When providing care to aging or disabled parents, many caregivers ignore the most important person involved in the caregiving process. “Who?” - you may ask? The answer might surprise you: The Caregiver.

Many times caregivers get so wrapped up in attending to parent’s needs, trying to fit quality time with their own family into their schedule, and oftentimes attempting to balance a career, they forget or simply neglect to take some time for their own personal needs.

As a caregiver, the results of not allocating personal time can easily lead to intense emotions such as stress, anxiety, frustration, guilt, and feeling extremely overwhelmed. Many caregivers fail to realize that these emotions and feelings could lead to caregiver burnout.

If you have just taken the reins as a caregiver to your parent, or perhaps you have been serving in the role for years, you may have never heard of the term “caregiver burnout” or would even recognize the early warning signs. And you may not be aware that caregivers have an increased risk for depression, diabetes, heart disease, and other health problems.

Caregiver burnout is the unpleasant side effects many adult children have to cope with when providing care to their aging or disabled parents. The signs and symptoms of caregiver burnout may display themselves physically, mentally, and emotionally.

The most important thing to remember as a caregiver, and to avoid burnout, is to make some time for yourself. Whether it is treating yourself to a shopping trip, preparing your favorite meal, or going on a vacation getaway for the weekend with your own family, remember you should not feel guilty for putting your own wants and needs first.

The second thing to remember as a caregiver is never hesitate or feel embarrassed to ask for help. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, ask a sibling or another family member for assistance. You may also consider adult day care, or respite care to provide you some relief.

Even if you just need a day away from your role as caregiver, don’t let your guilty conscience persuade you otherwise. It would be better to enjoy a day of rest and relaxation to rejuvenate your mind, body, and soul before letting yourself fall into the ruts of burnout.

There are proven and effective methods to combat and prevent caregiver burnout. These techniques are easy and simple daily activities. Anyone can practice these burnout-relieving techniques, whether it’s taking an early morning jog or writing in a journal before bed.

You will find yourself amazed at how taking less than an hour a day can alleviate the stress and anxiety that comes along with providing care to an aging or disabled parent, especially those with rapidly deteriorating health or suffering from the heart-wrenching effects of Alzheimer’s disease.

In addition of ways to prevent caregiver burnout, there are also many helpful resources available to guide you through the confusing emotions and physically exhausting situations you may find yourself in as a caregiver. If you feel you may already be experiencing burnout, talk to someone, whether it’s your spouse, friend, or physician.

No need to feel disabled any longer. Advanced mobility electric scooters can provide independence for the handicapped, disabled or elderly.

There has been much advancement in the field of wheelchairs, specifically mobility wheelchairs. But now there is something even more versatile, mobility electric scooters. When it comes to the elderly or handicapped mobility scooters may be the best thing since sliced bread.

In the past disabled persons would lose out on many uplifting activities. But with the innovations in mobility scooters, the elderly and handicapped are not feeling quite as old or as feeble as they once were. Why? When you can get around almost as well as active healthy people you can return to being a part of the family or community. Independence is once again your ally. The ability to get around the house or out in public once again can be a major boost in a persons self worth. No more dependence on others to perform common everyday tasks.

Motorized electric scooters for people with a handicap are fast becoming the way of the future. With technological advances being made with regard to electric mobility scooters it’s no wonder they have taken the disabled world by storm. It’s a thrill seeing a 90 year old man walking his dog with the help of a mobility electric scooter, something that he wouldn’t have been possible just a few short years ago. But now there is practically nowhere a person can’t go with the help of an electric motor scooter.

There are gas motor scooters and electric motorized scooters, but for the handicapped gas scooters are out and electric is in. No need for gas, just plug it in for a recharge and then off you go with full independence once again. These wonderful scooters are getting faster and lighter. Plus, the scooter batteries have drastically improved, allowing much longer periods of driving without the need for a recharge. Wouldn’t it be nice being able to scoot around all day without the need for a charge?

Another advantage of mobility electric motor scooters is the cost. They are not only becoming increasingly less expensive, but if a person is disabled or handicapped it may even be possible to have Medicare or other medical insurance pick up some or all of the tab.

When purchasing an electric scooter be sure to take it for a test drive before buying. The most important thing is making sure that your motorized scooter is comfortable. By purchasing a comfortable scooter it’ll be a pleasant drive anywhere you go. Another consideration is the cost. If at all possible have your health insurance company pay for part of the price. But even if you have no insurance it is well worth the price. No price can be put on being independent and mobile, especially if you’ve been laid up for awhile.

