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Are you a full time caregiver for your senior spouse, mother, or father? Are they the number one priority in your life? If so, this article is a life alert with critical information for you. When you fly on any airline, the flight attendant explains in the safety briefing that if you are flying with a child and the cabin loses pressure you must put the oxygen mask on yourself first. The reason is that you must have the needed oxygen to be able to help your child. The same reason applies to your caregiver status of the senior in your life. You must be the top priority. Caregiving is one of the most stressful roles in life, and statistics tell us that in 64% of situations caregivers pass away before the one they are caring for. Assisted Transition has Certified Senior Advisors that can help guide solutions to needed “oxygen” at no cost to you or your family.
From information such as support groups to learning about adult day care, respite stays in loving communities, to steps in preparation for a transition plan to assisted living, help is available. A call to Assisted Transition at 352-356-8127 will allow you to schedule a free consultation in your home or in the local Assisted Transition office. You will meet a compassionate trained advisor who understands the stress level of caregiving, and knows every person is unique. A trademarked Transition Plan includes discovery, design and delivery, and contacts for several of the appropriate experts needed for the custom designed plan are introduced. The time period it covers can be months or years, but importantly all the health, financial, and social considerations are reviewed, all at no cost to you or your family. A National Alliance for Caregivers exists due to the estimated 26 to 44 million caregivers in the USA. 65% of care recipients are female and the average age is 75. The average duration of care covers 4.3 years, but 30% of caregivers report they have been providing care for more than 5 years.
Added stress to caregivers is an intensified effort to contain health care costs with shortened hospital stays in the USA. Last year the average stay in hospitals was less than half the average in 1970. Medication regimens have grown exponentially and technological advances require more sophisticated monitoring. Many seniors are uncomfortable with asking for help, and often try to deal with the grief of physical decline by themselves, especially men. Worries over depleting their financial resources are coupled with a fear of losing their dignity or control. Family dynamics can make the recognition of need and family discussion about it an additional obstacle to overcome. Caregiving is one person giving care to another, and it is the backbone of the long term care system in the USA, even if caregivers do not recognize themselves as caregivers. When encountering disruptive behavior, or resistance to performing acts of care, recognizing the effect of aging is important. As demands increase, the involvement of additional caregivers in the family or community is a necessity.
Assisted Transition is located at 711 North 3rd Street, suite 3 in Leesburg FL. They can be contacted at 352-356-8127 or on the web at www.assistedtransition.com/TheVillagestoTheGulf. They are active in social media, so check out and “like” the Facebook page (ATVillagestoGulf), or tweet to @asttransition. Caregivers report that having someone to listen, helping them organize their thinking, and to reassure them is a valuable service. The Certified Senior Advisors at Assisted Transition also provides education about resources, organizations, and terminology. They are hosting a Senior Advocacy Symposium on May 22nd from 9:00 am until 2:30 pm to provide added presentations by experts in senior care issues .If you pre-register at 352-356-8127 the Symposium will be free of charge.
David and Angela Wilkins serve the Central Florida living and care placement needs of seniors. They focus on the growing retirement communities of The Villages and the surrounding towns and cities stretching to the Gulf of Mexico. Their office is in Leesburg, Florida and they can be reached at 352-356-8127.
Both are Certified Senior Advisors® with a passion for compassionate education of the life stages seniors go through, a term we call transitions. David has his MBA and came from a corporate marketing background. Angela was previously a certified elementary school teacher. Both have lost their parents and lived through the health concerns that have taken the lives of one of David’s sisters and his only brother. Those experiences and serving as an ordained Deacon responsible for multiple widows has shaped their worldview.
