Pamela D. Wilson - The Care Navigator

Is your loved one with dementia or Alzheimer’s a wander risk? There are frequent articles in the news about individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease who wander from homes or care communities. How do you know if your loved one is at risk? What precautions should you take? Gated communities offer safety and security for a loved one who might wander away and become lost or injured. These communities often have interior corridors designed in circles so that mobility can be constant and does not end at a wall or at the end of a hallway. Many gated communities also have access to outdoor courtyards, again gated but offering safe activities in an outdoor environment. Is your loved one at risk? A gated community may be the safe alternative.

Your loved one is on hospice care. They sleep most of the time and have stopped eating. You are concerned that because they are not drinking or eating that they are starving. Toward end of life, the body’s need for nutrition shuts down. Your loved one is not starving; their body is in transition, not requiring nutrition. If you have questions about end of life, hospice or palliative care, consult a company offering hospice services in your community. They will be able to explain end of life transitions in a compassionate and caring manner.

Americans love their pets. I’ve had five different dogs in the past 25 years, all adopted from pet shelters who have since passed on. But when our pets become older and sick, what’s the right thing to do? Do we spend exorbitant amounts of money on cancer treatments, hip replacements and other surgeries? Or do we simply let our pet go to its final rest? Do pets have human feelings, should they be treated like humans that seek to prolong life at great expense?

What questions do you have as a caregiver for a loved one? What issues result in stress? What issues result in guilt? What issues result in fear? What issues result in anger? What are you willing to do about it? Visit The Care Navigator library and access free articles on a variety of subjects. You can also join me and listen to weekly broadcasts of Parenting Your Parents on 630 KHOW radio, visit www.parentingyourparentsradio.com

Why rush a good thing? If current recommendations for health care are so solid, so appropriate, so researched, financially feasible and so well thought out, why rush? The current Medicare and Medicaid systems are facing issues. Why not fix the current problems before adding to the list of issues that need attention. Reforming health care in a rush isn’t going to solve anything; it will only create more problems for current and future generations.

One of the most traumatic and upsetting experiences for an older adult is relinquishing the ability to operate an automobile. Some older adults who possess cognitive ability can understand the need to give up the keys. Others with memory or other cognitive problems find this extremely difficult as they remember always being a safe and good driver. They do not understand or realize that their cognitive issues pose a safety risk for others but instead focus on the fact that they continue to be a good driver. As we age we all become less able to do things we once did with ease. This occurs not only physically but mentally. Years ago I could run six miles with ease; today doing the same exercise takes more effort. It’s difficult to disagree with the fact that as we age we cannot operate at the same level of physical and mental ability we did when we were young. Sometimes relating this fact to the ability to drive makes it easier for an older adult to understand why it’s important to give up the car keys.

A client has saved for years and has a sizeable nest egg. The same client needs a higher level of care to maintain health; a move from an independent living community to assisted living. Concerned about not leaving a legacy to charities, this client hesitates to spend money on care. This is a common conflict with older generations. Many older adults believe that leaving a legacy is important and that they should not spend money on their own care instead leave money to charities or family. By having a discussion about the importance of maintaining health, concern about associated costs may be overcome when a realistic discussion is held about the realities and complications to health if appropriate care and attention is not provided.

In older adults, urinary tract infections can quickly result in confusion and delusions. If your loved one suddenly becomes confused, delusional and seems to have increased issues with mobility or balance, suspect a urinary tract infection. It’s easy to contact the physician for an appointment or to collect a sample for analysis. By catching urinary tract infections early, more serious issues can be avoided. Other issues that may result in similar outcomes may be dehydration and lack of nutrition, also very common with older adults and very serious often resulting in similar health issues.

Two individuals I know are diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. One repeatedly talks about situations where harm occurred and expresses fear and concern about events occurring again. This individual, however, has no other issues and can generally participate with others and in society. This person realizes that mention of her concerns should not be expressed publicly. The other individual expresses continued concern about harmful events and cannot move beyond these conversations; there are also significant memory loss and compulsive behavioral issues. Both individuals, one more highly functioning than the other deserve a great degree of compassion. Either situation can be very difficult for family members or other loved ones involved in providing care. Support groups and education are extremely important for caregivers of loved ones experiencing mental health issues because there is no rhyme or reason to daily events or care needs.

When a family member is diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, the situation can be especially difficult if the diagnosis was made after the disease has progressed beyond comprehension. There is a stage when a loved one can no longer understand the diagnosis and often becomes angry when the disease is mentioned. The person can also be extremely defensive, feel offended and sometimes belligerent in response to suggestions or care. There are times when the caregiving spouse cannot care for the loved one and they must decide to separate in order to allow the caregiver to maintain a life and to allow the individual diagnoses to live in a community where ongoing needs for care and socialization can be met. Sometimes separation is the best alternative for both individuals.