One of the many options available in mobile electric scooters is their number of wheels. There are models that have either 3 wheels or 4 wheels. The 3 wheel scooters are typically lighter in weight. The 4 wheel models are typically heavier, but may be a little better balanced when going quickly around a turn. Two wheels in the front make for a more stable vehicle around sharp corners. Once again, it is wise to test drive before buying.

There are many different options including colors, sizes, weights, number of wheels, battery capacity and the types of seats. If chosen carefully an electric scooter can become one of the best purchases ever made for the handicapped, disabled or elderly.

I never cease to be amazed by some of the unique characteristics of clutter. For some reason, clutter is often associated with the homes and workplaces of retirees or seniors.

We have all heard stories and read accounts of elderly people who live in tumble-down houses filled with unbelievable amounts of clutter. This is not, however, a universal characteristic of retirees.

So what are the essential characteristics of clutter? Here are a few that come to mind at the moment:

• Clutter takes many shapes and is composed of many items
• Clutter has the inherent property of expanding to fill all available space
• Clutter is generally collective and it builds up over time
• Clutter is generally composed of items we believe we must continue to keep
• Clutter is composed of items we believe to be important for some reason
• Clutter is generally composed of items we have not used in years
• Clutter is often composed of items we cannot find
• Clutter is often made up of things we actually don’t need
• Clutter can be dangerous for retirees
• Clutter is hard to remove

Let’s face it. At some point in time, everything that makes up clutter was important to us. What we do with it and how long we keep it is often directly proportional to the sentimental or emotional value we attach to it. For example, some of us keep every memento of every activity shared with a loved one. Others keep some souvenir of meaningful travel destinations. Some keep newspapers or magazines. And some of us are collectors gone wild.

We all know clutter in our homes can be dangerous - it can pose a fire hazard or a tripping or stumbling hazard, especially as it expands to mega-proportions. We hear so many stories of retirees who are victims of home fires, who fall and break fragile bones or who fall and get a serious head injury. For these reasons alone, de-cluttering is a really smart move for retirees.

Clutter can also be emotional, mental or psychological. This kind of clutter can often be most difficult to clean out of our lives. This kind of clutter distracts us or re-enforces negative self-images or continues to reopen old wounds. This kind of clutter makes us feel unhappy, stressed out, angry, or even guilty.

While the physical clutter around us might be more noticeable to others, it is easier to remove. It just takes determination and a realistic appraisal of the value of things. Clearing out old animosities, guilt, sorrow and pain, however, is even more important if we really want to enjoy the second stage of our lives.

My advice to all retirees who want to experience a feeling of a new freedom and a fresh outlook on life is: DE-CLUTTER. Start with the stuff that is cluttering your environment. If something has real value, but you don’t need to keep it, give it to someone who will appreciate its value.

Remind yourself that if you haven’t used or read something in over a year, you don’t need it. A first step is to get rid of anything you have been saving to which you have access on the internet. This, for example, is a great way to get rid of stacks or boxes of newspapers, magazines, and the like. A little de-cluttering will give you a great sense of freedom and space. It’s a wonderful feeling.

Start de-cluttering your psyche. Deal with unresolved guilt: make apologies, make peace. Put old animosities and anger to rest - recognize it, ask yourself if it really matters any longer, move beyond it. Deal with old sorrows and pain. Make the decision to put them to rest.

Finally, you can start the fun part of de-cluttering your mind. Make a list of all the ideas and activities you have stored up to do someday. Prioritize your list. Discard those things that just are not that important any longer. And make a plan to do the things you still want to do.

De-cluttering will give you a new sense of freedom, focus and direction. Your home will also be much safer.

Sleeping problems in the elderly may involve a number of factors such as: decreased energy output as a result of retirement,the age of the person, their state of health, and any prescription drugs they may be taking for health problems.

Illness disrupts sleeping patterns in the elderly, and may result in increased awakenings due to physical discomfort, caused by urinary urgency,cramps, angina, chronic obstructive airways disease, and left ventricular failure, these may be some of the many illnesses which cause sleeping problems in the elderly.

An elderly person may become very anxious about a change in their sleeping pattern, however, it will be necessary to thoroughly investigate the problem in order to ascertain if this perceived sleeping problem, causes dysfunction in their waking activities. If the elderly person has a carer, or lives with family then the problem may be easier to assess, for what appears to be a problem may only be a normal change in sleeping pattern for the age.

The most frequently occurring sleeping problem in the elderly is sleep latency, the person may spend some hours in bed before sleep occurs. The elderly person may view this as a problem and request sleeping pills, whereas, all that is needed is to teach them how to reorganize their lives to cope with the changes in sleeping patterns they are experiencing.

