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The Knee Bone's Connected To ...

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Such a face! Daddy Bones@ age 12, gracing the book's cover.

How to Keep Your Sanity Intact When a Loved One Needs a Nursing Home

It’s estimated that more than 50 million people provide care for a chronically ill, disabled or aged family member or friend during any given year.

Studies show that extremely stressed caregivers can age or die prematurely.

“Bette Davis said ‘old age is no place for sissies,’ but caring for an older loved one isn’t for the feint of heart, either,” says Bones. “I loved my dad and we were very close, but the strain of ‘putting’ him in a nursing home was so overwhelming for all of us that I felt like I was on the edge of a nervous breakdown.”

Becoming aware of some of the don’ts” of long-term care can make daily life easier for nursing home residents and for their family caretakers,” she notes.

Bones offers some key examples from her Nursing Home Checklist:

· Ask clergy, family, and friends - especially those in the health care field - to recommend outstanding nursing homes.

· When touring a nursing home, ask other visitors for frank feedback about the facility. Don’t just inspect the “sample” room, look into residents’ rooms to check for cleanliness.

· Assure your loved one that you will be their ongoing advocate.

· Visit your loved one often and at varying times of the day - and night. This alerts all of the caregivers that you are keeping an eye on your loved one.

· Get to know the staff, especially your loved one’s immediate caregivers.

· Thank the employees for the thankless job that they do.

· Put your loved one’s name on all their belongings, including clothes and personal products. Never leave money or valuables in their room.

· Place a quilt, photos and other small touches to create a “homey” room.

· Put a brief bio and picture of your loved one at the entrance of their room to “introduce” them to staff and visitors.

. Bring old photos when you visit your loved one - it will give you something to look at if conversation lags.

. Bring different edible treats to spice-up the resident's menu.

Monday

Jan042010

Study the Studies

Monday, January 4, 2010 at 04:14PM

Have you ever noticed that there are some seriously ridiculous studies going on in the world?

Scholarly folks love to study the most outlandish subjects (such as the largest squid known to mankind, a 26-foot- long squid corpse found off the coast of New Zealand) or topics (such as why microwaving sponges to kill germs may not be such a great idea because it can also cause the cleaning device to burst into flames).

Today I read of a new study that shows texting while driving is even more risky than talking on a cell phone while behind the wheel.

Really? You needed an investigative team to prove that hypothesis? Most of us ordinary schmuck could figure out that one. Yes, yes, I'm sure they needed the hard facts to back up their proclamation, but instead of obtaining a grant, interviewing participants and pouring over pages and pages of statistics, couldn't the scientists just call a meeting, take a quick vote and have the head honcho conclude,"Heck, YEAH, when you're driving, texting is more dangerous than cell phone talking. I almost ended up in a ditch off the highway when I tried to text you that I was running late for this meeting!" It sure would save a bunch of time and money.

But that won't happen. Trust me, stay alert and you too can identify this decade's Really Stupid Study.

Next thing you know - Heaven Forbid - they'll sanction a study trying to pinpoint the detrimental effects of blogs on the hemispheres of the human brain.

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