter engaged educators and others.  Today she has made significant accomplishments to animal welfare and is the Helen Keller of autism, educating and doing as much to spread the word that autisim isn’t the end of the world.  Many autistic individuals have made major contributions to society.

A client of mine who has not taken her diabetes seriously recently began to feel dizzy.  She had one fall and then another that landed her in the emergency room.  After diagnosis, it was found that she had three blocked heart arteries and is not a candidate for stents.  At best, her condition can be managed medically.  She is inactive and eats a poor diet choosing to eat ice cream on a daily basis.  Her prognosis is poor.  She will likely have a heart attack at any point in the future that will end her life.  She’s in her early seventies and has never been motivated to take care of her health.  If you have diabetes or know someone who does - talk about the unforseen effects of not complying with treatment.  Life doesn’t have to end this way.

I wrote a letter to President Obama today about healthcare reform.  The public has become complacent — we’ve let government take over healthcare and as a result spending is out of control.  Special interests like insurance and pharmaceutical companies pad the government’s coffers so they can’t do the right thing which is turn their back on the money.  If healthcare were a free market good like the cereal you eat in the morning insurance companies would have to become competitive to bid for our dollars.