Caring for an Aging America Act (S. 1095) Critical to Address Workforce Shortage to Care for Older Adults

May 27, 2011

Eldercare Workforce Alliance Praises Leadership of Senators Boxer (D-CA), Collins (R-ME), Kohl (D-WI) and Sanders (I-VT)

Washington, D.C. — The Eldercare Workforce Alliance praises Sens. Boxer (D-CA), Collins (R-ME) and Kohl (D-WI), and Sanders (I-VT) for introducing the Caring for an Aging America Act (S. 1095). If enacted, the bill, which is endorsed by the Alliance, recognizes the importance of ensuring that the healthcare workforce is prepared to meet the needs of the nation’s growing population of older adults.

This year the first baby boomers turned 65 years old and by 2029 this group will total an estimated 70 million people, far outpacing our current health care system’s capacity to care for them. The Caring for an Aging America Act will attract health professionals to the field of geriatrics and gerontology by providing them with loan repayment opportunities in exchange for agreeing to work in underserved areas.

"This bill codifies loan forgiveness for health professionals who pursue geriatrics and gerontology training into law. This is critical to recruiting the next generation of health professionals with specialized training in care of older adults. It will help us to ensure that America's frailest elders receive high quality, well-coordinated, interdisciplinary team care," said Nancy Lundebjerg, C.O.O. of the American Geriatrics Society and co-convener of the Alliance. “We commend Senators Boxer, Collins, and Kohl for their leadership on this bill and foresight to invest in a well-trained health care workforce with the skills to care for older adults.”

This bipartisan bill expands the Health Resources and Services Administration’s National Health Service Corps Program to include primary health care professionals with training in geriatrics and gerontology.

"Supporting health professionals who go into geriatrics and gerontology is also supporting family caregivers, who increasingly rely upon the specialized expertise and training of these eldercare professionals," Kathy Kelly, Executive Director of the Family Caregiver Alliance, headquartered in San Francisco.

“By introducing this bill, Sen. Boxer, Kohl, Sanders, and Collins are alerting their fellow members of Congress that there is a critical need to address the elder care workforce shortage by emphasizing the importance of having training in geriatrics and gerontology. I am hopeful that this bill will lead to future congressional action and creation of additional incentives to encourage people to enter into the geriatrics field in order to improve older adults’ access to trained providers," said geriatrician Dr. Jabbar Fazeli from Falmouth, Maine.

The positions of the Eldercare Workforce Alliance reflect a consensus of 75 percent or more of its members. These endorsements reflect the consensus of the Alliance and do not necessarily represent the position of individual Alliance member organizations.

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Aging Parents and Elder Care

Any caregiver, either a professional or a close relative can face many challenges when faced with taking care of an elderly person, or parent. This can be especially difficult if a crisis develops with the person.

Maybe your mother has fallen and broken a bone, and requires urgent hospital attention, followed by rehabilitation in a nursing home. Maybe you are the only member of your family in a position to help, or have been ‘elected’ by your family as the best suited person to carry out the caring role.

If this kind of situation develops, then decisions have to be made quickly in relation to the elderly person being cared for .in terms of what to do next. Following the necessary hospital treatment, what kind of after care does the person need? Is physical therapy required? What types of medicine will need to be administered?

It is important for the caregiver to be fully acquainted with the medical condition of the senior person on leaving hospital. It is better to discuss such matters with the doctor or obtain information relevant to the condition from the internet. There are many books available which will help the caregiver, and equally many organizations which will happily give advice and help with the caring situation.

At this stage it is advisable for the prime caregiver to meet with the rest of the family, try to get as many other members involved as possible. This will ensure that the entire family is agreeable to any decisions which have been made by you.

All families have people with different personalities and values. It is essential that everyone is in agreement with the plans and decisions made by the prime caregiver in relation to his or her mental well being, and the welfare of the aged person.

If the condition of the person being cared for is serious, then the care giver, in conjunction with the family, should ensure that all of the personal documents belonging to the person are up to date, and safely secured.

The questions need to be answered in terms of a last will and testament, which will clearly define the disposal of the assets of the aged person. Has a person been positively named who will ensure that the wishes of the person will be carried out? Has the elderly person expressed his or her desires as to just how an end of life situation should be dealt with?

The matters relating to the health insurance of the elderly should be investigated, and that powers of attorney have been correctly designated for the administration of on going finances, and health care procedures.

Sadly, in many families, quarrels develop over money matters, and it is vital for both the comfort of the caregiver, and the well being of the aged person that all such matters are clearly defined and settled in every ones mind.? If there is any confusion with regard to these matters then it is often best to consult an Attorney who specializes in elderly care law.

