Care Giving Jobs

Family Caregivers

According to a study by MetLife, nearly 10 million people over 50 care for their aging parents.  The care giving often falls to one sibling and sometimes this creates problems with their brothers and sisters who may not understand the full amount of time and effort the caregiver is expending.
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Boomer family member caregivers often have a nightmare job including making sure their aging  parent or grandparent is easting right, taking meds and in general is staying physically and  mentally healthy. In most cases there is also responsibility for housekeeping, grocery shopping,  and meal planning as well as watching finances, writing checks and making sure no scams are being perpetrated.

Where can overwhelmed caregivers turn for help?

Lotsa Helping Hands is an online calendar that enables friends and family to sign up for tasks that provide respite for the caregiver, including meal preparation, rides to medical appointments, visits and more.   It also provides message boards, photo sharing and storage for health, financial and legal information.

10 Caregiving Lessons 

From Bettyville by George Hodgman

Observations of Derek Dunham

Hodgman persevered in his journey of caring for his mother as she dealt with dementia, and his experience inspires some valuable lessons about caregiving. 
  1. Laughter really is the best medicine. Hodgman’s book is filled with witty observations, such as, ”When dealing with elderly women, a trip to the hairdresser and two Bloody Marys goes further than any prescription drug.” 
  2. Love can be expressed in small ways. His mother liked it when he’d comb her hair, rub moisturizer on her dry skin, or help her remember names of her favorite hymns. 
  3. Everyone needs a break now and then. At one point, Hodgman’s mother said they both could use a haircut. So off she and her son went to St. Louis to a nice beauty salon.
  4. Pet therapy really works – for both loved one and caregiver. When his mother was really ill, she would forget her symptoms as she became engrossed in her dog’s activities. Hodgman was also comforted by the sound of the dog’s paws clicking on the floor or the feel of his warm fur. 
  5. Familiar foods can provide comfort. Betty loved it when her son made foods from her past, such as burnt sugar cake.
  6. In care, one size does not fit all. An assisted living facility that offered fancy workout rooms and fascinating lectures didn’t appeal to Hodgman’s mother. “Betty eyes an exercise bike as if it were a guillotine,” he wrote. 
  7. Some things can be let go. He had to give up on trying to get his mother to wear shoes other than her comfortable old sandals. 
  8. Just being there is important. “On bad days, when things are tough, she wants me always in sight,” he wrote. 
  9. The challenges of caregiving are major – but so are the rewards. “On Betty’s journey I have learned something I had not known. I am very strong, strong enough to stay, strong enough to go when the time comes,” wrote Hodgman. “I am staying not to cling on, but because sometime, at least once, everyone should see someone through. All the way home.”
  10. Caregivers need support. He was touched by gestures like fresh flowers left in his mailbox and hugs from members of his mother’s church.

As you can see by the chart below, as boomers age there will be a need for more and more caregivers