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BEYOND REACHING OUT TO TOUCH SOMEONE

It’s been many years since ol’ Ma Bell used a catchy jingle to suggest we should “reach out and touch someone” but while technology has advanced, the human need to connect with family and friends remains the same.

Back in the 1980s, long before smart phones, instant messages and voice over Internet (VoP) technology became commonplace, there weren’t as many options to keep in touch. You may even remember scheduled weekly phone calls to speak with your grandparents or your parents but with today’s technology, a phone call can take place anywhere and at anytime. That’s good, right? Well, maybe.

The problem is that not everyone in a family has the same comfort zone with technology and that generation gap is never more apparent than when dealing with methods of communication. Cord-cutters, especially people less than 25 years old, don’t have a “land line” phone or subscribe to cable television services – they are the generation of smart phones, WiFi and tablets. That generation is way more comfortable texting than calling and prefers to send a video clip over a wordy email. On the other end of the spectrum, many baby boomers prefer a phone call and probably still send “snail” mail. Older generations are struggling to keep up with technology in an effort to not only keep in touch with their children and grandchildren but also to maintain their own independence. The “sandwich” generation, adults caring for both children and aging parents or grandparents are trying to bridge the gap.

While there are plenty of communication apps and tech tools on the market, including FaceTime, Google Hangouts, WhatsApp, Snapchat and Skype, video conferencing and instant messaging, the process of setting up, logging in and actually using some of these options might be overwhelming for senior citizens. Most messaging apps are designed toward tech-savvy younger users but according to the Pew Research Center, 77% percentage of Americans 65 and older use cellphones and 59% of that age group use the Internet continues to rise.

The good news is that some companies are finally taking notice and trying to find solutions that bridge the generation gaps. One innovator with a lot of buzz in the tech world, Keith Kocho, a 46-year-old veteran of the technology industry and bloom bloom founder, told Mashable, “There has been a lot of technology designed for the elderly. There is no reason why the technology we use everyday shouldn’t be available to them.” Driven by his own family’s communications challenges and believing that most of the tools currently on the market are “either too dumbed down or else walled off from younger users,” Kocho’s bloom utilizes a special tablet, a wearable location-marking band and a standalone smartphone application.

Reportedly functioning as a private family social network, the tablet displays the latest photos shared by family members through the bloom application and requires just a single tap to start. The wearable band may also activate the tablet when the older family member wearing it approaches the screen as well as doubling as a fitness tracker and medical emergency response system so concerned family members can keep track of their aging parents or grandparents when away.

As Kocho explained to TechCrunch, “There are millions of people out there who are concerned about their aging parents and they shoulder the responsibility of trying to connect their parents with their children. We’ve designed bloom this way on the premise that people will wear the bloomband if it enhances the quality and frequency of their connections with their family.”

Any device or product that may help you keep in touch with your family is can be a valuable tool but please note that the staff at CalRegistry is not specifically endorsing any of the products mentioned above. While we are still a long way away from asking Star Trek’s Scotty to “beam us up” using a transporter system, instant communication is becoming more interactive and hopefully, easier to use.

If the time has come to ask for help caring for your aging loved one or if your family member is no longer able to live independently, please contact the knowledgeable staff at CalRegistry to help you find elder care services or an assisted living facility within California that is customized for your needs and budget.

SENIOR CITIZENS AS SUPERHEROES

In an age of blockbuster movies about comic book heroes with supernatural powers it is hard for any mere mortal to compete, much less aging adults who are no longer at the height of physical prowess. So it is extra special to learn about the refreshing take on senior citizens Yoni Lefevre had. According to Today.com the Dutch visual communication designer was searching for a way “to give a positive image of this aging society” and by reaching out to a group of local school children in Eindhoven, Netherlands, she discovered many children they see their grandparents as real life superheroes.

In her project, “Grey Power,” Lefevre asked the children to draw pictures of their grandparents. Armed with the colorful images, she scanned the children’s artwork to create life-sized photos. Along with Truce Gelissen and Juno Lefevre, Lefavre said she “made the suits inspired by the children’s drawings, but also to communicate this superhero view of the elderly by the children.’’
She also made props based on the drawings and asked several elderly area residents to help bring the artwork to life.

