Caring for aging family members in a digital world

July 14, 11:25 AMLA Parenting ExaminerRebecca Lacko

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Using new media for elder care help

Feeling intimidated by the process of making senior care decisions? Taking the proper steps is often complex,  and time consuming.  Today, 34 million Americans are part of the "sandwich generation"- - caring for their kids and their elderly parents.

How can we prepare for this major life challenge?

Countless baby boomers don't know where to begin. Who to trust? Where can I find appropriate treatment for my mother? How can I determine which senior care facility is the right one for Dad?

Today, there are many niche-specific websites to help you and your aging parents deal with a specialized aspect of aging but not another. GilbertGuide.com is a reliable and comprehensive web site for everything related to senior care and aging; The site provides a direct line to practical solutions, extensive professional advice and quality assessment tools which help GilbertGuide.com conduct its own evaluations of providers.

The GilbertGuide.com offers quality advice on a variety of topics that matter most to seniors, such as:

• Homecare: Finding care or caring for someone yourself
• Aging in Place: Geriatrics and Geriatric Care Management
• Senior Real Estate: Finding appropriate housing
• Caregiving/Parenting Your Parents
• Alzheimer’s Care: Everything you need to know about caring for someone with Alzheimer’s and dementia
• Financial and Legal: Essential information for you and your parents
• End of life: Guidance with legal issues, hospice, palliative care and coping with grief

Caring for elderly relatives is expecially difficult when they reside in another state or country. FamiliLink, a new company co-founded by Laura Nuhaan and Inger Rarick, provides web-based services to empower family members to easily connect with their non-tech-savvy aging loved ones and help them with caring support. Increasingly, seniors depend on the ability to 
stay in the digital loop with family and friends, both for safety and for their well being. For only $4.99 per month (the first 2000 users are free!) Familink gives users:

• Straightforward, easy to use email
• Photos and videos from others all accessible in one location
• Daily schedule with helpful reminders
• Family and friends use their own e-mail system, and photo and video sharing sites to stay in touch with you

Laurie Orlov, a leading industry analyst for Aging in Place Technology Watch, says FamiliLink “is in the fairly new business of making computers easier for seniors to use with touch screens like the HP TouchSmart and Asus Eee Top, which can be manipulated with a finger or a stylus, instead of a mouse and keyboard.”

In addition, Jody Holtzman, Director of Knowledge Management at AARP, highlighted an AARP study that outlined key factors to "Successful Aging", one of them being as "ability to stay connected to friends and family."

Gloria G. Barsamian, a social worker who has helped families deal with catastrophic illness for over 28 years, is the author of the brand new book, Sustenance and Hope for Caregivers of Elderly Parents. Barsamian offers insight into this social issue and advises care-takers to:
 
1. Talk About the Issue Before: Find out what your loved ones want in terms of caregiving. Have the conversation before the urgency arrives, so you can be prepared.
2. Get the Right Help: Determine if a home setting is appropriate, whether your loved one can remain in their own home, or whether assisted living/nursing home care is required.
3. Don't Go it Alone: Reach out to extended family and friends for help caregiving. Take shifts, divvy up responsibilities.  A whole circle of caregivers helps ease the burden.
4. Understand the Finances: The cost of caregiving can escalate quickly. Research what options and resources are available within your family and outside help.
5. Care for the Caregiver: Take time to care for yourself. Pay attention to your mental and physical health.