Reduced energy output as a result of retirement with an increased opportunity to take naps, either as a result of boredom or just plain exhaustion, may contribute to reduced quality of night-time sleep.

The pressure of a normal working day has been taken away, so the energy output is considerably less, while this may be offered as a possible reason for sleep latency, many others factors may be involved.

There may be much confusion about sleep latency, the difficulty may be exaggerated because the person who experiences it may be convinced that unless they have 8 hours of quality sleep, they will become ill. Sometimes it is difficult to convince an elderly person that they no longer require 8 hours of unbroken sleep, but may be better served by a shorter night time sleep supplemented with day time naps.

So how can sleeping problems in the elderly be resolved? Firstly it is necessary to provide a warm comfortable noise free environment, if this is available then the addition of regular exercise, combined with a healthy diet may be all that is needed to resolve the sleeping problem. However, if the previous measures fail to help, many other modalities are available to help the person .

Reflexology offers a very gentle and effective aid to sleep , and aromatherapy has proven to be very successful to assist relaxation and sleep in the elderly. Both of these modalities have been used in nursing homes and have been found to assist not only sleep, but the general well-being of the patients.

Sleeping problems in the elderly should be thoroughly investigated before any medications are prescribed. Unfortunately this is not always the procedure that is adopted, for often a script is written for what has been described as insomnia by the elderly person, however, such is mostly not the case, but rather it’s a normal progression or a resetting of the circadian rhythms as people age which requires education, not medication.

Provided that there is no evidence of disease of the central nervous system, such as dementia, Parkinson’s disease, post-traumatic brain damage, and chronic pain, then sleeping problems in the elderly are far better managed conservatively.

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The body composition of humans is always in a dynamic state and hence keeps changing, especially in old age. This affects the nutritional requirements of the body and hence healthy eating can be a challenge particularly for the elderly. Also, in old age the hormones start losing their activity, thereby making the body lose muscles and bones and gain fat. There are some factors, which if kept in check, can help all of us lead a healthy life.

In elderly people, the intake of fat should be limited. This can be achieved by making small changes in your diet like choosing lean meats, low fat dairy products and cutting out fried food. It is important to note that fats should not be totally eliminated from the diet. Since at this age the body starts to lose muscles, proteins become a crucial part of the diet plan. It also helps in building up a healthy immune system.

High quality proteins like eggs, poultry and fish should be included in the diet. Carbohydrates are a major source of energy. However, it is important that older people choose carbohydrates that are high in fiber since it will also help in preventing constipation.

Another major part of our diet is water, which normally gets neglected. As we grow old, the body starts to lose water and hence dehydration becomes a common problem. It is recommended to drink at least 1 ounce of water per 2.2 pounds of body weight.

Micronutrients like minerals and vitamins are also important. Iron deficiency is very common in old people. It gets aggravated by the fact that the elderly tend to lose appetite and hence eat less food that results in less intake of iron. This can be avoided by incorporating lean red meat and breakfast cereals in the diet.

Calcium is another mineral that is normally deficient in the elderly. The recommended intake is about 1500 mg per day. Elderly normally avoid milk, a rich source of calcium, thinking that it will cause stomach upset. There are other rich sources of calcium like low fat cheese, yogurt, broccoli etc. Another option is to use low fat powdered milk as a substitute for milk.

Zinc intake has been found to be less in the case of older people. Also, it does not get absorbed well in the body. The answer to tackling zinc deficiency is by incorporating meat, poultry and fish in the diet plan.

Vitamin B12 is another critical micronutrient that is commonly deficient in the elderly, more so since it needs an intrinsic factor for it to be absorbed by the body. Our stomach produces this intrinsic factor. Most of the elderly suffer from a condition called atrophic gastritis, which causes stomach inflammation and bacterial overgrowth. This results in less production of the intrinsic factor and hence less absorption of Vitamin B12.

The key to a healthy life as a senior citizen is in staying active and eating a balanced diet. With adequate care and required nutrition, you can ensure that your retirement years become a boon and not a bane.

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In our parents’ generation, decisions about elder parents seemed easier. Families were not so spread out and different generations lived in one roof when it was necessary. It was just how it was. No questions asked. Adult children of elderly parents knew what was expected and they acted accordingly. Most adult children lived near their parents.

But these days, families are spread out across a state, a nation, or even the world. What if you are the only remaining adult child and, for example, you live in Liverpool while your 80 year old parents reside in Bournemouth? If they need help, how will you know? How will you provide?

So, what can you do?

Take heart. There is hope, and a growing list of resources along this new journey of life.

