Placement | A Path To Care

21 Jun 2015

Sticky Post By Mary Kay Evans Posted in aging, Long Term Care, Orange County, Placement, Seniors, Social Services Permalink

It Takes a Community to Care

Sticky Post By Mary Kay Evans On June 21, 2015

It Takes a Community to Care
(LIFE SAVING MEASURES)

My Mother used to say this when I was a young child growing up, I did not realize at the time how right she was. In those days we had extended families with Aunts, Uncles, cousins and grandparents. The world has changed and so many families are fragmented and alone without the help of other family members to pitch in when an illness happens or a parent needs care. The community of extended families and neighbors was a life saving measure back in those days.

The community we live in now is one of finding solutions for a crisis situation through our local ER’s which has become a catch all for many when answers are needed.
The social workers of the ERs are heroes and many look to them for answers that are tough. You can walk into any ER on any day of the week and see the pain etched on the faces of persons who are looking for Life Support, people who have reached a crisis situation and are in need of life saving measures to help them find solutions for care.

Our unsung heroes who reach out to prevent a full blown code. Colors, numbers, or other designations may follow a code announcement to identify the type of emergency that is occurring in hospitals when life is at stake. There is no code for the Life saving measures that are taken every day by a team in an ER to prevent a fall, a stroke, intervention, services within the community it serves.

The doctors and staff are trained to recognize and respond appropriately when a crisis is in progress. There are countless hours, time and monies spent on Life Saving Measures but not many people understand this in our communities. Life support replaces or supports a failing bodily function. In treatable or curable conditions, life support is used temporarily until the body can resume normal functioning.

And so are the services that Social Workers and medical staff provide to help a patient and family through the crisis of life, information and support for their patients. 365 days a year. It is a privilege to be a part of this community of support as a social worker.

06 Jun 2015

Sticky Post By Mary Kay Evans Posted in Long Term Care, Orange County Senior Programs, Placement Permalink

When Does Caring Become a Burden

Sticky Post By Mary Kay Evans On June 6, 2015

Care Pathways

When does caring become a burden? Do you ever feel like you’ve had enough? Most people do not discuss the anger and bitterness that can come for caring for someone. They put on a face that appears to all the world that everything is fine. They experience anxiety, depression, health concerns and eating disorders as well as a whole host of other symptoms and illness.

It is not something that is talked about much, unless you are in a care group and not even than sometimes. You see people feel shame and guilt as well as “I should be able to do this without ending up hating the one I am caring for.” Sadly life does not always work this way. Many families are being hard pressed to care for loved ones that they are starting to resent it. Why? Some families are fragmented and do not have the social support that used to be. Families live out of area and sometimes you will find one adult child trying to do it all without the other adults involved. Most people hold full time jobs or have medical concerns of their own and asked to take on the care of a senior that was not involved in their life as child.

There are situations where persons have divorced and the well spouse has taken on the care of the person who walked away from them years ago and now in their time of need, stepped up to be the caretaker. If there was abuse in this marriage it may be a time of trying to resolve old hurts and come to terms with your past. ( A word of caution, while some persons can do this, many are unable and can become bitter, resentful and endanger their own health.)

The reasons are many, the answers are not easy. Cost is the biggest factor when a person is the caretaker. Parents have either not planned or monies have been lost to the recession and there is no one but you to take this on. There are many loving persons who feel they have made a promise to a parent or a spouse to care for them and now feel they must honor this. What I tell my families the promises you made at the time maybe 10 or 20 years ago are sometimes hard to keep. Not because you do not wish to but because lives have changed, needs have changed and while you made that promise in all good faith, you now find yourself unable to fulfill that promise. It’s okay, we all have made promises that at the time we felt we could do. But there comes a time of reality check, and the reality is Mom, Dad and a spouse needs more than you can give.

I know this from a professional level as well as a personal one. Unless you have been there and cared for a loved one it really is hard to understand all the stress’s and pain that can come along with the caring.

Care Pathways was founded for this very reason to give you the tools and information on caring, placement and services that can help you the caregiver. We are located in Orange County and not a nation wide data service. We provide real time help to seniors and families who are in need.. For more information contact us at 714-743-6309 or the form on this site.