Many people come to this forum when they are desperately in need of help. It would be wonderful if people could prepare for caring for the elderly and would avoid most of the confusion and frustration that most people feel when they are overwhelmed by caregiving.
There are tons of books on self help, relationships, parenting, etc. There aren’t nearly as many books on preparing for how to plan out caring for the elderly. Would the public read books on aging? I don’t know if I would have earlier in my life so I would have been better prepared for caregiving. Wouldn’t it be nice if adult children knew that facility care is necessary for many of our elders?
Some are speaking out. Rob Lowe spoke about caring for his mom with cancer. I was surprised to see a float dedicated to caregivers at the Rose Parade. But for the most part, it isn’t a topic that is addressed on a regular basis.
Do we not want to know about the elderly when we are younger because it reminds us of our own mortality and is depressing?
What about the single person who has no spouse or children, is there anything to help them prepare for growing old alone? I feel for them.
Does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions on this? I think about it from time to time and wish that somehow more people would speak about what is involved in caregiving to the elderly.
So many people are living very long lives. My mom lived until the age of 95. I cared for her for 15 years in my home. My husband’s great grandmother lived to be just shy of 102!
Look at how many independent living, assisted living/memory care facilities and nursing homes are in our world today. It seems like there should be more education than there is on aging, or in particular, ‘caregiving’ for the elderly.
So, I just googled ‘caring for the elderly’ and it’s interesting what popped up. Still, I wonder if we should be prepared sooner in life. I have already told my children that I do not wish to burden them with caring for me. Some children are taught from young that they are responsible for their parents. How sad!
Also, I think health care professionals need to be more transparent about the difficulties before talking about how people have rights to stay home when they need 24/7 care. Insurance companies could do webinars on thing such as how to change someone or how to take a BP, etc.
I agree that our kids will know more about what is involved because they have seen us. When they suggested caring for me though, when and if I need looking after, I politely declined the offer.
How to educate others? If others are willing to learn via on the job training, do let them try.
Then, there are a few lucky people who stumble upon this site and are smart enough to listen to the advice of those who learned the hard way.
For my kids, they observe and learn. I talk to them about it and they understand. It's my job to do everything I can to not be a burden on them. I will teach them that too so they can do the same for their kids.