Aging Care: The crisis that nobody talks about

This blog post targets a crisis that no one seems to talk about.  Baby boomers are entering retirement and the older boomers are increasingly requiring aging care. This can be a blow to loved ones who are ill-prepared to approach this issue. This blog post on the NetKiEnt Career Blog discusses the issue and provides tips on how to prepare for aging care for senior loved ones. 

The traditional holiday time is finally here! The excitement of glowing lights, festivities and spending time with family is contagious. Everyone is rushing around trying to find the perfect gift and making decadent holiday meals.  This time of the year is cheerful and nostalgic for many.  Who doesn’t have a family “story” of the older family member who does weird things or is refreshingly candid? Yes, Aunt Mary or Big Daddy can be counted on for a memorable laugh or two at their expense. 

For many, this time of the year is not the mirthful time filled with Christmas trees and cranberries....    

Are the following scenarios familiar to you?
You regularly speak with your mother who lives in another state regularly.  She’s usually chipper and always had the memory of a hawk.  However, today’s conversation is different, maybe even bizarre. She spoke more slowly and shifted the subject of your conversation more than once.  She also seemed to forget what she was talking about mid-sentence more than once. The weirdest thing is when she talks about taking a drive in her car; but she hasn’t driven in 25 years.

Dad has always been independent and proud that at 83 he has been able to live alone since Mom died a few years ago.  Lately, he has been falling and skipping meals.  The last time you were at the house to visit, you found him on the floor in the bedroom.  He had fallen asleep because he had been on the floor for two hours. The alert button that you bought him for emergencies was on his bedside dresser.  He forgot to put it around his neck.  After you helped him get up and put him to bed, you checked his pantry and refrigerator.  The food that you made for him with the days of the week on them hadn’t been touched.   

This scenario is common for many adult children who are faced with the reality of caring for aging parents.  It’s easy to want to believe that our parents will forever be young, vibrant and invincible; the heroes that raised us and made us feel safe. Now they are slower, less nimble and very forgetful.  In fact, they seem to talk to themselves and is a shadow of who you remember. Then comes the hardest part.
You realize that they can no longer live alone.  In retrospect, you saw the signs for years. It wasn’t until an unexpected critical event that jerks you out of the stupor. Deciding how to handle elder care can be highly stressful.    

Click below to find out ways to plan for aging care and Ten signs that your senior may be nearing the need for aging care. 

Get Ten Signs to Look for at the NetKiEnt Career Blog!