Home Instead Senior Care
Halifax

A recent study conducted by The Boomer Project revealed that in 41 per cent of families, one sibling is responsible for providing all or most of the care for Mom and Dad.  It stands to reason that resentment can brew.  Jeanie Burke, the president of the Halifax office of Home Instead Senior Care, which helps seniors live independently at home, offers some tips to help share the care and maintain sibling harmony.

Today, we have a rapidly aging population and more working Baby Boomers taking time away from their jobs to care for senior parents. People are more likely now to turn down promotions because of such commitments or won’t take that job transfer to another city because they can’t leave their mother or father. It’s no surprise that the home care industry, especially for seniors, is growing dramatically. Clearly, the onus is not only on society, but on employers to come to the plate for seniors’ home care. It makes economic sense.

Our last column discussed how, in the event of a disaster, a plan can help reunite families faster and help minimize the stress on seniors and other family members during an already stressful time. Following are 10 ways that seniors, their families and caregivers can prepare for a natural disaster.

Jeanie Burke's great-great-great grandfather Alexander McKenzie was among the first wave of Scottish settlers who sailed on the Hector to Pictou in 1773, so when she returned from Alberta to be near her aging parents, she felt she was returning to her roots.

The return also awoke a desire in her to work with seniors.Now she owns the most successful of the 19 Home Instead Senior Care franchises in Canada.

They are the forgotten victims of Alzheimer's disease and other memory disorder illnesses: the family caregivers who toil each day caring for loved ones who are no longer able to care for themselves. For them, stress is a constant. It can even be a killer, according to studies that have shown a link between caregiving and premature death, particularly for spouses.

When these caregivers eventually burn out, emotionally or physically, the lives of those they are caring for often follow suit. Caregivers are a huge component in the lives of Alzheimer's and dementia patients. Nearly 64 per cent of Home Instead Senior Care's clients nationwide suffer from some form of memory or dementia problems. Studies have revealed that stress is a problem that can affect the health as well as the mortality of their family caregivers if assistance is not provided.

Few things matter more to an older adult than maintaining their independence and lifestyle, and few things matter more to the children of aging parents than their parents' safety and comfort. Good interior design can help with these goals. Here are a few tips.

Make Way and Declutter: Remove tables that aren't used, chairs that are uncomfortable and furniture that is in the way. Your home needn't be an obstacle course. If accommodation is needed for a walker or wheelchair, allow 36" between items. Get rid of things you've never liked and things you never use.

With a little planning, your summer travel plans do not have to come to a screeching halt due to rising gas costs. If you're planning to drive to see the grandchildren, or take them on a road trip, there are ways to keep your trip affordable.

Keep a close eye on gas prices along your route. If you have Internet access, check Gas buddy.com for the local service station with the lowest prices. Fuel-cost calculators found on the internet can help you plan for gas expenses.

For better mileage, drive conservatively, use cruise control, and check that your tires are properly inflated. The best way to cut back on gas is to cut back on the kilometres you drive.

Seniors are among the most vulnerable people when a natural disaster strikes, which is why they and their families should be prepared.

We know that a disaster can be deadly for some seniors because of physical and other limitations. That's why the sooner the better for families to talk with their senior loved ones and begin preparing in advance for any kind of emergency that could threaten their health or safety.

Pet owners may not always appreciate Fifi crying at the door at 6 a.m. to be let out, or the cat hair Fluffy leaves behind on a favourite chair, but most will agree that it's a small price to pay for the companionship, unconditional love and amusement pets provide to their owners.

A study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society in May of 1999 demonstrated that independently living seniors that have pets tend to have better physical health and mental well being than those that don't. A pet in the home can help lower a person's blood pressure, heart rate and stress level. Often older seniors have trouble leaving home, so they don't have a chance to see many people. Pets give them a chance to interact. This can help combat depression, one of the most common medical problems facing seniors today.