Who is caring for the caregivers?

Mary Ellen Tomlinson owns Senior Care Options in Toronto. She co-ordinates care for the frail elderly at the request of adult children and offers workshops on eldercare to corporations. In her workshop entitled Take the Chaos out of Caregiving, she urges adult children to think through their parents’ needs and to plan ahead for almost inevitable crises that will develop. One piece of advice is that anyone with caregiving responsibilities have a list of phone numbers and information with them at all times that includes their parent’s doctor, nearest hospital, lists of parent’s medications. That way, when a parent has a medical emergency, the caregiver can manage the crisis at a distance for a period of time until she can leave her workplace and get to the hospital.

Peter Silin, who owns Diamond Geriatrics in Vancouver, also encourages clients to plan ahead so that they know what services are available to their parents in their community and their province so that they can quickly “get up to speed” when a crisis occurs.

Silin’s second piece of advice is to learn as much as possible about the processes of aging, particularly about how memory loss occurs. Memory loss and signs of cognitive impairment can be the result of some form of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease, which is irreversible. It can also be a symptom of depression or delirium caused by a urinary tract infection or over-medication, which can be reversible.

Don’t just assume that memory loss and confusion are inevitable signs of getting older, Silin says. An elderly person showing signs of cognitive impairment should see a doctor for a physical exam that includes blood tests and urinalysis and have their medication assessed to be sure he isn’t over-medicating or taking his medications at the wrong time. “The first thing I ask adult children is, ‘Has your parent been to the doctor and had a full exam?’” Silin says.

© May 2007 CARP magazine