Reducing Caregiver Burnout

caregiving burn outPauline and Bert have been married for 65 years. They live in a small house in Beaverton where they raised their children and know all the neighbors. About 5 years ago Pauline started developing memory problems that were gradually getting worse and worse. Bert has been her caregiver and assuming more of the daily tasks around the house and helping her with her personal care needs. Bert is exhausted and his health is starting to deteriorate. He recently spent a few days in the hospital due to the stress of being her caregiver. That’s common for family caregivers, they’re so busy taking care of their loved ones that their own health declines faster than those they’re caring for. Bert’s family recognized his stress and exhaustion so called me to help find a place for Pauline to live…

In the past Pauline has walked out the front door looking for Bert and wandered down the street. As such she’s considered an elopement risk in assisted living so we looked for a secure memory care building for her. Bert wanted to be able to visit her daily so the memory care had to be near their house. They have long term care insurance so we had to find a place that is accredited and works with long term care insurance companies.

zeth@greatnessdigital.com October 22, 2015

Keep Seniors a Part of the Decision Making Process

The call came from a close neighbor. John was 92 and still living in his own home. She had been helping him with little things like grocery shopping, yard work and checking in on him. One day he decided to drive to the store. Unfortunately he hit over 30 things with his car as he drove down the street. That was decision maker, it was time for Fred to move to assisted living where he didn’t need to drive anymore and that had caregivers providing the increasing support he needed…

While John preferred to stay at home, he knew he really needed more help than he was getting and he didn’t have any family to be there for him. He hated imposing on his neighbor but was grateful for her help. The neighbor and I toured several assisted living communities in Washington County looking for the right fit. Looking at the options can be very overwhelming and physically exhausting, especially for a man who is 92. The goal was to narrow down the choices to a couple then bring him back to make the final decision.

zeth@greatnessdigital.com October 22, 2015

Move to Independent Living Community Brings Relief to Family

Fred and Mary lived next door to their son and daughter in law. As they aged their son and daughter in law started doing more and more around the house for them. It started with mowing the lawn and within a few years it had escalated to cleaning, shopping, laundry and bringing three meals a day as they noticed Fred and Mary were not cooking meals for themselves. The few times had tried cooking there were signs that it didn’t go well such as burned potholders on the stove, ovens left on all day and half eaten food on dirty plates in the sink…We met with the daughter in law who was exhausted from the stress of being a family caregiver. She didn’t know what to do but knew something needed to change and quickly. We talked about what Fred and Mary might need, what they would want in an ideal retirement living situation, where they would want to live and how much they could afford to pay. We decided the best option would be to live in an independent living community that had assisted living too. This would give them a place to move when their care needs became greater. We talked about options in the town in which they lived toured the ones that were of interest. We found the perfect room in a building in Beaverton in which many of their friends also lived.

Adult Foster Care Homes That Allow Pets Keeping the Dog for Comfort

Vivian was a 72 year old woman who had battled ovarian cancer for over eleven years. It finally got to the point where the treatment wouldn’t help anymore so she went on hospice. Vivian lived alone in an apartment in Tigard with her dog Murphy. She spent all day watching TV in a dark apartment. Her only visitors were the Meals on Wheels delivery volunteers and her hospice team. She was lonely and her hospice team worried about who was going to help her as her disease progressed…

After a second visit to one home, lunch with the provider and a chance for her to meet Murphy, Vivian decided to move in. Leaving her apartment and her independence was very hard but knowing she had somebody who would help her and that she would get to keep Murphy with her made it a little more bearable. Vivian’s doing well, Murphy’s enjoying having a yard to run in after living in an apartment his whole life and the proprietor of the adult foster care home is there to help Vivian when needed.

Planning Ahead for Alzheimer’s Care

Mr. and Mrs. C live in their own home in a large neighborhood in Beaverton, Oregon. They love their home and don’t wish to move. They were referred to us by an in-home care agency who has been helping care for Mrs. C in their home. Mrs. C is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s Disease. Mr. C recently had a heart attack scare, and after his recovery, got his family together for a meeting to talk about the future. Mr. C called me to find out what Memory Care communities were out there; in the event that something happens to him, his wife will need to be looked after…

Both Mr. and Mrs. C liked one community in particular. It’s near their son, near walking trails, has a nice courtyard and a nice view, and meets their budget. They also made a second choice as a backup plan in case the first community has no availability. They had another family meeting and told their sons about their decision. When the time comes, the sons know this is their choice, and will contact us to move forward with Mrs. C either moving to Assisted Living or Memory Care, depending on the nurse’s assessment.

zeth@greatnessdigital.com November 17, 2014