Charlotte’s Blog

For expert tips and advice about caregiving.
Supporting you with information you need.

Summing up My Caregiver Advice

 The beginning of a new year is certainly a time for resolutions, but it also can be a time to take stock of the “big picture” if you are a caregiver to an older loved one.  Your older loved one may be “doing well.” But the following are brief descriptions with links to postings of their own on some of the dimensions you should track along with resources you may find helpful if you are family member or caregiver to an older adult.

8 Tips to Prevent Senior Home Fires. The question of how an older parent is doing physically is as much about their residence as it is about their personal health and well-being.  Last year I devoted some time to talking about how to make an older adult’s home safe from fires.

3 Tips to Avoid Scams Targeting Seniors. In the past I also have devoted some time to talking about the inevitable predators who may look to scam older adults and how to be financially vigilant on behalf of your loved one.

Making the Most of Medical Face Time. Caregivers are not expected to diagnose or prescribe unless they are a health care professional.  But as caregivers, I have talked about ways to make productive use of medical face time to get answers to important questions about your loved one’s health.

3 Elder Care Suggestions for Depression. And of course, health and well-being are not simply how well a person’s body is functioning.  It also is about their mental health.  Rates of depression escalate as individuals age and they face losses and physical decline, and a caregiver should take note of how mom or dad may be doing psychologically.

Independent Living for Your Parents. While for some, being active is about physically getting out and about, being socially active can be every bit as important for aging parents or other loved ones.   Caregivers may benefit from a two-part series I had posted last year about considerations in independent living.

Watch For Signs of Elder Abuse. Caregivers along with all the family members also need to be advocates on behalf of older adults who can be victims of physical, psychological or financial abuse.  Here are some tips.

What is a Geriatric Care Manager? Finally, I had started this blog about two and a half years ago talking about what a geriatric care manager (GCM) is.  Please check out that first post as it talks about GCMs as elder advocates and care coordinators, or as I like to describe the profession: “GCMs are the Option-Makers for the Decision-Makers.”

      Charlotte Bishop is a Geriatric Care Manager and founder of Creative Case Management, certified professionals who are geriatric advocates, resources, counselors and friends to older adults and their families in metropolitan Chicago.  Please email your questions to ccbishop@creativecasemanagement.com.

0 Comments

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*