Tag: Caregiving

  • Prepare Today, Protect Tomorrow

    In our island community, where the bonds of family and tradition run deep, facing a long-term care event is one of the most challenging experiences we may encounter. Such events can place emotional, physical and financial strains on even the strongest ‘ohana. Without a clear and thoughtful plan, families often find themselves making difficult decisions…

  • My Reflections on Caregiving

    Aloha! When we hear the words “kūpuna care,” it can bring forth many thoughts, perhaps of taking care of a parent, grandparent, neighbor or friend. For me, “kūpuna care” has also meant a career of three decades working in senior care communities in California and Hawai‘i. As a licensed administrator, I’ve been there in the…

  • Give Yourself Credit For Caregiving

    Stayin’ Alive: the Bee Gees’ message remains important for those of us involved in caregiving. Too often we allow our own health and wellbeing to decline while we try to keep our loved ones safe and content. Here are a few easy to do things that can help keep you — the caregiver — alive……

  • A Calling to Gerontology

    There are many reasons why working with seniors became my passion. One was to prepare myself to care for my loved ones as they age. We will all eventually encounter the challenges of caregiving. What better way to prepare than by choosing gerontology as a career?

  • A Caregiver’s Mantra

    Many professional caregivers have deeply rooted memories that inspired them to pursue a career in a field — such as assisted living. My first experience with  dementia, caregiving and compassion involved my own grandparents, my Lolo and Lola.

  • Managing Complex Care at Home

    An increasing number of family caregivers are performing more complex medical care for their family members at home. According to Home Alone Revisited: Family Caregivers Providing Complex Care, a report prepared jointly by AARP and the United Hospital Fund, there is an increase in the number of family caregivers performing tasks that would, in the…

  • Hiring a Caregiver is Tricky

    You may be tempted to treat a caregiver as a “private contractor” in order to avoid the humbug of tax withholding and buying the right insurance policies. You would do so at your peril. The IRS and the state will take the position that the caregiver is an  employee, that you are an employer and…

  • Dementia Patients, Caregivers & COVID-19

    The COVID-19 pandemic has affected everyone in some way. But our most vulnerable population, our senior citizens — especially those with dementia — are being particularly challenged. Our normal routines have been altered during the pandemic. This can be devastating for dementia patients, who thrive on the consistency of a regular routine.

  • The Medicalization of Family Caregiving

    Healthcare systems are changing, with radical implications for family caregiving. Cost-saving reductions in hospital stays ensure that patients are discharged “quicker and sicker.” Management of complex chronic care thus moves to the home, and responsibility for that care shifts from medical professionals to family caregivers.

  • Caregiving During COVID-19

    The COVID-19 pandemic has all of us dealing with additional stressors in life, and many of us may find that our abilities to deal with conflict and issues are short-fused. People living with dementia (PLWD) rely on their care partners to provide assistance with activities of daily living with kindness and compassion. PLWD also require…