Ask Questions
Aging is characterized by many day-to-day challenges and underlying issues, as well as crisis points. Caring for an aging parent puts you on a very steep learning curve.
All are stressful!
Acquiring knowledge and getting answers can make the ride less bumpy for us Boomers.
“It Helps to Know” is a place to ask your questions and share what you know with others.
Whether you know the kind of information you are searching for, or are not even sure of what questions to ask, “It Helps to Know” is the place to come to. Here you will find useful information and practical ideas to cope with the challenges of aging.
By presenting information on various topics at the beginning of each “It Helps to Know” section, we invite you to ask questions and let us know what needs you have for further information. This may be related to the current topic or be in connection with another area of concern.
What information are you looking for?
* Do you need help navigating the medical system?
* Are you looking for a specialized type of care, perhaps in connection with Alzheimer’s?
* Are you alarmed by the change you have seen in an aging parent or yourself and wonder if you are over-reacting or not doing enough?
* Are you troubled by the potential for addiction in connection with pain medications prescribed to you or a family member?
Finding the information you need to manage around these examples and the multitude of situations that arise through aging is not easy. It is stressful, time-consuming and can involve endless searching.
”It Helps to Know” is your ‘one-stop’ resource for all of your questions and information needs.
What helpful information do you have to share with other boomers?
“It Helps to Know” is also the place to share your experiences for the benefit of others. We all gain new knowledge through our experiences. How many times have you said “If I’d only known…” or “If I did it again…” Your new knowledge from being ‘in the trenches’ can help other boomers facing similar situations.
Getting the information you need to make informed decisions has never been easier.
Just enter your question or suggestion in the comment box below.
I’d like to introduce myself to the group. I’m a licensed mental health professional (licensed clinical social worker)in St. Louis, Missouri USA. I’ve been helping my 80 year old stepfather recover from getting ripped off in a scam, and I’ve started a blog about what I’ve learned (and continue to learn) about this area. My hope is that it will be very helpful for other boomers like myself who are facing a similar situation. I also hope it can help professionals more effectively counsel their clients and raise awareness about crimes like this. I invite you to take a look at http://www.elderlyfraudrecoveryhelp.posterous.com, or email me at elderlyfraudrecoveryhelp@gmail.com.
Thanks,
Art Maines, LCSW
February 15th, 2010 at 6:13 pmMy mother seems to be having trouble with incontinence. I really feel I need to have a discussion with her about this. I notice that she is not going out as much and that she always has laundry on. I would like to get her to see the doctor about this but I know she feels shy about discussing such things. I was thinking that maybe if I had some information on this myself it would help me open up a discussion with her. Do you know where I can find some good information to help me out?
April 23rd, 2010 at 1:55 pmThis is a ‘delicate’ subject for many people. We found a booklet entitled ‘Incontinence: Breaking the Silence – Tips and Tricks for Seniors’ to be a good source of information. It will inform you of the different types of incontinence and their causes and it also provides helpful tips on discussing this subject with a doctor. It can be downloaded at http://www.mfa.gouv.qc.ca/fr/publication/Documents/A-5179_incontinence_en.pdf. To order the publication you can contact the Department of Family and Seniors through the Quebec Office of Information and Complaints at 1-888-643-4721.
If your mother continues to be reluctant about visiting her doctor, you could make an appointment to meet with the doctor yourself to discuss how best to manage this situation.
We wish you the best in sorting this out for your mother.
Please let us know if we can be of further assistance.
Boomertoboomeronline.ca
April 23rd, 2010 at 4:34 pmMy parents are doing well at the moment but I know they are at an age where this could all change very suddenly. I am an only child and will not have the help of brothers and sisters. Is there anything I can do to prepare for looking after them or do I just wait for things to happen?
April 27th, 2010 at 10:38 pmExcellent question! And there are some great tips on preparing to become a family caregiver in an article entitled “Early Steps in Caring for Your Parent” in the C-Health portion of Canoe.ca at http://chealth.canoe.ca/channel_health_features.asp?channel_id=10&relation_id=1449&health_feature_id=221
This article, along with several companion pieces, is an excellent source of information on what you can do now with lots of practical tips and advice. These include naming people you should become acquainted with, such as doctors, pharmacists and neighbours. It also provides a very specific list of information you can collect and organize now. With respect to documents this article is also a reminder to us all of the need to have powers of attorney in place with respect to financial and healthcare decisions. Without these you may not have the authority you think you have to make decisions at critical times.
Please stay in touch. If you find additional sources of useful information, on pre-planning for your role as family caregiver, we hope you will share these with others through Boomertoboomeronline.ca.
If we may be of further assistance to you, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Sincerely,
April 28th, 2010 at 7:23 amBoomertoboomeronline.ca
We have just ordered a 5th pair of hearing aids for my 91 year old mother. My mom moved to a nursing center in October. The nurses at the center have been storing the hearing aids at their station and monitoring as my mom puts them in and takes them out. The problem now is that she sometimes takes them out when no one is around. This happened recently and only 1 damaged hearing could be found. My question is: Is there anything that would keep my mom from removing her hearing aids by herself? I know there are things to hold glasses on for small children. Is there anything to hold hearing aids on?!
February 4th, 2011 at 3:16 pmThank you for your question. We did some research for you and found a web site: http://www.gearforears.com/index.asp for a product called Ear Gear.
Mostly, they are used to keep small children from taking out and losing their hearing aids, but they work well for adults too.
It seems like a model of Ear Gear with cord and clip would be suggested for your mom.
She might still be removing them but at least they won’t get lost.
We wish you luck.
February 4th, 2011 at 8:13 pmSincerely,
BoomertoBoomerOnline