Tags: Care, Caregiver, Challenges, Crisis, Decisions, Elder4ly Person, Family, Hospital, Money, Need, Parent, Personal Documents, Personalities, Relative, Testament, Treatment

Aging Depression And The Wonders of Home Care

Depression is a prevalent problem that a majority of seniors face. It may be attributed to particular changes in the lives of the elderly that may be at some point, hard to accept. Depression may be caused by any health problem, specially a chronic illness that has caused severe pain to the affected person. It can also be brought about by emotional weakness or feelings of dependence or helplessness. This is due to the fact that most people who are in the latter years of their lives experience physical difficulties or limitations that make them frustrated.

Depression can also be triggered by feelings of loneliness especially when your aging parent has stopped seeing other people, friends or family members. It can also be due to anxiety over death or financial problems. And most of all, it can be caused by the loss of a loved one, spouse, friend or even pets. Depression is not a normal part of aging and is something that should be taken care of immediately. Some families even seek home care providers to assist their elderly loved ones everyday and ensure that all their needs are provided.

Depression can affect all aspects of our lives negatively. A depressed senior actually becomes more prone to sickness. Signs of depression may include difficulty sleeping, memory issues, irritability, loss of appetite or decrease in weight, being socially withdrawn, feelings of guilt and hopelessness, too much preoccupation and inability to function. As we can see, these signs may as well be symptoms brought about by other illnesses. That's why in order to be sure, have your senior diagnosed by a psychiatrist or psychologist for you to be able to help him go through this phase.

For those seniors who are taken care of at home, there are a lot of ways that family members can help. Home care providers are also experts on how to handle and take care of people with senior depression. For loved ones, always offer emotional support. Treat your elderly not only as a patient but as someone who needs more compassion and understanding. Do not get mad or criticize the person when certain feelings are shown. They need all the love they can get especially from their own family members and friends.

Home care can help a lot in alleviating the negative feelings of depressed seniors. First of all, there will always be a companion who can be with the patient everyday. Being with someone, even if the carer is not family by blood, will lessen the patient's loneliness. With this kind of set up, seniors will also be assisted on everyday chores and activities that can prevent them from getting frustrated had they done these things themselves and failed. Just remember to be very careful who to get as your seniors' caregivers as we never want to risk their safety.

Help lessen your senior's depression. Experience how home care helps in relieving stress and providing your loved ones with the right amount of care.

Aging Resources - Enjoying Life and Keeping Your Aging Body Protected At the Same Time

Let's face it, none of us are going to stay young forever, it's that simple, we grow up, we get old and that is the simple facts of life. That doesn't mean we need to give up the minute we finally realize that there is no way of stopping the aging process! Heck no! Take care of yourself the best that you can so that you can continue to enjoy life in the face of aging.

It's important that you do some sort of exercise as often as you can handle it. Some people when they age have no problems and can pretty much continue with heavy duty exercise, but others may have limitations and that's OK too. Even the smallest amount of exercise on a regular basis is better than none at all.

Make sure that you eat good. It's important that you try and maintain a balanced diet one that is filled with fruits, veggies, different kinds of nuts and seeds and fish oil or omega 3 acids. Some of the best things you can include in your diet are foods like spinach, garlic and blueberries. These are great antioxidants and help to fight the free radicals in your body that speed up the aging process. Note to remember, the more colorful the fruit or the vegetable is the better chance that it has a higher antioxidant content.

Other good foods for your body and a healthy brain are foods with high fatty acids, some of those foods are fish, nuts, olive oil and avocados. They are also a great source of vitamin E and some think they will help to ward off diseases like Alzheimer's.

Drink lots of fluids. Not just water either, although a good amount of water is required for anyone to stay healthy, but feel free to add coffee, tea and fresh juice to the mix. You should however try to avoid sodas with sugar, prepared juice and keep the alcohol consumption to a minimum.

Water is great for digestion and getting rid of the toxins in our bodies and coffee and caffeinated teas have wonderful antioxidant agents in them that not only fights the free radicals but also helps to increase our cognitive thinking. The herbal teas are good for digestion as well and some of them tend to help calm the nerves as well and boost your immune system.

Continue to learn. You are never too old to learn something new. It can be said that to stop learning is to stop living. Make sure that you do a lot of different things that will help to stimulate your brain. Continue to read new books, take classes that you never would have taken when you were younger because you simply didn't have the time. Work crosswords or Sudoku, play a variety of different games that will help stimulate your keep your mind challenged.

Get rid of stress in your life. Stress is one of the most toxic elements around that will make you sick. It's one of the worst things you can do for your heart especially and is known to raise the blood pressure higher and quicker than anything else.

Find ways to relieve stress. Take time off by yourself and just listen to soothing music, or sit in the backyard and listen to the birds sing. Learn to meditate or take some extra time out to pray. Whatever has a calming affect on you, you need to do it so that you can ward off the stress in your life.

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