Moving between hospitals or into rehabilitation and other care centers can be a stressful time, especially for an elderly loved one. Unfortunately, too, these “care transitions” can create far greater problems than stress, as they also are prone to creating problems with the patient’s care. Potentially, these problems can have long-term affects. Care transitions are not a recent concern of health professionals, but been on their radar screen for some time. In fact, a recent study is the subject of a recent post on the New York Times’s blog series, “The New Old Age.” According to the study, a very…
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This phase lasts from the day you retire until you are 70 years old. For those who do not plan to retire until well into their 70s, the first two tasks of this phase may occur later. A key purpose of this phase is to create a clear communication channel with your family so information can be shared, questions asked and answered, and decisions made in a calm, supportive way. If inter-generational communication around money has not been part of your family culture, it may be useful to enlist the help of a third party to get the process going….
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The damage to the brain may result in difficulty using the correct words or understanding the spoken word. Consequently, communication skills should be addressed, as early in the process, as possible. As a result, individuals may be able to transmit meaningful communication. Therefore, your loved one maintains social interaction, function and a quality of life. The person with dementia may repeat a phrase or word over and over. Obviously, this is very wearisome and frustrating for the caregiver but communication can be enhanced by: Avoid extra external noise Avoid distractions Use short simple sentences Avoid open ended questions Use direct…
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