hospice salisbury

“When my mother was in the hospice home after her stroke, one of the things that truly brightened her day was a visit from the dogs that come with their owners to volunteer, visiting the patients,” said Jeanne Milholland.

Conflicting demands on your heart, time, and energy can make it hard to care for an aging relative. If this sounds familiar, you could benefit from the services of a care manager. A care manager provides relief. They work with you and your family member to develop a realistic care plan. The goal of the plan is to maximize your loved one's independence, safety, and quality of life. A solid care plan addresses family resources. This includes making sure you are not called upon to do more than you are able.

One of the comforts at a time of death is knowing you are memorializing your relative according to his or her wishes. But there can be discomfort in bringing up the topic for discussion in advance. Getting started Choose a time when both of you are relaxed and don’t have other pressing business. Use a soft start to bring up the subject.

When you read about "successful aging," the focus is often how well an elder has maintained physical health. How mentally sharp he or she has remained. How much he or she has stayed socially engaged. Without doubt, studies link seniors' quality of life with physical, mental, and social activity. But what happens when your loved one loses the ability to pursue physical exercise? When social options are limited by lack of transportation? When memory problems make it harder to engage with favorite hobbies or interests?

It’s a fact that scam artists prey on older adults. Scammers steal and use identifying information to obtain cash, make purchases, and/or open new accounts for services. Your family member may be completely unaware that his or her identity has been stolen. Watch for signs of identity theft:

As a family caregiver, you probably hold yourself to a very high standard. You expect yourself to react with kindness and patience at all times, no matter how unpleasant or inconvenient the task. Compassionate caring is a high ideal for family caregivers. But some days are admittedly better than others. And then comes the self-criticism and guilt!

Elder law attorneys focus on issues concerning aging and illness. They provide expert advice so their clients are not caught unprepared. They also create legal documents to protect their clients' wishes and rights. An elder law attorney can help with

Aging brings with it many losses. Some seniors feel enraged by these changes, and others are terrified by the lack of control. Sadly, when people feel backed into a corner, they often "let fly" with the safest person: the caregiving family member. If spending time with your relative leaves you feeling worthless, picked on, or controlled, that’s cause for concern. And action. In the extreme, your relative’s angry or controlling behavior may constitute emotional abuse:

In the context of serious illness, one's greatest fear is that the condition will be fatal. Feelings of hopelessness are common-and a life without hope is grim indeed. The challenge of terminal illness is to learn to live with dying, to find purpose and meaning even in the face of a limited future. Without purpose, you risk the death of emotions while you are still alive. Even if a condition is incurable, it is possible to have hope. It's simply that your definition of hope must change.

Has your loved one ever flatly rejected your perfectly sensible solution to their problem? Though your idea may seem like the obvious route to take, it’s not so simple when you’re caring for an older adult. Your loved one has had a lifetime of making his or her own choices. If a decision must be made, start with one simple principle: Take your eye off the goal. Focus on the process instead. We all want to be treated like people rather than like a project in need of completion.