When comedian Jay Leno recently took a tumble while on tour in Pennsylvania, breaking his wrist and bruising his face, it not only disrupted his dinner plans, but may impact the care he gives his wife, Mavis, who has dementia. For Leno — who took the stage as scheduled — and for other caregivers, the show must go on.
Leno’s accident may serve as a crucial reminder: Caregivers get injured and sick, too. They have heart attacks and strokes; they get cancer and dementia; they get sidelined by flu, COVID-19 and broken bones.
Here is how you can have a back up plan B, C, & D!
Assess Your Village:
Caregiving should never be a one-person job. It’s essential to ask for help. Do you have family members, or neighbors that can pitch in to help on short notice? Consider dividing up tasks. Someone who can deal with insurers and hospitals; someone who can buy groceries and pick up prescriptions, another who can make meals and do housework. Even a family member who lives far away can log onto a loved one’s telemedicine visit, (It’s legal, if the patient consents.)
Learn about community resources:
There may be more help than you think, at little or no cost to you, within your community. Connect with your area agency on aging (AAA) and find services such as health aides, housekeeping help, meals assistance and caregiver support groups. Attend a church or a support group? Faith groups and chapters of advocacy groups such as the American Cancer Society and the Alzheimer’s Association can also provide leads. Veterans can check for help from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Your medical team, including doctors, nurses and hospital social workers, also can make referrals, the experts say.
Set up a command center:
Be organized and set up a single place, such as a binder kept on a kitchen counter, for essential information such as medication lists, provider contacts and outlines of daily routines. Ideally, keep medications and other daily supplies in the same area. This can help someone who doesn’t come regularly to provide the care you need. Make sure a trusted person has access to accounts and decision-making documents.
Practice Self-Care:
Make time for self-care. Don’t forget your flu shot. Get your annual tests like mammograms and colonoscopy. That way you can catch any problems before they affect your day to day activities.
You can read the full article at AARP, an excellent source of timely information for aging in place and living independently