The Elder Care Cliff 1.0
DON’T Lose Your Life To Caregiving
by
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This book opens with an alarming summary of what I call the Elder Care Cliff. America is on the brink of a Caregiving crisis which deserves national attention. Approximately 65 million unpaid, overworked, and unrecognized family members in the United States find themselves thrust into the role of the family caregiver. By the year 2050, the elderly and infirmed in need of this care will outnumber those who will be able to provide the care. There is not one among us who will not be touched in some way by this health care dilemma. In the meantime, these invisible family heroes provide our entire healthcare system with a staggering amount of work and sacrifice that is beyond price. They need our help. Together we must face this challenge socially, politically, ethically and financially.
Chapter 2 introduces the importance of respite care for you, the family caregiver. The chapter begins with a letter from a client of mine who was contemplating suicide before he started taking time off for respite. The letter is followed by several quotes and comments, most of which came from family members of those that I have served and cared for in the last twenty years. Some came from members of my own family. The purpose of these quotes is to help you recognize that you are part of a bigger circle of people with heart and people with patience: that you are an artist performing the GREATEST ART OF LOVE…Caregiving.
Chapters 3–4 discuss the phases of caregiving, and the signs and symptoms of caregiver stress/caregiver syndrome. Chapter 5 offers you a guide to help you measure your caregiver stress. I have developed what I call the caregiver syndrometer—a gauge to measure your caregiver stress level. It is color coded, showing what is safe and what is dangerous, as far as the amount of stress that you are facing and dealing with. You will be able to measure your stress level in minutes. If your score is within the danger zone, I urge you to begin respite care right away so that you can start to lower your stress and your blood pressure, and guard your immune system.
Chapters 6–8 discuss the most common types of respite care services, the ten places to discover money and resources for respite care, and the components and essential elements of a good respite plan.
Chapters 9–12 are primarily about you. These are perhaps the most important parts of the entire book. They are about taking care of the most essential person in the care circle—you.
In Chapter 9, I have included the top ten ways to care for yourself, plus a declaration to your commitment to survive and thrive in caregiving. You should strive to do at least one of those ten actions each day. This may seem hard but once you make the commitment to care for yourself, you will see that your care recipient will also be taken care of. The life of the caregiver and the life of the care recipient are intertwined. When one is doing well, the other does well too and vice versa.
Chapter 10 introduces you to care management and the vital ways in which a care manager can assist you in your role as a family caregiver. You will learn exactly where to go to find qualified care managers.
In Chapter 11 you will find ready-made respite care plans to fit your budget and your needs.
Finally, you may feel like you and you alone carry the burden of making decisions for and about your loved one. This should never be the case. In Chapter 12, I give you a practical tool that will help you make informed, shared decisions in caregiving. I call it the W.E.C.A.R.E. Model. When followed, this model will become your source of confidence that you are giving the best care possible in the situation that you find yourself.
At the beginning of each chapter, I offer tips which I call 24/7 Lifeline Tips. I hope these tips will serve as reminders for self-care, but I’m simply offering the tips as a way of supporting you so that you can survive and thrive in your role as a caregiver.
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About the Book
Praise for The Elder Care Cliff 1.0 “In my 39 years in the eldercare industry and a caregiver myself, I have picked up a lot of tips from this book. As caregivers, we want to do all that we can, not thinking of what it is doing to our own well-being. Your loved one needs your help, but he/she still needs the socialization of others and a routine to keep well physically and mentally. Respite is a must, and like Stella Nsong so eloquently puts it, respite is an investment in caregiving. It is easy to read and understand and loaded with valuable information. It’s a must-read for all caregivers.” - Walt Walko, chairman of the board of the CAREgiving Institute “The Elder Care Cliff 1.0 is an easy read that makes you want to make positive changes in your world as a caregiver. Lesson learned, take care of yourself first so you can provide care for others as long as necessary. Look for the present each day, knowing tomorrow may never come. I appreciated the top ten ways to care for oneself in chapter 9.” -S. Baker, caregiver and registered dietician “After years of caring for Mom and Dad as they declined, I had never heard of the term ‘respite’ or ‘respite care.’ Like thousands of others, I found out the hard way that caregiver stress takes a serious toll on our own bodies. But it sneaks up on us, and we don’t deal with it. Eventually, we and our loved ones suffer. This book is about how respite care will save you from exhaustion, guilt, depression, heart problems, or worse. The author speaks from decades of experience and shows us how to keep or restore our health and our hopes, before a ‘care crash’ happens.” -T. Andrews, caregiver and regulatory and compliance writer for the pharmaceutical industry
About the Author
Stella Nsong has previously published three other books about eldercare. A registered nurse for over twenty years, she is also certified care manager and a certified dementia practitioner. In 2012, she was nominated for the Platinum Award in Care Management and the Professional of Note in Geriatric Medicine. She is the president of the CAREgiving Institute and the Ohio state director of the Elder Care Planning Council. She lives in Cleveland, Ohio, where she enjoys walking and sightseeing the lighthouses on the Lake Erie beachfront.