>> IT'S ESTIMATED THERE ARE MORE THAN 50 MILLION CAREGIVERS IN
THIS COUNTRY LOOKING AFTER AN AGING FAMILY MEMBER.
AND WHILE ADULT CHILDREN WANT TO BE CERTAIN THEIR LOVED ONE IS
GETTING TO DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENTS, WELL FED AND HAS
ALL THEY NEED AT HOME, THE CAREGIVER CAN ALSO OFTEN BE
VULNERABLE.
IGNORING THEIR OWN PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL NEEDS.
CONNECTING POINT CORRESPONDENT CAROLEE MCGRATH SPOKE WITH CRAIG
JOHNSEN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF LOOMIS LAKESIDE AT REEDS LANDING
IN SPRINGFIELD AND TWO MEMBERS OF HIS STAFF, VIVIAN
GLADIN-JONES AND ASSISTED LIVING PROGRAM DIRECTOR CATE AVEY, THE
HEALTH SERVICES DIRECTOR, MAKING SURE THAT CAREGIVERS ARE CARED
FOR, TOO.
>> WE RECOGNIZE FOR YEARS THE CAREGIVERS ARE AN IMPORTANT PART
OF THE SUCCESSFUL RETIREMENT, AND WE KNOW THAT WHILE THEY LOOK
TO AND WORK WITH A SUCCESSFUL AGING EXPERIENCE SO WE WANTED TO
INCLUDE THEM IN A CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW THEY HAD THE MOST
SUCCESSFUL EXPERIENCE NOT ONLY FOR THAT OLDER ADULT BUT ALSO
FOR THEM.
>> OK THERE IS A LOT OF STRESS INVOLVED VIVIAN, I CAN ONLY
IMAGINE.
WHEN YOU ARE TAKING CARE OF YOUR FAMILY BUT ALSO TAKING CARE OF
YOUR PARENTS.
WHAT DO YOU SEE IN YOUR LINE OF WORK?
>> THE DECISION TO KNOW WHEN IS THE RIGHT TIME TO MOVE YOUR
LOVED ONE.
THERE IS A LOT OF ANXIETY.
I THINK THAT THERE IS A LOT OF FEAR AND A LOT OF IT IS FEAR OF
THE UNKNOWN.
>> BUT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT AND OVERWHELMING AND THERE IS A
LOT OF EMOTIONS INVOLVED AND PARENTS DON'T WANT TO MOVE OUT
OF THEIR HOME WHICH YOU CAN UNDERSTAND.
YOU LIVE THERE FOR DECADES AND YOU ARE TELLING ME THAT I HAVE
TO MOVE.
THAT MUST BE A REALLY TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE.
>> IT IS.
CHANGE IS DIFFICULT.
YOU HAVE MEMORIES.
THERE IS A LOT OF EMOTIONS INVOLVED.
WHAT WE TRY TO ENCOURAGE OR WHAT I TRY TO EXPLAIN TO FAMILIES AND
LOVED ONES IS MOVING TO A DIFFERENT COMMUNITY DOESN'T MEAN
YOU ARE GIVING UP YOUR DEPENDENCE.
WE TRY TO ENCOURAGE INDEPENDENCE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE IF THERE ARE
THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO, WE LIKE TO SEE YOU -- WE ENCOURAGE YOU
TO CONTINUE DOING THOSE, IT'S NICE TO KNOW -- IT'S NICE
KNOWING THAT THERE IS HELP AVAILABLE SHOULD YOU NEED IT.
>> SPECIFICALLY WITH CAREGIVERS THOUGH WHO THEN TAKE ON THE ROLE
OF MAKING SURE THAT MOM AND DAD ARE SAFE OR FED EMOTIONALLY OK.
THOSE CAREGIVERS IN TURN HAVE A LOT OF THEIR OWN ISSUES THAT
THEY HAVE TO DEAL WITH BUT OFTEN THOSE ARE PUSHED ASIDE.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT?
>> THAT'S TRUE, A LOT OF TIMES WE PUT OUR OWN HEALTH ON THE
BACK BURNER TO MAKE SURE THE PARENT'S HEALTH IS TAKEN CARE
OF.
MAKING SURE, AND THEN A LOT OF PEOPLE OUR AGE HAVE CHILDREN, SO
THEY ARE MAKING SURE THAT THEY GET THEIR CHILDREN TO DOCTOR'S
APPOINTMENTS AND THEIR PARENTS TO DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENTS SO IT'S
EASIER TO SAY I CAN TAKE CARE OF MYSELF ANOTHER TIME BUT THAT
TIME DOESN'T ALWAYS SEEM TO COME AROUND.
>> HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH THAT AND ENCOURAGE PEOPLE AND ESPECIALLY
AT THIS CONFERENCE WHAT WERE YOU ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO DO?
>> FROM MY ASPECT I WAS INFORMING PEOPLE THAT THERE ARE
A LOT OF DIFFERENT HEALTH AGENCIES OUT THERE THAT CAN HELP
NOW, PRIVATE AGENCIES WHERE YOU CAN HIRE AN ESCORT COMPANION,
AND HOME HEALTH AID, AND HOME HEALTH AIDS AND CERTIFIED NURSES
AIDS CAN COME RIGHT INTO THE HOUSE, AND THEY CAN DO ANYTHING
FROM PERSONAL CARE TO LIGHT HOUSEKEEPING.
ESCORTS AND COMPANIONS CAN DRIVE TO DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENTS AND RUN
ERRANDS AND TAKE YOUR LOVED ONE GROCERY SHOPPING.
