The American Caregiver Story The American Caregiver plays a significant role when the daily life of seniors becomes a struggle with mobility & medical issues. Before long, everyone you meet will either be or has been, a caregiver. Or the other alternative is they are in need of a caregiver. I say that because of…
A shower can be so relaxing, can’t it? It is great to sit back and let that warm water wash away your dirt and worries. However, for a person who is elderly, injured, or has a physical disability, bathing and showering without a tub transfer bench can be just another obstacle. As a caregiver, you…
Turning a Patient While Saving Your Back Turning a patient in bed is important for a patient’s comfort and is a task that is done often by caregivers both at home or in another facility. Anyone who spends long periods in bed may develop pressure sores, blood clots or other medical problems. Turning a patient…
Universal Design ~ Friends and Pioneers Years ago, I heard Tom Morrison, then the Executive Director of the United Cerebral Palsy center in Dallas, talk about attending a university in the 1950s. Morrison had cerebral palsy and walked with “c.p. moves,” as he called them. At the university, he found absolutely no accommodations for mobility-impaired…
When You Must Use Stairs with a Cane Recently, I traveled to a county government building with a lady forced to use stairs with a cane. It was an adventure. I was surprised that access to this building took a lot of work for a cane user. The building would have been entirely inaccessible to…
How to Get a Best-Fit Wheelchair Wheelchairs today come in many different sizes with as many various features. The challenge is picking the one that bests fit your size and needs. At best, a mismatched wheelchair is just inconvenient. The wrong chair can delay recovery or even cause further personal injury. A person who needs…
“No, not today. No, not today. No, I’m not going to. Not now, not ever.” Have you ever heard this at your elders’ bath time? You are not alone if you face resistance to washing as the caregiver. Bathing avoidance or resistance is widespread among patients in nursing homes or other settings. In fact, it…
VA Caregiver Support Line November 11 is Veterans’ Day in the U.S. While Americans remember all who have served, particularly those who lost their lives while serving in the military. We also want to remember the family caregivers who have cared for them, now and in the past. We owe veterans and their family caregivers…
Schedule to Visit a Caregiver Holidays like Easter and Passover can bring families together. These can be happy, memorable times. If you are visiting a caregiver’s home during these holidays, here are a few tips to make your visit more comfortable and unique for you and those you are visiting. 1. Schedule to visit with…
Visiting relatives may be much extra work for seniors and their caregivers. Relatives may not understand your loved one’s mobility difficulties or enduring hours of travel and interaction. They may not understand that it takes planning and packing to load Granny and her wheelchair into the car packed for any medical or safety emergency. They…