Alongside Mental Health Awareness, the month of May is known in the United States as Older Americans Month. It is a special observance each year. Every May, the Administration on Aging, part of the Administration for Community Living, leads our nation’s observance of Older American’s Month. You may be wondering what this has to do with a parenting blog. The truth is, now more than ever, the amount of homes that include multiple generations has increased to new highs. It could be due to economic reasons, illness, childcare, or cultural norms. According to Kaiser Health News, a multigenerational household is a “home where individuals from 2 or more generations reside, such as an elder and a grandchild.” The Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated these transitions as many have lost their homes, spouses, or ability to function independently.
Parenting can become incredibly challenging as you also become a caregiver to an older family member.
Here are some tips for handling the transition
1. Communicate
Discuss the new living situation with everyone that lives in your household. Be sure that everyone, including young children, knows what the new living arrangement will look like. Discuss rules and boundaries and things that seem as simple as sleeping habits. Older adults may wake earlier and go to bed much earlier than teenagers or even young children; some suffer from sundowner syndrome, confusing as the evening hours come. It may be necessary to implement some quiet hours or a new schedule so that everyone in the home will be well-rested.
2. Get help
It depends on the age and needs of your loved one. Consider hiring someone to help. Utilize appropriated assets or insurance benefits to make your routine easier. Long-term care insurance plans sometimes cover the cost of private duty care, allowing you to hire a licensed individual to assist with activities of daily living, such as baths, dressing, and light meal prep. They can even go shopping, run errands and escort clients to doctor’s appointments. In Fort Lauderdale, FL, Schwartz Family Home Care has provided such care for over 20 years. They can arrange care in the home, hospital, or assisted living facility by a Registered Nurse, Home Health Aide, or Homemaker/Companion depending on the level of care needed.
As a Registered Nurse herself, owner Mindy even provides Case Management Services, while her husband Howard handles the behind-the-scenes work to get the right staff to your doorstep. Hiring a dependable, trustworthy private duty agency is just as important as selecting the right doctors and specialists. Agencies like Schwartz Family Health Care can lessen the burden on family members and can even improve and prolong the life of those they care for.
3. Alternative options
At some point, you may realize that living under one roof and providing 24-hour hands-on care can be too much to handle, especially if working from home or dealing with the younger children in your household. Consider other options such as adult daycare, assisted living facilities, or nursing homes. Consult with a Case Manager, like those offered at Schwartz Family Home Care to discover available resources or Utilize a placement counselor to help you search. It is a great way to target the living situation that works best for your family without doing all of the research yourself. Placement Counselors act as realtors specializing in Facilities for seniors. The facility compensates them at no cost to you or your family.
4. Take care of yourself
Don’t forget self-care! Statistics show that caregivers many times become ill more frequently than those they are providing care for. Take breaks when you need to, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Seek professional help if necessary and always remember the whys. It is easy to get lost in your loved ones’ daily needs, and/or diagnosis’ forgetting the reasons you decided to become their caregiver in the first place.
When you are looking for the best care for your loved ones, it is essential to find a place that is trusted and is active in the community. It is necessary that your research is being conducted ahead of time and you are not feeling pressured to make a decision right away. Many families feel comfortable going to a family-owned and operated home health care registry because the interaction is definitely personable. Schwartz Family Home Care is located in Broward and focuses on each families customized needs. They concentrate on referring you to caregivers that meet your needs. As a state-licensed nurses registry, they specialize in the screening and credentialing of nurses, nurse’s aides and companions, for referral to clients in their homes, hospitals, nursing homes, or assisted living facilities in Dade, Broward and Palm Beach.
Mindy Schwartz RN MS
Howard Schwartz MBA
4800 N State Road 7, Suite 101F
Lauderdale Lakes, Florida 33319
Phone: (954) 598-2000 or (561) 819-0888
Fax: (954) 598-2002