>> THAT SOUNDS NICE.
BUT THAT SOUNDS LIKE IT ALSO COST MONEY WHICH I KNOW THAT
ALSO BECOMES A BIG ISSUE FOR FAMILIES.
SO YES YOU WANT TO TAKE CARE OF THEM AND YES YOU WOULD LOVEING
TO SOMEBODY ELSE TO DO THE JOBS BUT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT A
FINANCIAL CRUNCH.
HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH THAT?
>> I THINK THE PROCESS IS A PLANNING PROCESS.
IT IS A PART OF A JOURNEY, AND WE REALLY ENCOURAGE PEOPLE --
THERE IS A FINANCIAL PLANNING THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN AS YOU
CONSIDER YOUR RETIREMENT YEARS BUT THE OTHER PART OF PLANNING
THAT WE TRIED TO UNDER-CORE IT SAID CONFERENCE WAS THE NEED TO
REALLY THINK ABOUT WHERE DO YOU WANT TO SEE YOURSELF AND WHERE
WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO?
THE BEST TIME TO SHOP AND TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS IS WHEN YOU
DON'T NEED TO, WHEN YOU ARE NOT PRESSURED TO.
AND SO WE REALLY ENCOURAGE FAMILY MEMBERS TO, AND
CAREGIVERS TO REALLY HELP THAT CONVERSATION HAPPEN WITH THEIR
FAMILY OR FRIENDS, AND SAY MOM OR DAD, GRANDPA, WHERE IS IT
THAT YOU SEE YOURSELF AND PART OF THAT IS THE FINANCIAL PLAN
THAT MAY RELATE TO THEIR SELECTIONS.
IT'S ALL PART OF AN IMPORTANT PUZZLE BUT I THINK THAT TOO MANY
PEOPLE FOCUS ON THE FINANCES AND NOT THE SERVICE LOCATION OR
WHERE THEY REALLY ARE GOING TO BE THE MOST COMFORTABLE.
>> I THINK THAT THAT'S THE MOST OVERWHELMING PARTY.
I THINK PEOPLE SAY HOW ARE WE GOING TO AFFORD THIS?
IT'S REALLY ABOUT PLANNING AHEAD OF TIME.
>> PLANNING AHEAD OF TIME AND YOU CAN BREAK IT DOWN IN SMALL
STEPS AND THERE ARE FINANCIAL PLANNERS AND OTHER RESOURCE
PEOPLE THAT WILL HELP THEM TO REALLY CONSIDER HOW THEY WILL BE
ABLE TO MANAGE THE COSTS OF THEIR SELECTIONS.
>> I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE CAREGIVERS IN
THIS COUNTRY.
HOW MANY OF THEM ARE AT RISK FOR EITHER MENTAL ILLNESS OR OTHER
PHYSICAL ILLNESS.
ESPECIALLY THE MENTAL ILLNESS PART AND CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT A
BIT MORE, THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING THROUGH?
>> STRESS CAN MANIFEST ITSELF IN MANY WAYS.
DEPRESSION.
LACK OF SLEEP.
IRRITABILITY.
YOU HAVE TO BE, WELL YOURSELF IN ORDER TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR LOVED
ONES SO WE ENCOURAGE TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF FIRST, IF YOU ARE
NOT WELL YOU CANNOT TAKE CARE OF SOMEONE ELSE SO WHEN I AM
TALKING WITH THE FAMILY MEMBERS I CAN RELATE TO WHAT THEY ARE
GOING THROUGH SO I USE MY OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE TO EXPLAIN
THAT, THAT TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF, IS THE MOST IMPORTANT
THING THAT YOU CAN DO, IN ORDER TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR LOVED ONE.
>> AND FINALLY CATE, I AM SURE THAT THERE ARE RESOURCES OUT
THERE AND YOU HAD MENTIONED THEM BUT HOW WOULD YOU ENCOURAGE
SOMEBODY WHO MIGHT BE WATCHING THE SEGMENT NOW GOING THROUGH
THAT AND MIGHT BE EMBARRASSED TO TELL SOMEBODY THAT THEY ARE
STRESSED OUT OR THEY DO HAVE ANXIETY OVER THIS AND HOW WOULD
YOU ENCOURAGE THEM TO LOOK FOR HELP?
>> THERE ARE CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUPS AND MANY LOCAL HERE.
AND ALSO ANOTHER GOOD PLACE TO START IS WITH YOUR OWN PHYSICIAN
OR NURSE PRACTITIONER, SHARING WITH THEM WHAT YOU ARE GOING
THROUGH IN LIFE BECAUSE OUR PARENTS ARE THE PEOPLE WHO
RAISED US AND MADE US WHO THE PEOPLE THAT WE ARE TODAY.
SO NO MATTER WHAT WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH WITH THEM THE TWO
BIGGEST THINGS THAT WE NEED TO SHOW THEM AT ALL TIMES ARE LOVE
AND RESPECT.
WE HAVE TO KEEP THEIR DIGNITY FOR THEM, THEY TAUGHT US HOW TO
TIE OUR SHOES AND SO NOW IT'S OUR TIME TO TURN AROUND AND HELP
THEM BUT ALWAYS WITH DIGNITY AND RESPECT.
>> WELL SAID.
>> THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CATE AND VIVIAN AND CRAIG.
THIS IS AN IMPORTANT TOPIC AND A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE DEALING WITH
THIS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING IN.
>> THANK YOU.