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Outdoor
Burning Information
Outdoor burning in Jefferson County Fire Dist # 3 is CURRENTLY
OPEN. Be sure to visit the link above or
click
here to view burning regulations.
All residential outdoor burning requires a valid burning
permit. Permits will not be issued during the burning ban.
You can obtain a burning permit by visiting us at
Station 31, located at 7650 Oak Bay Road.
Care
Giving at Home
How
and when a family caregiver approaches an older adult about care
or help concerns will likely set the tone for the
relationship’s future.
A
“family caregiver” may be a spouse, child, other relative
or friend of an older adult who needs assistance.
For example, you are a family caregiver if you provide
periodic rides to activities, help with shopping, coordinate
care services, advocate for an older adult with health care
providers or make sure an older adult receives services at an
assisted living or nursing home facility.
In all cases, you are an older adult’s link to the
world of a completely independent life that he or she once had.
Whether
it is your first or tenth comment offering help or addressing a
concern, it is important to always be sensitive as to how your
comments may be perceived.
The best thing to do is to place yourself in your older
adult’s shoes, and think about how you might react.
An offer of help, expression of concern for his or her
health or ability to do self-care, or suggestion to consider a
life change such as housing can trigger feelings of insecurity
or resentment. |
Care Giving at Home (cont.)
Acknowledging
the need for help can cause an older adult to grieve for the
loss of complete independence, youth or better health.
Whether due to age, chronic illness or a sudden illness,
accepting help is likely not a welcome step.
Responses
from an older adult can be affected by many things: the
closeness or openness of your past relationship; the older
adult’s outlook on aging, general willingness to accept help
or personal awareness of health or self-care issues; or even
your financial or other connections to the older adult’s
property.
Simple
comments can be signals of major life changes for an older
adult. Expressions
such as “This place has stairs.
Maybe a single-level apartment/house would be better for
you?” or “I can drive to you the grocery store.
You don’t need to be driving.”
indicate to the older adult that he or she may have to
leave home or give up driving.
No one wants to acknowledge deterioration of his or her
own health or ability to do activities.
This is why it is recommended to not make these comments
randomly but rather to take time to have a heartfelt discussion.
When
is it time to have this discussion?
If an older adult’s personal safety or health are
concerns, these issues need to be addressed immediately.
However,
if possible, try to discuss the older adult’s feelings about
health, housing and care preferences before they become urgent
issues. This way,
when the issues come up, you can better respect the older
adult’s wishes. A
way to bring up this discussion is when you sit down to review
and complete Advance Directives forms.
Immediate
family members, like spouses and children, tend to take a
“parental approach” to caregiving.
Other relatives, friends and neighbors, depending on the
closeness of the past relationship, may be less parental in
their approach but have a greater risk of being viewed as
intruding on personal privacy.
In
all cases, the older adult’s dignity and desire to remain
independent need to be respected.
Caregiving for an adult is not the same as caregiving for
a child. Older
adults should never be treated like children.
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Care
Giving at Home (cont.)
Older
adults have strong self-identities and preferences that children
have yet to establish and usually more life experience than
their caregivers. The
older adult parent will always be “mom” or “dad,” and a
spouse will always be a “husband” or “wife.”
Relationships have histories that don’t go away with
the need for care.
If
the relationship was good, the older adult will want to maintain
the previous relationship as much the caregiver.
On the other hand, if the relationship had conflict and
poor communication, it is unrealistic to think that these
elements of the relationship will go away.
In fact, the stresses of a family caregiving situation
may make a poor relationship worse.
Sometimes
if a relationship has been bad, being a family caregiver with
frequent contact is not a good idea.
Turn to others – siblings, a friend of the older adult
or professionals – who possibly may be better caregivers.
A bad family caregiving situation can make both people
miserable and may lead to verbal or even physical abuse.
Even
in good family caregiving situations, there are certain cases
where outside help may be best.
If possible, it is recommended to turn to professional
resources for help with hygiene care, such as bathing and
toileting assistance, for an older adult.
Hygiene care is the most intrusive to personal privacy.
Outside help with hygiene care may allow an older adult
to maintain his or her pride and better retain spousal, parental
and friend relationships with family caregivers.
If
outside help isn’t possible, there are techniques a family
caregiver may learn to use which offer an older adult more
privacy. There
are many websites that contain information regarding caregiving
at home, or you can contact us at the numbers above for more
information.
The
key to a good family caregiving relationship is open
communication, mutual respect, a willingness to recognize
personal limitations and asking for outside help when needed.
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