As the baby boomers approach their 50s and 60s, those lucky enough to still have their parents alive are finding new and creative ways to help their parents manage this phase of life.

In every case, talking together about key issues mentioned earlier are critical. There is no substitute for that. In addition, it can help to create an action plan and take your parent to a lawyer or advisor to be certain that all the proper documentation is set-up, current and accurate in order to ensure their wishes will be met. Resources to achieve this are available through a local senior citizen centre or city and county government social services. These various resources are likely to provide a list of local legal counsel who specialize in helping older people for a reduced fee or for free.

Even the most stubborn of elder parents can recognize the value of making decisions prior to a crisis, and making sure their adult children know where to find their information. You may have to bring the discussion to the forefront, but it will be recognized and acted on if you graciously insist.

The most important thing for adult child of elder parents to realize is that no matter where you live or what the situation of your parents, you are not alone! There are resources to help you every step of the way. A wide variety of local resources, from elder companions, to registered nurses, to food delivery and in-home medical and non-medical help is available immediately.

Many local churches, community senior or social services, hospitals or non-profit groups dedicated to elders can point you in the right direction. All you need do is ask. It makes your responsibilities less overwhelming when you know there ARE answers; answers that will fit your and your parents’ unique situation and needs.

We’ve all been there, sorting out the pills and tablets for the week, trying to remember which pills have been taken today - which tablets to take next!

Luckily there are very simple solutions to keep everything in order - tablet dispensers quickly become part of the medicine routine. Just fill them up once a week, or month, and you’ll soon stop worrying about your medication.

One of the best dispensers I’ve found is the Medidos Tablet Dispenser, it has several useful features:

• Simple to use with seven clearly marked boxes for each day of the week.
• Each box contains four adjustable, labelled compartments.
• The blue velcro fastening case is discreet.
• It includes a patient record card and a sleeve to house one day’s supply.

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View the complete inventory of tablet dispensers at Medisave.co.uk

Now I’ve got my weekly supply sorted out, I just need to find a pocket sized pill holder that I can take out in the evening for easy, discreet access to my medication! Any ideas?

Still in its early stages, we’ve launched with a new look and a community area. We’ll be adding more and more to the site as the weeks roll on, so keep us bookmarked.

Leave a comment if you like to let us know what you think.

Today’s full time workers have a lot on their plate. They work a full workweek, often including overtime hours. They head home and concentrate on family life, spending time with spouses, children and other family activities. And now more than ever, they spend time at their parents’ homes taking care of daily chores they can’t attend to themselves.

Baby boomers today are now in their 40’s and 50’s, with a wide range of responsibilities. Because their parents are in their 70’s, 80’s and beyond, they are also facing the facts of making decisions for their parents; a responsibility that is often difficult and time consuming. It’s also having a huge impact on businesses, and employee productivity.

According to The MetLife Caregiving Costs Study: Productivity Losses to U.S. Business, produced jointly between MetLife Mature Market Institute and the National Alliance for Caregiving, U.S. businesses lose between $17.1 billion to $33.6 billion per year on employees taking time off to care for elderly family members. This is an increase of $4 billion in each category up from 10 years previously. And as baby boomers continue to age, this number will also continue to rise proportionately.

Today’s caregivers make up about 21 percent of the working population. They spend time shuffling their elderly loved ones to appointments, or spending time caring for their needs. Because of the changes in insurance and pension options, caregivers are opting to take on more responsibility, and bypassing the traditional elderly care options.

Increasingly men are also taking on the role of caregiver. Currently about 39 percent of caregivers are men assuming the primary caregiver position. Not only are they assuming this caregiver role, but they are also tackling it while holding down a full time managerial or executive position.

All of this is helping change the way businesses are handling employee relations. With these statistics, it’s easy to see why employers need to being making concessions for today’s caregivers, and take a proactive approach to care giving in the future.

To start, an employer needs to move beyond awareness, and create programs to help their employees through different stages of life.

Education can begin in the workplace. Many employers offer brown bag lunch seminars, or other resources to offer ideas and solutions to their employees. In many cases, just knowing about resources and help in your community can take some of the burden off day-to-day chores.

Human resource departments are also beginning to hire geriatric managers that can help an employee assess their situation, and make recommendations based on the needs of the employee and his or her family.

Flexible work hours are also becoming more acceptable. Because of a variety of family needs, being able to come in early, or work later into the evening can be a big benefit. Telecommuting is also becoming an option with the high tech options available to employers.

Above all, being open to ideas and possibilities will be key in the future. As the needs of the elderly continue to increase, only time will tell how well employers can handle their needs. To be successful in the future will demand a variety of options, and the ability to change.