Many people discover that their “academic” knowledge of elder care is lacking quite a bit when it comes to an actual application of care. Knowing what to do in theory is not the same as being able to do it in practice. Not only does this reinforce the need for professional senior care of some sort, but it should go to warn you that caring for a loved one on your own is emotionally turbulent. If you are currently doing this, we really admire what you are doing, but want you to know that you don’t have to do it by yourself if you don’t want to.
Let’s look at this in more depth with an example. The Philadelphia Inquirer recently published an article about Professor Olson, an elder care expert at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania. Her mother suffered from Parkinson’s disease, and Olson suddenly went from teaching about different aspects of elder care to actually needing to help someone that she loved. She began by helping as a long distance caregiver as her mom was located in Florida, and wanted her mother to age in place, as most experts recommend is best now. But her mother soon suffered from a fall, and then was moved to a rehab facility.
After this, Olson spent a lot of time navigating things like insurance, and although she had enough experience in this area to teach countless students, in practice it was not something that she was prepared for. Likely, a lot of the issue that she faced was because now it was personal. Now it wasn’t a case study, but someone she loved deeply. For example, in Florida at the time, her mother only qualified for 10 hours on in-home care coverage per week because of her financial status. The rest of that time she had to cover on her own. To be eligible for more care meant she would have had to deplete all of her financial resources first.
Yes, aging in place is great for most, and in-home care can help with this if that’s what is best for your family. But no matter how well intentioned you are, this isn’t right for everyone, and some people simply need more help and supervision than eight hours of in-home care a day can provide. You want the best for your loved one, and sometimes this isn’t easy to figure out. If you have questions, consult with a professional to get a better idea of what will help your parent the most when it comes to caring for them. Giving care to a loved one is never easy, so it’s important that you look at it honestly so that they can have the high quality of care that is best for them.
It’s also important to know that there are many barriers out there when you are helping a loved one. There’s a constant need to keep filling out and submitting paperwork. It can be overwhelming. Olson faced this, and you will too. Don’t let it prevent your parent from getting the care they deserve; ask a professional for help if needed.
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