Caregiving Connect

Hi everyone, We recently launched a simple and flexible daily check-in service that uses text messages to check-in with a loved one. The loved one has an hour window to check in for the day and we automatically alert their designated care circle of friends/family if a check-in is missed. The weekly schedule and check-in time can be customized to suit your needs. We provide a no hassle two week free trial (no credit card needed) and then the service is $14 per month.  www.checkinbee.com We're always here for any questions or concerns. Thank you,Adam

Hello, I read of fraudulent cases on dead persons without family or close friends to see that things were done honestly.  So I wonder if anyone here happens to have an estate lawyer that you trust so you can recommend her/him to me?  I'm what they call now an "Elder Orphan" who has no family of any type or close friends as I had when younger.  Hope to hear from someone with a good recommendation?   Thanks so much in advance!  🙂   P.S.  I wish AARP's website were less difficult to navigate to find the different topics and other pages... This will probably be my last time on this site.   😞

The Parkinson's Foundation presents a free program featuring an introduction and basic overview of Parkinson’s disease (PD). PD varies from person to person and changes over time. Discover its causes, common symptoms and available treatments. Learn practical daily living tips to empower you to take charge of your health and to navigate the challenges of living with PD. To register for FREE, click here. Date: Wednesday, August 7, 2024Time: 1:00pm-2:00pm ET Speaker:Christopher Tolleson, MD, MPHClinical Associate Professor of MedicineDivision of Neurology Director of University of Tennessee Medical Center's Cole Center for Parkinson's and Movement DisordersDirector of University of Tennessee Medical Center's Huntington's Center of Excellence

I am looking for a group I can go to to MAKE complaints ABOUT caregivers. Does anyone know of a facebook group that is specifically devoted to this topic?

Parkinson's Foundation Wellness Wednesday: Exploring Next Steps in CareCare needs in Parkinson’s change as symptoms progress. Join the Parkinson's Foundation next Wednesday, July 17 to learn what you need to know to find the right kind of caregiver to meet your needs and discuss next steps to consider for care as Parkinson’s advances. This program will provide you with tools to help you decide when it’s time to ask for outside help.   To register for FREE, click here. Date: Wednesday, July 17, 2024Time: 1:00pm-2:00pm ET Speaker:Joan Miravite, DNP, RN, FNP-BC, FAAN, FAANPAssistant Professor, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiDirector of Interdisciplinary Clinical Care for Movement DisordersMount Sinai Beth Israel, Department of NeurologyStrauss Movement Disorder CenterParkinson Foundation Center of Excellence

Hi I have my mom living with me since May, 2021; her fourth time living with me over the years. She was a California resident living in her own house, I had increased concerns of her decline. Mama is 90, I am 61 and work remote in telehealth (gratefully). Mom has stage 6e Alzheimer Dementia. I am now her legal guardian (after needless legal issues and a family from hell). I provide 24/7/365 care on all levels. We have had recent PT, OT, and ST. I am just now venturing out to look into day programs for her social needs and maybe someone to help with light grooming (brushing teeth, bathing). She does go to the store with me, we go walk at the park at least three days/week, light picnics, and sit down restaurant (though that may be ending). I do her mani/pedi, help her soak her feet and keep the skin nice.  Though I do online ordering for groceries and supplies I still need to go get oil changes, go to my annual medical appointments, take a walk by myself, etc. I guess

FROM ARTICLE - SEE ARTICLE FOR MORE!!! "Her living will takes over now,” the nurse practitioner said the morning after my mother slipped into a coma. I was 51 weeks into 24-hours-a-day caregiving, which included constant decision-making about hospital, rehab and nursing facility admissions, as well as readjustments of medication and treatment plans — without a break. Practically every day of caregiving held life-or-death choices. https://www.aarp.org/caregiving/financial-legal/info-2019/what-is-a-living-will.html

I don't see anything here or elsewhere about grandparents who care full-time (M-F work hours) for special needs grandchildren. When my 9-year-old autistic grandson was told by his public school that they could no longer meet his needs in school due to behaviors that were not safe for him or others, I became a full-time caregiver. His parents can't afford not to work, or afford to pay me for his care. I live 20 min away, so there are also transportation costs involved for all of us. They are in the process of getting some limited disability services through the state, but none cover more than occasional respite care and help with his expensive medications. To make this work financially, I have taken early Social Security at 63 to be home full-time with him. Fortunately, my husband is still working even though he is 65 and has health issues, so we worry about how long he can continue. Finding anyone able or willing to care for him is very challenging. He needs someone one-on-one in

