Safety Precautions for Seniors

2008
Caring Workplace
Monthly Articles

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Caring Workplace Monthly Article: January 2006

Now that the Holidays are over, where do I turn to help my loved one?
Brought to you by the Caring Workplace

For many of us, the holiday season is a time we share by celebrating life with our family and loved ones. The holidays are also be a time when families join together to discuss the difficult decisions about finding care for their older relative. While visiting your parent you may have noticed some warning signs that suggest some action should be taken.

Change in eating habits, including weight gain/loss or change in appetite
Mobility difficulty, general weakness, or forgetfulness
Decrease in participation in activities previously important to them

We have spent the last month exploring our own holiday traditions with our family and possibly realizing that our loved ones need more attention then they required the previous year. People formerly labeled as mothers, daughters, sisters and wives, or fathers, sons, brothers and husbands have know picked up the role of the family caregiver. Add to this role the responsibilities of work, their own family and outside social activities and friendships, many caregivers will be embarking on a new role this upcoming year.

Integrating these new responsibilities into already busy lives, the caregiver can quickly become over-committed and forget about themselves and their needs. Forgetting to take care of themselves, sometimes until it’s almost too late, the result can be burnout, complete emotional exhaustion and a sense of uselessness. Caregivers adapting this new role, must do so while not forgetting their own needs.

There is a wide variety of options for families who are planning for the future of their aging loved one. Contacting an Eldercare Specialist to help is the first step in the right direction to design an effective, practical plan. Other community resources can then be identified, including escort transportation, medication management, home care, and minor home repair. Planning for the future today will help to ensure many happy holidays for years to come.

For more information, please call (314) 802-6201 or visit www.caringworkplace.com. St. Andrew’s At-Home Services is a not-for profit division of St. Andrew’s Resources for Seniors, an Episcopal-Presbyterian organization serving older adults and their families since 1961.

Need Advice? Ask Our Eldercare Specialist
A St. Andrew's Eldercare
Specialist is available to
answer your questions
about caring for an aging loved one.

Ask Now!

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Caring Workplace: The Resource for Working People Caring for an Older Adult.
6633 Delmar Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63130 Phone: 314-802-6291 Fax: 314-726-5719 e-mail