To take the project to the next level, photographer Nick Bookelaar had the senior citizens strike a pose as depicted in the children’s artwork. To further incorporate the drawings into reality, the “models” wore the playful outfits and were surrounded by cutouts from the life-sized photos Lefevre created. Project “Grey Power” turned the senior citizens into the vibrant superheroes the children visualized.

According to Lefevre, the media in the Netherlands often depict the elderly as people who are lonely are isolated rather than the way today’s senior citizens view themselves, as active and independent. This discrepancy was the inspiration behind “Grey Power.”

Both the senior citizens and they children were happy with the project. While one of the senior citizens told Lefevre it made him happy and proud to see the way the elderly were portrayed in children’s drawings, the project was best summed up by a little girl viewing the final photos, ’Wow, this grandma is really cool!’’’

To learn more about Yoni Lefevre’s “Grey Power” and to view some of Nick Bookelaar’s photos from the project, please visit Today.com.

If the time has come to ask for help caring for your aging loved one or if your family member is no longer able to live independently, please contact the knowledgeable staff at California Registry to help you find elder care services or an assisted living facility within California that is customized for your needs and budget.

AGELESS FASHIONISTAS

Age, socioeconomics, location and lifestyle; any or all of these factors play into an individual’s wardrobe but not necessarily a person’s sense of style.

“I don’t give a damn of what people think of me or the way I dress, I dress for myself because I love style and design and color.” – Bridget, a 75-year-old British woman featured in “Fabulous Fashionistas,” a television documentary. Directed by Sue Bourne and originally airing on UK Channel 4, the fifty-minute documentary explores the development of personal style as well as the lives of six women, ranging in age from 73 to 91, who are still active and engaged in life.

While each woman in the documentary lives in the UK, their backgrounds are very different with their go-to fashion sources ranging from charity stores to catalogs to high-end boutiques. So what does each of the women have in common? As the women told the UK newspaper, The Guardian, they don’t care what anyone else thinks they dress to please themselves. Bridget explains, “Style, as one gets older, is more noticeable. How I look is to do with my identity and the fun of it. It’s nothing to do with looking younger.”

Inspiring in their own right, all of featured women have aged gracefully, without Botox or plastic surgery, with Bridget focusing her time and energy fighting against ageism. Widowed almost 15 years ago, Daphne, 85, has carved out a successful career as Britain’s go-to older model when she was re-discovered at the age of 70. Despite knee surgery, Jean, 75, still runs three times a week and when she started working at Gap in 2008, she became their oldest employee. A professional choreographer who has worked on renowned West End theatre productions, such as CATS and Phantom of the Opera, Gillian, 87, started out as a ballet dancer in the 1940s and still exercises everyday. A 73-year-old originally hailing from the US, Sue originally made a name for herself as an author of low-fat cookbooks and is currently an artist and curator, frequently wearing some of her art. She wears some of her art. Notorious for giving a less than respectful salute in 2011 in the chamber, Lady Trumpington, 91, is the oldest woman in Britain’s House of Lords.

The message beyond the fashion? Live life one day at a time, do things that make you feel happy and don’t fear getting older, as one of the women summed up the philosophy, “Yes, you think about death. But you choose life.”

Watch the UK Channel 4 documentary below:

If the time has come to ask for help caring for your aging loved one or if your family member is no longer able to live independently, please contact the knowledgeable staff at California Registry to help you find elder care services or an assisted living facility within California that is customized for your needs and budget.

DON’T GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAM

What did you want to be when you grew up? Is that what you ended up doing? For one Great Depression era child, it may have taken almost 80 years but she finally realized her dream vocation, working in the predominately young workforce of Silicon Valley at the age of 91.

Now beloved and respected by her co-workers, Barbara Beskind dreamed of becoming an inventor since she was a 10-year-old little girl. More than just a childhood fantasy, Barbara tried to pursue her passion when the time came to enter college. Unfortunately, such a career was unheard of for a female at that time and a high school guidance counselor told her that women were not permitted to enroll engineering programs.

A product of her time and pragmatic by nature, she ended up serving in the U.S. Army and as an occupational therapist. As she told Jenna Bush Hager during an interview with the Today, she probably went through five careers and retired five times during her lifetime. But her passion for invention remained. Undeterred by her limited eyesight, due to macular degeneration, she decided to apply for a job with IDEO after reading about the design firm.