I'm 59 and live alone after caring for my wife in her dementia for 11 or so years. I have no in person friends, the rest being a few people online I'm friendly with but not close with. Although my mother lives in town, she is not the kind to provide the support I need. Neither is my brother, who lives across the state. Having several mental and physical health issues that are concerning, and living in the depth of emotional distress I experience, I want to build a safety net in case something happens to me and I either die or become incapacitated in my home. As it is, I could lie dead or unable to summon help for many days before anyone noticed I hadn't texted in a while. It's a depressing thought. I also have animal companions that would need to be provided for if that happened! I need a plan and some kind of help implementing the plan. I need to know that someone will notice if I haven't checked in and that something will happen because they noticed. That, and creating

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal  of 4/29/24, entitled "An Au Pair Could Take Care of Grandma" authored by Kristin Shapiro and Kelsy Bolar ,suggests that our administration should encourage supporting the use of Au Pairs to help caregivers across the country. Today there are financial support systems in place to encourage the hosting of international au pairs to help families with child care needs. The costs (payments to the au pair ) are significantly less than other options for parents and the au pair receives an experience in American culture and support. Today over 20,000 au pairs enter the U.S. annually, to work with host families, but "current administration is proposing regulations that could double the cost of hosting an au pair". The authors suggest that our administration should not only drop the proposed regulations, but also extend them so that needy families could host these foreign national, young adults and in turn, receive help in providing car

Parkinson's Foundation Expert Briefing: Sleep Challenges with Parkinson's DiseaseA good night’s sleep is critical to our health and well-being. For people with Parkinson’s, sleep is more important as the brain and body need more time to restore. Join the Parkinson's Foundation next Wednesday, May 8th to learn about the common sleep issues associated with Parkinson's disease, how it affects sleep quality, and explore ways to get a better night's sleep while living with PD. To register for FREE, click here. Date: Wednesday, May 8, 2024Time: 1:00pm-2:00pm ET Speaker:Aleks Videnovic, MD, MScDirector, Division of Sleep Medicine, Massachusetts General HospitalProfessor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School

  With Coronavirus hitting and visitation bans being common, the possibility of putting remote cameras in loved ones rooms has renewed interest. This would give families to check up on their loved ones.    How would you feel about legislation that would allow for this to happen? 

My name is Lon and I am a 83 year old well traveled single male living alone in a one bed room/ one bath/living room/ kitchenette at a very nice Assisted Living Facility. Imade the arrangements for living here by my self instead of a Caretaker doing it. I would like to share some ideas with caretakers and other Forum members that currently reside in a AL Facility. First---Let me just say to those of you in your 50's 60's & 70's. KEEP AND EXPAND YOUR COMPUTER, I PHONE SKILLS. It will make getting old so much eaiser and rewarding.    

There’s plenty you can do to help them live their best life. By Kim Painter. Published February 12, 2024. https://www.aarp.org/caregiving/health/info-2024/diabetes-caregiver.html 

Hi, I'm new here and did a little searching and couldn't find anything directly relevant. Just a few articles and comments about how expensive it is to be a caregiver. Sorry if this is too long or in the wrong place. My mother, who lives at home alone in another city in the same state, is starting cancer treatment. She might be able to get some caregiving through Medicare or long-term care disability insurance but not both at the same time. She does NOT qualify for Medicaid and is NOT a Veteran. She may have applied to a state agency, I don't know. She's very overwhelmed and fearful, but also resistant to help while clearly needing it and is not transparent with her finances. However, she very quickly will probably need 24-hour care, maybe semi-skilled nursing, including a petsitter, and possibly hospitalization. Neighbors and  family members not very nearby might provide some help, but it likely won't be enough. I heard years ago there was a program that would reim

FROM THE ARTICLE - READ ARTICLE FOR MORE. Nearly 1 in 10 Americans aged 65 and older are living today with dementia — a disease that has special challenges for family caregivers. Learn about the symptoms, types and early warning signs of dementia and emerging treatments. Get expert advice and tips on the best ways to communicate, establish routines and keep your loved one safe. https://www.aarp.org/caregiving/dementia-caregiving-guide/

Can a physician use the MA 51 medical evaluation form in PA to commit to a nursing home when the patient is there short term for rehabilitation?

