Caregivers Spokane, WA: Who Is Gonna Care for the Aging Boomers?
Without that caregiver, Jarrett says that she would have had to leave the Obama administration and move back to Chicago.
Yet the three million professional, long-term home caregivers today are faced with a rapidly aging Baby Boomer population and a lack of adequate support, compensation or respect. Yesterday in Washington, the National Domestic Workers Alliance held what they called a Care Congress, an event where they introduced a campaign to “transform long-term care.” The campaign is designed to push legislative changes to Medicare and Medicaid—creating jobs by increasing the amount of money eligible people can spend on at-home care and allowing a rapidly aging population to avoid institutionalization.
Labor Secretary Hilda Solis praised the work of home care workers—a group comprised primarily of immigrant women: “In Spanish, we call these women luchadoras, because they are fighting. They are strong women who fight and let nothing stand in their way.”
Solis spoke directly to the audience full of caregivers, saying, “You are their friend, you are someone who listens, you give so much of yourself—physically as well as emotionally. You are professionals, and you should be treated as such.”
Workers in California experienced a victory earlier this month when a key state senate approved the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights, legislation that the NDWA says would extend “basic, humane labor protections to thousands of nannies, caregivers, and housecleaners and improves the quality of care for California’s families.” The law can also increase wages for workers—a mixed blessing, since so many elderly are on fixed incomes. New York State passed the first such law in the nation last year.
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Spokane Senior Home Care experts at Havenwood Caregiver Services are available to talk with you about your in-home care needs including how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care. We are an elder care agency providing Home Care in Spokane.
Bookmark on DeliciousDigg this postRecommend on Facebookshare via RedditShare with StumblersTweet about itSubscribe to the comments on this postPrint for laterTell a friendPosted in Home Care Spokane WA0 Comments In-Home Care Spokane, WA: Balancing a Loved One’s Needs With Your Own Posted on 05 August 2011. When you’re a caregiver, finding time to take care of your own health can be challenging — but doing so will help both you and your loved one.
By Krisha McCoy, MS
Do you provide assistance for an older person who needs care? People of all ages can be caregivers, but it is very common for older people to become caregivers to their spouses or other loved ones, and – too often – they begin to neglect their own health at an age when they should really be paying more attention to it.
Caregiving is both mentally and physically stressful, and caregivers are considered to be at increased risk for physical health problems and depression. If you are a caregiver in your senior years, it is even more important that you take care of your own health.
The Health Effects of Caregiving
Whether caring for an ailing spouse or another loved one, many caregivers become so concerned with their care-providing role that they neglect their own health, putting themselves at increased risk of:
?Poor physical health: 16 percent of caregivers say that their health declined after they become caregivers. ?Psychological stress: Approximately half of all people who provide Alzheimer’s care, a common type of elder care, report experiencing distress. The effects of psychological stress can be widespread and may include depression, burnout, alcohol and drug use, and other problems. ?Self-neglect: Caregivers are more likely than non-caregivers to eat poorly, be sleep deprived, not exercise, not rest when ill, and postpone medical appointments. ?Death: Caregivers are at higher risk of dying than the general population. Caring for Yourself While Providing Care
When you’re involved in the stress and chaos of providing elder care, or any type of caregiving, it can be difficult to take a step back and focus on yourself. Keep in mind: The loved one you are caring for will be the first to benefit when you make your own health a priority.
Spokane Senior Home Care experts at Havenwood Caregiver Services are available to talk with you about your in-home care needs including how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care. We are an elder care agency providing Home Care in Spokane.
Johne O'Keeffe, Owner at Havenwood Caregiver Services of Spokane, WA.
http://spokaneseniorhomecare.com/ Havenwood Caregiver Services, 2713 East Sprague Avenue, Spokane, WA, 99202, (509) 535-1546