The phone calls are starting to get strange.
Dad quit his bridge club because they’re stealing from him.
Mom talks constantly about an old beau.
The police called because she doesn’t recognize her husband.
How you are going to handle things and do you know what’s involved in caregiving?
A new Gallup Poll reported that 41% of baby boomers have a parent needing financial and personal care, while 8% of these boomers have moved a parent in with them.
Another 37% say they expect to do so in the future and more than half report that they’re concerned about being able to provide care while working a full time job.
A new AARP study estimates 34 million American are unpaid caregivers giving an average of 21 hours per week to help an aging relative.
Some are regularly calling, flying to see their Mom every few weeks or just taking their parent to a doctor appointment
The economic impact of ”free care” is estimated to be about $350 billion.
Surprisingly, that’s more than what the government spent on Medicare last year and exceeds the Federal budget deficit in 2006.
Doesnt this make a strong case for Congressional action? So, why hasn’t anything happened!
Main Line Elder Care Associates, Inc., understand the difficulties and complexities of managing health care.
We deal with the struggles of finding the right facility, review the legal and financial complications and mediate any of the strains this process will have on your family.
Our care managers also know that If there are any conflicts in the family that this process by itself and without the aide of a geriatric care manager will definitely become more stressful because caregiving is very exhausting. We also understand how frightening and confusing this process is to an aging parent.
Remember, the person on the front line - well they need your support because no one can handle this situation alone - it’s unfair to let them struggle alone because caregiving threatens emotional health and unlocks all kinds of fears. Dementia or Alzheimer’s?
Hiring a professional care giver is your best resource for providing some of the care.
Today, our families pay financially and pay emotionally without any help from Capitol Hill.
Write us your comments and contact these websites also www.caregiver.org, www.eldercare.gov, www.TheFamilyCaregiver.org, www.Medicare.gov, www.AARP.org/Families
Contact www.mainlineeldercare.com and www.info@mainlineeldercare.com for more information about hiring a home health care worker, information on caregiving, legal issues and housing safety, etc.
Main Line Elder Care Associates, Inc., and the National Association of Geriatric Care Managers, Inc., which is a clearing house to help you find a geriatric care manager who can help monitor your parent’s care. www.caremanager.org
Helen C. Hopkinson, J.D., President and CEO, Main Line Elder Care Associates, Inc., writes articles regarding elder issues which appear in her blog and newsletters. She has appeared as an expert on TV and radio to discuss the problems facing employee caregivers, healthcare management needs, care plans and many other subjects involving the elderly or disabled. She is a graduate of John Marshall Law School, a certified Arbitrator and Mediator. She co-founded MLECA with Brenda M. Hanna, BS, RNFA and they are dedicated to serving clients in the Greater Philadelphia area and surrounding counties.
MLECA is the recipient of the CitiCorp’s Boost Award for 2007.
Member, National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers, Inc.
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