CARING FOR AN AGING FAMILY
After making and setting out breakfast every morning, you help everyone get ready for the day. From brushing their hair to making sure teeth are clean and clothes are appropriate, the day is already long before the official work day has even begun. For the sandwich generation, the each day involves getting their children, their parents and themselves ready to face the day.
While your daughter may need help with her homework, your mother may need assistance with managing her medications and getting choosing her clothes. Focusing on what each family member can do for themselves and how they can help another family member is key to getting through the day. Knowing if a parent or child can not be left alone become a driving force to organizing work schedules and responsibilities.
For an increasing number of homes across the United States, the individuals in their 30s and 40s have become combination of nurse and nanny for their children as well as their parents. For those in their 50s or 60s, instead of taking advantage an empty nest or their own retirement, they are caring for their parents. Dreams of traveling or spending free time as they wish disappear with the responsibilities of caring for both adult children who have not been able to find employment and aging parents who need help.
Some families are fortunate enough to share the responsibilities amongst several caregivers, which may even bring the whole family closer together. Others can afford professional assistance but most often, the daily tasks fall on one person. Senior centers and adult day care can provide support but can cost more than $100 a day. Social Security may help pay for some of those expenses but not all of it and the relentlessness of the routine responsibilities can feel wearing. Keeping a family together as long as possible is desirable and there are many options for home care assistance before the time has come to consider an assisted-living facility.
Working with a professional elder care company can help alleviate some of the stress of a difficult situation by providing prescreening and background checks for all employees. Hiring a private caregiver can be less expensive in the short term but you will be responsible for performing background checks and meeting tax requirements, since you are hiring them as an employee. 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.