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The Knee Bone's Connected To ...

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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.

Monday

Jul132009

Heaven, I'm in Heaven...

Monday, July 13, 2009 at 05:55PM

I have two words for you this week: Gerard Butler.

Saw him in a Scottish DVD "Dear Frankie" in which he was simply spellbinding (as was everyone else in the cast).

Turns out he was also in some movies I'll probably never see ("3000") and some I loved ("Mrs. Brown") and this summer he'll appear in a new release, "The Ugly Truth" with Katherine Heigl. They are advertising this film on television commercials every eight minutes or so, which my sister says is a sure fire means of predicting that it will be a stinker. But don't you see? I don't care if it's rubbish. I'm going anyway. Why? I told you, two very appealing words: Gerard Butler.

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