Although the average age of a Silicon Valley employee is 30, the firm, best known for designing the first mouse for Apple, hired Barbara. Offering valuable insight as well as practical feedback, Barbara knows it is difficult for the young designers to try to “put themselves in the shoes of the elderly. People who design for the elderly think they need jeweled pill boxes or pink canes. We need functional equipment.”

Bringing the experience that cannot be taught, Barbara still walks several miles a day using ski poles that she modified herself. She has also adapted a magnifying device to help her read the paper and has designed a modified version of a walker, which is being developed into a prototype by IDEO. Traveling to the office on Thursdays, Barbara’s arrival is heralded by a company-wide email each week and she is greeted with hugs from the moment she walks in the door. Meeting with her co-workers as she is seated on a couch, rather than in a conference room, Barbara’s focus is on projects related to aging and she often tests them out in the retirement home where she lives.

As IDEO associate partner Gretchen Addi explained, “Our culture is telling us, aging equals decline and Barbara is very solidly standing there and saying, you know, ’I’m gonna call you on that.”

To learn more about Barbara Beskind, watch her Today interview with Jenna Bush Hager below.

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If the time has come to ask for help caring for your aging loved one or if your family member is no longer able to live independently, please contact the knowledgeable staff at California Registry to help you find elder care services or an assisted living facility within California that is customized for your needs and budget.

AGING PARENTS, TIPS ON HOW TO CARE FOR THEM

If you are currently caring for your children and your aging parents, you are not alone. Welcome to the “sandwich generation.” As part of this increasing population of caregivers, it is important to make sure you take care of yourself as well as the other important people in your life and we are here to provide you with some useful tips to care for your aging parents.

To help you get started, begin by discussing your parents’ current state of health and finances as well as any plans they have for the future.

Key Questions:
Do either or both of them have a living will? If so, where is it kept? Although it is a difficult topic for everyone involved, it is important to know what his or her end-of-life medical wishes are and if the appropriate documentation is updated and available should it be needed.

What is the status of their finances? If your parents are still fully capable of caring for themselves and managing their finances, it is a good time to touch base and formulate a plan for the future. If you haven’t had a conversation about power of attorney yet or who should be the point person for helping them with their finances when the time comes, you should do so as soon as possible. It is possible your parents have an accountant or business manager who already helps them with their taxes, retirement funds and managing their monthly expenses. If that is the case, make sure you or the designed family member has all the appropriate contact information. If your parents’ manage their finances themselves, ask them (or help them) put together a document with all the necessary account numbers for their savings, checking, credit cards, pension plans, 401(k) and any other financial paperwork. If your parents pay bills online or do their banking online, make sure their login information and passwords are also recorded with the account information. Then store this information somewhere safe but accessible, such as a safe deposit box or a fireproof lockbox.

Who are their advisers? In addition to having a list of your parents’ financial advisers, as mentioned above, you should also keep an updated list of any current doctors, lawyers and spiritual advisers. A primary care physician may just be one of the doctors involved in currently caring for an older adult. Depending upon an individual’s health, one or more medical specialists may be involved in treatment.

It’s never too soon to put things in order.
According to Huffington Post, Medicaid generally requires financial records for the past five-year years to see if any money is being hidden or given away. If your parents own a home or have valuable assets, consider talking to an attorney about transferring ownership or establishing a trust at least five years before your parents might apply for Medicaid. Otherwise, you might be forced to sell the house to cover elder care expenses.

Decide who should have power of attorney.
Most companies, including health insurance, hospitals and banks will need to see a power of attorney before sharing information with anyone beyond the primary point of contact on the account. That may even include spouses and family members, so speak with an attorney about the best options for your family.

Keep track of paperwork and important documents.
If one isn’t already in place, create a filing system for the copious amounts of paperwork that will become part of your daily life. Not only will this help you put your hands on information quickly and easily in case of emergency, it will help you keep your finances and records separate from your parents. In addition to medical, financial and monthly expenses, keep your parents dates of birth and Social Security numbers secure but accessible as well; you’ll be asked for those often.

Take care of yourself.
Whether it is having a glass of wine with a friend, reading a book, going to the movies or spending an afternoon at a spa, make sure you set aside some “me” time. You and your dependents will be better off if you can escape for a little while. It can be difficult to carve out time for yourself but whatever it is you like to do, find some time to do it.

If the time has come when you or a family member can no longer maintain an independent lifestyle, please contact the knowledgeable staff at CalRegistry. We are here to help you find elder care services or an assisted living facility within California that is customized for your needs and financial situation.

COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT AGING

“You’re only as old as you think you are” may be more than just a motivating cliché. Your personal attitude and cultural expectations toward aging may play a bigger role than we think. While getting older certainly beats the alternative, today’s senior citizens’ are more physically and mentally active than ever before. While genes, health, economics and many other factors influence how we age, the Today show recently reported that “science has dispelled a number of these, including the biggest myth of all: that we have no say in how well we age.”

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Misconception: Older adults are frail and weak
Reality: Men and women may continue to build muscle into their 90s, especially if they participate in regular weight lifting routines. According to Clinical Nutrition Journal, “older, healthy people should get at least 1.0 to 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day.” Keep in mind that older people will need more recovery time between workouts and may need to consume more protein if serious weight lifting is part of the training regime.

Maintaining a diet higher in protein than carbs as well as lifting weights regularly can help prevent the loss of muscle mass (sarcopenia). In turn, injuries common to older adults, such as falls, increased body fat, broken bones and overall frailty, may be delayed or prevented by keeping your body as strong as possible.

Misconception: Your sex life is over after menopause
Reality: While it is true that as we age, the levels of our sex hormones decline resulting in a decline in our sex drive. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean older adults do not want to engage or are incapable of engaging in sex. Using a sampling of Americans aged 57-85 from the National Social Life, Health and Aging Project, The Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences reported that “41.4 percent of those ages 75-85 who had a sexual partner had sex during the last year, according to a study published in 2009. Of those, 54 percent had it 2-3 times per month or more.”

Misconception: Senior citizens have no short-term memory
Reality: Just like our physical health, our mental capabilities decline with age. However, just like our other muscles can be strengthen with exercise and activity, so can our brain. In addition to keeping our minds active and engaged through social interactions, reading and cognitive stimulation, such as puzzles and games, physical activity can help as well, particularly cardiovascular exercise. Aerobic exercise helps keep blood vessels supple, improving blood flow throughout the body, including to the brain. In fact, the journal Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, recently reported a study by a French team of scientists found that higher levels of aerobic fitness in older women were related to better cognitive performance.

Misconception: Old people are grumpy
Reality: Some people are grumpy regardless of age but overall, studies have found that adults are more satisfied with life as they age. This phenomenon is known as the paradox of well-being. Of course, it is easier to be happy if you are in good health and have a strong network of support, including frequent contact with friends and family.

Misconception: Old people are very slow
Reality: Yes and no. People do slow down as they get older primarily due to an overall decline in physical fitness. However, “a study of runners from the University of New Hampshire in 2011 showed that older runners (over 60) were slower than younger ones” but “older runners were just as efficient, meaning their strides were just as economical, as younger runners. So while they might not win a marathon, they can keep going and going.” There’s something to be said for endurance over speed, right?

When the time has come to care for your aging loved one or your family member is no longer able to live independently, please contact the knowledgeable staff at CalRegistry to help you find elder care services or an assisted living facility within California that is customized for your situation.

GENDER GAP STILL THERE FOR ELDER CARE

Despite Title 9 and the Equal Pay Act as well as significant strides made in women’s rights and gender roles, it turns out things still haven’t changed that much for American women when it comes to caring for the home and family. While many men do actively participate in childcare and housework, women are still primarily responsible for both.

In addition, woman also spend more time caring for their aging parents too, according to a research study presented in August 2014 during an annual meeting of the American Sociological Association in San Francisco. Looking specifically at spouses, Princeton University doctoral student and author of the study, Angelina Grigoryeva, found that each spouse generally tends to care for his or her own parents. However, once siblings are factored in, the equality of elder care shifts. Analyzing data collected from University of Michigan Health and Retirement Study, Grigoryeva discovered that daughters provide an average of 12.3 hours of elder care per month, while sons provide 5.6 hours per month.

Quoted in Time, she said, “the results suggest that daughters try to provide as much care as they can, while sons only step in when there’s nobody else to do it.” However, she also points out, “the difference between elder care and housework is that the former is very hands-on, and often requires intimacy, so mothers might tend to prefer to be helped by their daughters rather than their sons.”

Another factor to consider is that since women out live men, there are more elderly females to care for overall, potentially contributing to skewed statistics. So while there is an increasing global dialogue about the aging population, who will care for the elderly still seems to primarily fall on female family members.