I am quite confident that a Walk In Tub is best for me. I love the therapeutical Benefits and prefer this however am having trouble choosing between them.

Hi I'm new.  My mother-in-law is in Canada and is starting to need a lot of help.  She is losing her short term memory, and her judgement is impaired.  I'm in the US and trying to get her access to whatever services or other help she can get where she lives in Ontario.  We can't move to Canada because we don't have a way to make a living there, and she can't move here because she would have no access to health care.  Has anyone here had any sort of similar experience, and if so, could you provide some helpful advice or links to resources?  Thanks

My mom is 94 and her hearing is getting increasingly worse.  She has signia bluetooth hearing aides and actually adjusts the hearing aides using her cell phone.  She really prefers to use her hard line phone at home.  We bought one from Harris Communications back in 2019.  It is a panasonic KX-TGM420W amplified phone and they said it works with hearing aides.  Her audiologist said no hard line phones work with hearing aides.  The phone seemed to work ok for a while but now we need to get her one that works for her decreased hearing.  She is against those phones that have the captioning and just wants something simple to work.  Has anyone found a phone that works with hearing aides?  To be honest, even I have a hard time understanding the message machine that comes with it.  It is very muffled.  Thanks for any feedback

How to Use Long-Term Care Insurance. Help your loved one file a claim and collect policy benefits. By David Rodeck. Published February 08, 2024. https://www.aarp.org/caregiving/financial-legal/info-2024/long-term-care-claims.html 

I ran out of time on my other post, and would like to continue. My Mom is 92 yrs. old and lives alone. She doesn't want to pay alot for in home care, but when it's needed, and she could pay for it, why not? I understand that in home care agencies have a minimum of hours, such as 12 hrs. a week. I find that to be understandable. My Mom is really objecting because of the cost, and she also claims she wouldn't have enough to keep them busy. I doubt that, and just want her to try it. I'm pretty sure that Mom has dementia and the symptoms of her dementia show with an obsession about money. It can be annoying and embarrassing. I've had these difficult conversations with Mom about getting more help, and she starts right away with the guilt tripping comments and telling me that she feels that I'm always balling her out. Then I back off, give it time, observe, try again.... same reaction. It's very difficult to talk to her, I feel like just giving up. But if I give up my Mom will bother our d

When I was caring for my Dad, who lived with Alzheimer’s for more than a dozen years, I was willing to try almost anything that might help him be more comfortable, ease his anxieties and fears and make it easier to care for him. I explored a variety of complementary and alternative medicine approaches, some of which he had used in the past and some that were new. Because we did get some helpful results, I’m sharing with you my 10th and final tip in this series:   Try Complementary, Alternative, and Western Medicine Use medications wisely. Ask the doctor about medications that might help with symptoms, such as anti-anxiety drugs and antidepressants. A mild anti-anxiety/anti-depressant was helpful for Dad, combined with the complementary and alternative approaches. Some people respond well to sedative medications but be sure to ask about and monitor possible side effects. For some people with dementia, sedating drugs can cause the opposite effect. This was the case f

Hi, I'm a caregiver to my 75 year old mother.  She is not at end of life stage, but she has decided she only wants to participate in certain aspects of her life.  Because I recently moved in with her (last August), things she would normally do on her own, she has since decided can mine to worry about now.  She does not bathe regularly enough although she is physically capable of doing so. Recently her car died and we decided it was best for her to not replace it.  There are other family members in town, but she has decided to schedule all of her events and appointments for after i get off work or during my weekends.  I'm mentally and physically exhausted and it's affecting my own mental health.  She also (just this week) gave all of her financial information to a scammer and i've been closing accouts, helping her open new ones, changing passwords and taking her all over town to change account information for various payments (utilities, retirement accounts

IIs there any way to find a list of shelters where seniors may go during a hurricane? I have several friends who would not be able to stay in their homes during a bad storm or prolonged power outage.  There must be a list of shelters published by state, county or city governments??