The Knee Bone's Connected To ...
tsb

Such a face! Daddy Bones@ age 12, gracing the book's cover.

 

 How to Keep Your Sanity Intact When a Loved One Needs a Nursing Home  

It’s estimated that more than 50 million people provide care for a chronically ill, disabled or aged family member or friend during any given year.

Studies show that extremely stressed caregivers can age or die prematurely. 

“Bette Davis said ‘old age is no place for sissies,’ but caring for an older loved one isn’t for the feint of heart, either,” says Bones. “I loved my dad and we were very close, but the strain of ‘putting’ him in a nursing home was so overwhelming for all of us that I felt like I was on the edge of a nervous breakdown.”

Becoming aware of some of the don’ts” of long-term care can make daily life easier for nursing home residents and for their family caretakers,” she notes.

Bones offers some key examples from her Nursing Home Checklist:

· Ask clergy, family, and friends - especially those in the health care field - to recommend outstanding nursing homes.

· When touring a nursing home, ask other visitors for frank feedback about the facility. Don’t just inspect the “sample” room, look into residents’ rooms to check for cleanliness.

· Assure your loved one that you will be their ongoing advocate.

· Visit your loved one often and at varying times of the day - and night. This alerts all of the caregivers that you are keeping an eye on your loved one.

· Get to know the staff, especially your loved one’s immediate caregivers.

· Thank the employees for the thankless job that they do.

· Put your loved one’s name on all their belongings, including clothes and personal products. Never leave money or valuables in their room.

· Place a quilt, photos and other small touches to create a “homey” room.

· Put a brief bio and picture of your loved one at the entrance of their room to “introduce” them to staff and visitors.

. Bring old photos when you visit your loved one - it will give you something to look at if conversation lags.

. Bring different edible treats to spice-up the resident's menu.

 

 


 

 

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Monday
Jun152009

What the @#!&!?!

OK, so I admit it, she who is without curse words shouldn't throw stones.

But I can't help it.

Last week, I overheard a mother cursing-out her young daughter. The child was about eight. She looked forlorn, beaten-down. The mom was dropping the F-bomb, something about the girl's father. They were waiting for a bus and, as I passed by, Mommy screamed her curses loud enough for me, her innocent daughter, and the people in the next county to hear without straining. I didn't make eye contact with Mommy. I think she wanted attention, so I saw no evil, heard no evil, and walked on by.

Yesterday, in a store, surveying the shoe selection, I couldn't help but hear a young guy blabbing on his cell phone, dropping the F-note like it was the world's only noun and adjective. He was with another guy and they were following a woman whom I assumed was their mother. The posse drew closer to me and sonny-boy continued his loudmouthed diatribe, F-this and F-that. I was mad as heck and couldn't take it anymore. "Hey, HEY, do you mind?" I said sternly, directing my words to him but looking at the mom as if to infer, "Can't you make your grown son behave civilly in public?" She just nudged her progeny along and gave me a dazed "whaddayagonnado?" look.

As I already admitted, I can curse like a truck driver who used to be a sailor. But, hopefully, I do it with people whom I trust and in the privacy of our own conversations. I live next to a grade school and I often hear loud cursing from the playground during recess. But what do you expect? If you are a child and your F-ing mother is screaming on a street corner about your F-ing father in front of F-ing strangers, you will do the same. Frankly, I think it's a doggone shame. And I'm going to make a resolution: the next time a curse word starts to spill out of my big mouth, I'm gonna make a real effort to replace it with something more original. F-ing A.

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Reader Comments (3)

Aye, Aye Sailor!

June 16, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterSharon Discher

Can't wait to hear the new words! Next you can create a Dictionary for people who are trying to quit cursing. It would be on the bestseller's list. Go for it!!

June 19, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterRe

That reminds me of an aunt I once knew who dropped the" FBomb" in front of her 9 year old nephew after she was told to move her car in downtown Philly. Scarred him for life

July 5, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterGregg

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