Did You Catch the Series on Boomers Caring for their Parents?
Last week USA Today and ABC teamed up to present a weeklong series on caring for aging parents.
Forty-one percent of baby boomers who have a living parent are helping take care of them, according to a USA TODAY/ABC News/Gallup Poll.
Here are just a few of the areas the series covers:
- the costs of quality elder care
- legal documents you will need
- sibling relationships and caregiving
- advice on buying long-term care insurance
If you go to the series, “Role Reversal: Your Aging Parents and You, you will see a banner that runs across the top of the page, listing Days 1-5 and the stories that appeared. Click on the stories you want to read.
July 2nd, 2007 at 6:44 pm
I missed it but the topics it goes over are sure things we all need to know!
July 2nd, 2007 at 6:49 pm
I dread the day when that comes for me!
July 2nd, 2007 at 9:45 pm
The articles covered several aspects of caregiving–very thorough
July 3rd, 2007 at 6:24 am
My Father is 80 and still able to live alone (has been a widower for 27 years). Since I live out of state my brother gets most of the responsibility. But when any illness or hospitalization occurs I am there in a matter of hours! We also have all the paperwork in order. My brother is POA and I am durable health care POA since I’m a nurse and more familiar with the medical system. All 3 of us are on the same page when it comes to life sustaining treatments. There is NO doubt that my brother and I both know what he wants and does not want done! And his wishes will be followed.
If I can stress one thing to all of you reading this. Please talk over with your parents (spouse too) their wishes on being kept alive by ventilators, feeding tubes, etc. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen families torn apart, making bad decisions all because they didn’t know what Mom or Dad would have wanted.
Everyone involved should have a copy of the living will and durable health care POA. If an emergency occurs simply telling the medical staff that Dad/Mom didn’t want to be resuscitated isn’t going to cut it. You must have the documents. That’s another sad situation, a full code performed on a person who did not want it!
Sorry for the long reply
July 3rd, 2007 at 7:36 am
Thanks, everyone for writing in. Elaine, this is great information. Long is good.
July 3rd, 2007 at 9:49 am
For all those interested in caregiving–my book,
MOTHERING MOTHER: A Daughter’s Humorous and Heartbreaking Memoir might give you somemuch needed laughter and a chance to vent and not feel so alone. I wrote every day over the three years my mother (89 and suffering withparkinson’s and later, Alzheimer’s) moved in with us.
I wrote the gritty truth that no one else would tell me–but I also captured the comic moments that brought us together.
Hope you like it.
Check out my website and blog well. http://www.mothering-mother.com and e-blogger, mothering-mother
July 5th, 2007 at 7:20 am
Thanks for bringing this to our attention. I am a local ombudsman, a healthcare professional and someone who spends hundreds of hours in nursing facilities entertaining and performing. I lecture to the industry often and I also see the good that is done. The bottom line is that people need to be educated about these issues and the industry should take a leading role. My goal is to educate people so they do not enter these situations in a time of crisis but have been educated beforehand. Thank you for the opportunity. Anthony Cirillo, FACHE, ABC