When the time has come to care for your aging loved one or your family member is no longer able to live independently, please let California Registry help you. The knowledgeable staff at CalRegistry will help you find elder care services or an assisted living facility within California that is customized for your situation.

EMPLOYER ELDER CARE BENEFITS

A growing trend, approximately 40 million Americans between the ages of 40 to 59 are involved in caring for at least one elderly parent. According to a Pew Research study, the majority of caregivers are women, although almost 45% are men, who assist an elderly parent with the daily living tasks. To add to the time challenges and stressors involved in caring for an early relative, AARP research reports that most caregivers have jobs and approximately 70% of those are obliged to “make workplace adjustments,” such as arriving to work late or leaving early.

Unfortunately, according to the 2014 Employee Benefits Survey from the Society for Human Resources Management, only 5% of U.S. employers offer a referral service to employees looking for eldercare resources and less than 1% of U.S. employers offer elder care benefits such as geriatric counseling or emergency eldercare services.

Whether or not your employer is legally obligated to accommodate your conflicting responsibilities of family and work is not a given. While the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) states that employers must keep your job open for your return should you need to take an unpaid leave of absence to deal with family issues, it may not apply in every situation. And sometimes, the time off may be intermittent, rather than continual, meaning, someone may need to take small but frequent “time off”, such as coming in15 minutes later or taking a longer lunch break.

An evolving area of legal protection, 77 million Baby Boomers are heading into old age themselves while still working into their 70s and simultaneously caring for their parents who are in their 90s.

The added stress to working caregivers costs U.S. employers an estimated $17 billion to $34 billion, according to a 2010 report from MetLife due to employees lost productivity, absenteeism and higher medical expenses for the caregivers. Such an expense is something lawmakers and employers, will have to start recognizing.

If your employer doesn’t offer elder care benefits through an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), or if you are not sure if it does, contact your company’s human resources department. Many company’s and supervisors are willing to work out flexible hours with a valued employee rather than loose them. So don’t suffer in silence, there may be more help available than you realize.

If you need additional help determining what type of care is most suitable for yourself or your family member, please contact the knowledgeable staff at California Registry to help you find elder care services or an assisted living facility within California that is customized for your situation.

SHOULD ELDER CARE FACILITIES HAVE TO SECURE FAMILY CONSENT…

Who determines what treatment is in the best interest of the patient? For children, it is usually the parents who review options with a doctor and then sign off on an informed consent form before medical treatment is continued. Once an individual turns 18, he or she is given the right to make decisions for themselves and eventually, their children or if necessary, a spouse.

But, who has the final say in certain medical treatments given to the elderly who have dementia or Alzheimer’s? If the aging adult is living with a family member, has signed a medical or health care proxy, then a designated person to make medical decisions on behalf of the aging adult is more clear cut. However, who has the final say regarding medical treatment if a Dementia or Alzheimer’s patient is living in a nursing home or another long-care facilities? The resident doctor? A family member? A nurse?

Unfortunately, anger and violent episodes can be a symptom of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease and a commonly accepted method of treating this behavior is through anti-psychotropic drugs. However, such drugs may have side-effects, such as seizures, in dementia patients.

According to a recent article in Sentinel & Enterprise, some Massachusetts family members with loved ones suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s are concerned that nursing staff in long-term care facilities may oversubscribe anti-psychotropic drugs, without a family’s consent, to reduce disruptive behaviors among patients. In an effort to regulate the use of these types of drugs in nursing homes and elder care facilities, Massachusetts legislators have been petitioned to strengthen the laws around informed consent of anti-psychotic drugs for patients in nursing homes and long-term care facilities, requiring the facilities to “receive informed written consent from a patient’s family, guardian or health-care proxy if doctors prescribe psychotropic medications to a patient, under an amendment added to the Senate budget” in May 2014.

It is important to note that the debate is not about the effectiveness of the prescription drugs with these types of patients, but centers around informed consent and who determines what is in the best interest of the patient. While “Alzheimer’s Association of Massachusetts spokeswoman Betsy Campbell said the organization has been watching the use of these medications for years, and advocating for families to be informed when they are prescribed,” according to Sentinel & Enterprise, Dr. James Ellison, the director of the geriatric psychiatry at McLean Hospital, conveyed the concerns psychiatrists have about consent requirements because “managing behavioral and psychiatric symptoms for patients with dementia is critical to caring for them and optimizing their quality of life. It is problematic if that process becomes very cumbersome.”

