Caregiver Tip of the Month

As we grow older, it can become difficult to do many things the rest of us take for granted. For example, older people often develop difficulty rising from a sitting position. Whether it is because of worsening arthritis or loss of muscular strength and stability, there are a variety of practical and affordable solutions to help overcome this limitation.

1. Physical therapy may help your loved one to at least partially overcome their weakness. If their doctor agrees, ask for a written prescription for physical therapy. Medicare will pay for therapists to come to your loved one's home to provide the therapy IF it is provided by a Medicare-certified agency. (Important: Less than half of home health agencies are certified. Care at home can be very expensive if you have to pay for it out of your own pocket. Ask the agency if it is Medicare-certified BEFORE you hire them.) When the agency does its initial evaluation of your loved one's needs, they will be able to tell you how long Medicare will pay for your loved one's therapy.

2. Modify your loved one's sitting environment. His or her favorite chair may be too low, have cushions that are too soft, or lack arms. Many older people use their arms to help push themselves upward from a sitting position. If their favorite chair doesn't have arms, or if they sit in a sofa next to only one arm, they can't push themselves up. If the cushions are too soft, instead of pushing themselves up, they push the cushions down.

If possible, move a wing-back chair into your loved one's favorite sitting position, whether that is in front of a TV or their favorite window. Traditional wing-back chairs have arms that seniors can use to push themselves upward. If your loved one sits too low in that type of chair, try raising the cushion by folding a blanket and placing it under the cushion.

3. Powered Lift Chair. If your loved one is too weak to use a wing-back chair, your next option would be an electrically-powered lift chair. Typically, these chairs slowly lift people into a nearly standing position. Many also function as comfortable recliners.

4. Toileting. If your loved one has only a moderate loss of strength, adding a raised toilet seat to their bathroom stool may be sufficient. You'll be surprised at how much easier it is to stand if the toilet seat is 5 inches higher than the normal height. You can find more information and a wide selection of raised toilet seats on our Bathroom - Toilet page. And, for seniors who still need a little more help, you'll find on the same page a self-powered lifting commode chair that helps lift up to 80% of a person's weight.

5. Transferring. If your senior has difficulty moving from a chair (including a wheelchair) to a bed, you may wish to try a transfer board of the type shown near the bottom of our Bedroom page.

Transferring can also involve moving from a chair into a bathtub, and back again. If your loved one has difficulty with this, we suggest that you look into purchasing a transfer bench, many samples of which you can find on our Bathroom - Tub page.

Our visitors ask ...

Q. I am the aging parent and I lately have noticed some things that are not usual for me. I am 69 years old, recently taken up exercising again, lost a little weight and taking more medications than I would like, but really feel quite good. I want to know what are the things that I need to watch for. Where would I find symptoms for dementia? I seem to be forgetting things – words that I would normally know and retrieve quickly – problem solving processes, etc.

A. You'll find the information you want beginning on our page, Symptoms of Major Health Conditions.

Don't feel too bad about forgetting a few things that you used to remember. In many cases, if not most, what you are experiencing is simply the fact that you are now more aware of forgetting things than you were when you were younger. If you had the early stages of dementia, you would probably not be aware of the fact that you were forgetting things.

Reducing stress can help. Many people, particularly people who multi-task, are unaware of the stress they create themselves by trying to do too many things at the same time. Recent studies have shown that multi-taskers tend to be more forgetful. Don't worry about too many things; instead, focus on the things in life over which you have control. And, convert some of those situations that you seemingly don't have control over into one where you've protected yourself in case your worst fears do come about. For example, if you were still working, instead of laying awake at night worrying about what would happen if you lost your job, you can (1) build a cash emergency fund to take care of 3 to 6 months of living expenses, and (2) take some evening classes to improve and broaden your skills so that you have more options if you are laid off.

Keep up with your exercising. That, along with keeping up your social relationships, and maintaining a positive attitude, are probably the three most important factors to reducing and/or delaying the onset of limitations that come as part of the aging process. You are doing what you need to do to age successfully.

Daily Living Solutions

— products for seniors —

As we grow older, it often becomes difficult to use many everyday products because of arthritis and other conditions. If you or a loved one needs a little help – or a lot – we've selected a group of practical and affordable solutions from our affiliated merchants to help overcome those limitations.

Whether you are looking for yourself, or to help an elderly senior continue living in their own home, you'll find a wide variety of supplies and accessories – raised toilet seats, safety rails, incontinence supplies, large-handle eating utensils, pain relief, diabetic supplies, pill splitters and crushers, big-button telephones, canes, walkers, rollators, wheelchairs – and much more.

Everything is sorted into convenient categories in our Solutions for Seniors section.

Caregiving – Finding the money for care at home

A variety of resources can help pay for care at home. We discuss these resources in some detail in our article 12 tips to help you find money (and free resources) for care at home.

Caregiver Tip #2

Problem: Standard wheelchairs weigh 35 to 50 pounds – sometimes more. They are far too heavy and cumbersome for most caregivers to safely lift into or take out of a car trunk, van or suv. As a result, they can cause serious back injury.

Solution: A lightweight aluminum transport chair can relieve much of the stress and strain involved in transporting an elderly loved one. Also known as a companion chair, they typically weigh less than 20 pounds, fold up more compactly than a standard wheelchair, and fit into a smaller space. All this makes for easier handling. More information is available on our Wheelchairs and Accessories page.

Our visitors ask ...

Q. Can I get a handicapped parking sticker for transporting my parents around. They both have Alzheimer's and must use a walker. Even though they can't drive any more, I can't leave them alone.

A. In most states, if not all, a handicapped parking permit can be issued only to the handicapped person. Usually, they are issued by the same state agency that issues drivers licenses after an application has been filled out and signed by the handicapped person's doctor. In some states, the issuing department is the Department of Motor Vehicles; in others, it could be the Secretary of State's office, or the Department of Transportation.

A handicapped parking permit does not have to be issued to the driver of a car. In today's world of heightened security, every adult needs a picture ID even if he or she no longer drives. The picture ID is usually issued by the same agency that issues drivers licenses for the state in which the person lives.

We suggest that you talk to your parents' doctor first to get the ball rolling. If that doesn't work, call your state's department that issues drivers licenses and ask them for guidance. If that doesn't work, call your state's Department of Aging.

Recommended Reading and Videos

Many excellent books and videos can help guide you through the caregiving process. For our recommendations, including a brief description of each one, click here.

The material on this site is for informational purposes only, and is intended as a supplement, not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment provided by a qualified health care provider. More