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Caring
for Elderly Parents is tougher during Hard
Times
According to a recent survey of adult
children caring for their parents, there are
10 top issues with which they must deal:
1. Getting paid for caregiving. Oftentimes,
adult children have to give up their careers
to care for their parents full-time, putting
tremendous financial strain on the family.
An AgingCare.com member explains: "I'm
unable to earn an income. I've given up my
job, financial stability and my dreams."
2. Finding services and benefits. Caregivers
are suddenly thrust into caregiving with no
warning. . .and no time for preparation and
often don't know what services are available
or even where to begin looking.
3. Dealing with difficult parents.
Oftentimes, illnesses like dementia bring
out undesirable traits in the elderly: mood
swings, resistant behavior, even verbal and
physical abuse.
4. Caring for their own needs. Caregivers,
emotionally and physically drained, find
themselves in poor health. Stress takes
physical form: high blood pressure, heart
attacks, arthritis, acid reflux and
headaches.
5. Time for family and friends. Caregiving
becomes all-consuming. The caregiver's
spouse, kids and friends suffer. Time is
usurped with doctor's visits, bathing and
feeding the parent.
6. Getting a break. Caregivers don't have
time for a break. A survey
found 53% of caregivers provide care 40 or
more hours per week.
7. Parents moving in. When elderly relatives
need daily care, moving them into the
caregiver's home can seem like the best
solution. But it's a huge undertaking and
opens a new realm of challenges.
8. Taking away the keys. For the elderly,
giving up the car keys represents the end of
life as they know it. Caregivers struggle
with how to address this sensitive issue.
9. Getting support from family. One adult
child becomes the primary caregiver, which
causes resentment when they are shouldering
the burden.
10. Guilt. They love their parents, they
feel a sense of obligation to care for them,
but the parents make it so difficult that
the adult children don't want to do it
anymore.
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