If your loved one has been diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer’s, talk to the primary care doctor about treatment options so that you and your family have an understanding about what types of treatments are available, why certain drugs are being used or may be prescribed in the future. If your family member is currently residing in a long-term care facility or may be moving to one soon, make sure you talk to the doctors or psychiatrists as well as nursing staff to make a game plan that gives the family informed consent but doesn’t tie the hands of the primary caregivers to effectively care for their patients.

For assistance locating elder care services or if the time has come when you or a family member is no longer able to live independently, contact California Registry to discuss the options and learn about assisted living services and facilities throughout California.

TALKING ABOUT ELDER CARE OPTIONS

While no one really enjoys talking about aging, the loss of independence or elder care needs, it is usually better to initiate a conversation with your aging loved ones sooner rather than later. How do you know when the time is right? There will probably not be a perfect time to talk about elder care options but knowing your family’s financial options and personal preferences before there is an urgent need for critical care or a diagnosis of a progressive disease.
Some Questions to Ask

• Would it be possible to hire medical professionals or bring paid caregivers into the elder’s home?
• Do you need to consider placing the elder in an assisted living or nursing home?
• Does the aging family member have a will or a health care proxy?

How to Start the Conversation
Although it might seem awkward or intrusive, discussing elder care options before there is a need, although many people do not do so. One way to start the difficult conversation would be to mention a friend or neighbor in a similar situation and how they are handling it. Another way to introduce the sensitive topic in a impersonal way would be to bring up an article about gaining in America or new options in caring for the elderly. While more than one conversation may be likely, once the subject is brought up, it may be somewhat of a relief for both the younger and older generation.

Who Should be Involved in the Discussion?
Try not to make a difficult discussion even more complicated by making the elder family member feel overwhelmed by having too many people participate. The conversation should be as non-confrontational and as caring as possible. Your family dynamics will help determine who should be involved in the discussion as well as the elder’s personality, marital status, gender and overall health. Conversations about elder care may include the elder’s:

• Spouse
• Adult children
• A favorite family member, such as a niece or nephew
• Sibling(s)
• If necessary, the primary doctor or other respected professional, such as an attorney, to help facilitate the conversation and answer related questions

Set the Stage and Guide the Conversation
Knowing that this will be an emotionally loaded conversation it is important to try to make everyone as comfortable as possible before you begin, so consider what would be the most comfortable environment for your aging loved one. Perhaps there is a certain room or location, such as the garden, where the senior feels most comfortable and that setting would help him or her feel more at ease. Also consider the best time of day to discuss your concerns and for the elder to share his/her thoughts. Many older adults frequently tire out by late afternoon or early evening and if that is the case, try to meet in the morning. In addition to setting the stage, know what topics might need to be discussed:

• Begin by introducing small changes and decisions that will help the elder’s quality of life
• Be direct and specific about your concerns as well as your suggestions for potential next steps and invite ideas for alternative solutions.
• If it is necessary, don’t be afraid to introduce the concept that an “expert” will be brought in for an assessment to help determine the current level of care needed as well as to evaluate and suggest options for future care needs. A social worker or occupational therapist would be able to assess the elder’s ability to do daily tasks while also making practical suggestions to make the current living environment easier and safer.

Dealing with Denial
It can be stressful for anyone to deal with the challenges of growing older and it is not uncommon for family members and/or the elder to be in denial. As a result, one of more family members may refuse to admit there are any problems, especially in the early stages of decline. If there isn’t an urgent need to change the care environment, be patient and know that it is unlikely everything will be resolved with just one conversation. Just introducing the subject and working toward solutions for future elder care needs should be considered a major step. As the elder’s physical and mental capacities change, the conversation should continue. Remember to be supportive and sympathetic about the potential loss of independence the elder is facing and work together to find a solution.

Remember to Listen
Instead of declaring what changes need to occur, remember to listen the elder’s concerns and idea for solutions. Losing your independence is a common fear for many elders. Keeping that concern in mind and encouraging the elder to participate in the plans for the future should help make a difficult situation a little bit easier.

For assistance locating elder care services or if the time has come when you or a family member is no longer able to live independently, contact California Registry to discuss the options and learn about assisted living services and facilities within California.