It is now Sept. and every month werecieve a letter that says We are still reviewing your case. I have been taking care of im for over 2 years. I gave the other caregiver of a WWII Vet a STAR. Great work!!

I am a professional care giver, a CNA to be exact. My input here is simple about care factors for our seniors who suffer from this unfortunate medical condition. I am very well trained in this type of care from a LTC and home care prospective. Always provide a well loved surrounding with soft touches and kind words to relieve the anxiety the loved suffers from these conditions which aids in the ability to calm and sooth their fears. Remember that these conditions cause change in many ways and the afflicted person with this condition(s) can not reason as before and understand the problems. This aids the care giver in a more attractive way to the person afflicted to be able to feel safe and more willing to comply with you to keep them safe, especially in the later stages where the reasoning and judgements factors are impaired for good. Soft voices calm the soul. It is some what easy to become over whelmed especially as a family member care giver because it is difficult to accept our loved ones are suffering from these things, but it is effective and makes the day brighter for both the care giver and care reciever. Safety is very very important as specified in this segment. So in addition to all these factors how you handle situations in additions to all the other safety suggestions only makes it that much more safer for every one. Also keeping our loved ones under the Doctors eye closely helps very much so that the appropriate care can be discussed and proper medications if appropriate is provided ta aid in the care. Self education and classes to train in the appropriate manner for care providing is essential. I see alot of times families can not handle the problem or want to take the fullest advantage of the resources available to learn and become quality care providers to the fullest because they do not want to or feel thet already know the answers and some times are to scared to learn what this really about, accepting what is happening and continues to see mom or dad as they always was and the truth is that they are now different in mind set beyond thier control. So learning is effective about these issues and can relieve alot of stress all the way around!

No one wants to ever go to a nursing home. I support the philosophy of aging in place, but understand personally how difficult it is in these days of the sandwich generation. I am the "meat" in a family sandwich as well. Your tips are timely, but I suggest that caregivers make sure they have ready access to pertinent personal medical information and have created an "emergency call" network and plan for when things go wrong and they will.