Elder Care Emergency: Preparing, Planning and Partnering

Childrearing is difficult, but elder care can provide challenges that no one expects, is ready for or hears about. Caring for children and for the elderly are easily comparable – both take time, patience, commitment and love. Yet our workplaces and families are much more educated and tolerant of parental obligations. Are you or were you able to take time off from work to take your sick child to the doctor? Most likely, yes. Take that same time to care for your elderly parent or spouse, and you may get a different reaction.

When it comes to elder care, emergencies can be unbelievably complicated. Such is the nature of an emergency, but elder care emergencies contain an element of constant oversight, which for many families is uncharted territory.

Perhaps you are a member of the ‘sandwich generation’—a baby boomer who is currently balancing the demands of young adult children, a profession in full swing and aging parents with increasing needs. What part of that equation is becoming increasingly stressful and time-consuming? For many people, it’s the presence of elder care in their lives. Perhaps you are an older adult providing care to your frail, ill or injured spouse. Either way, tips on how to manage this demanding role may help lessen unneeded stress and anxiety.

1) PREPARE
Living in denial never helped anyone. As we age, our cognitive and physical abilities become limited. An accident is more likely to happen—anytime or anyplace. Preparation can’t reduce the likelihood of an emergency occurring, but it can ease the aftermath. Prepare yourself for the possibility of an emergency, both mentally and physically. Communicate your role as a caregiver to your friends, extended family and employer. If you are employed, ensure that you have adequate time off or are at least aware of your company’s policies.

2) PLAN
Mom falls. She’s now home from the hospital, recovering from a broken hip. The emergency is over, but the complications begin. By careful planning, this step can be easier. First, pull your resources. Make sure that each family member knows their role in the event of an emergency. Would your brother be able to fly in for a week to help? Keep the contact information of a quality, reputable homecare provider on-hand. Make the decision about which homecare organization would provide care for your loved one prior to the emergency. Have these conversations with your loved one’s physician.

3) PARTNER
It takes a village to raise a child…and to provide extraordinary elder care in an emergency! For the benefit of your loved one, your family and YOU, you can’t do it alone. Partnering with a home healthcare services provider—which offers services from companionship to rehabilitation to private pay nursing to skilled nursing to hospice care—will allow your loved one to receive consistent quality of care throughout all stages of their older adult life.

For more information on how to prepare, plan and partner for an elder care emergency, please contact Celtic Healthcare at 1-800-355-8894 or visit www.celtichealthcare.com.