Caregiver Communication Advice

Many older adults are the caregivers for older family members. If you are a caregiver, you may be interested in an article by Jessica Merritt called “50 Communication Tips and Techniques for Caregivers”. This article gives advice about how to communicate effectively, both verbally and nonverbally. For example, she recommends talking to your patient about only one thing at a time and giving that person time to respond. She also discusses how to communicate well with health care providers, health insurance providers, and other family members, since the caregiver may have to act as the mediator for the patient. The full article is here.

New Study about Internet Use

A new study from the AARP and the Center for the Digital Future has shown some interesting new trends in internet use by older adults (50+). A news release from AARP summarized some of the results of this study:

• Older adult internet users access news information online more often than do internet users under 20 years of age.
  

• 18% of older adult internet users play online games at least once per day.

• 68% browse and buy items online.

• 46% use the internet to maintain social relationships

• Of those 50+ who are involved in online communities, 70% state that these communities are very important to them.

This news release quoted Jeffrey I. Cole, director of the Center for the Digital Future at the USC Annenberg School for communication, as saying "In specific areas, there is often little difference in use of online technology between older users and some of the youngest users."

More highlights of this study can be found here.

New Nutrition Website for Older Adults

The National Institute of Health has a website called NIHSeniorHealth. This website provides information on many topics - such as arthritis, cataract, COPD, diabetes, high blood pressure, macular degeneration, and osteoporosis. The newest addition to this website is a section called “Eating well when you get older”, which includes advice about healthy foods, food safety, and how to shop wisely. The U. S National Library of Medicine also has a webpage called “Nutrition for Seniors”.

Also, if you want to track your nutrition and calories, the MyPyramid.gov website provides tools to assess your food intake and to assess your physical activity level.

Discounts and Free Items for Older Adults

Linda and Bob Kalian have published a new 2008 edition of "The Best Free Things for Seniors". This book is for people over 50. It gives a wealth of information about free and discounted products and services. This book tells you how to get:

• free cookbooks
• discounted movie tickets
  
• free medical care and health information
• free legal help
  
• free health and beauty aids
• free or low cost college aid
• free financial information
• low cost travel opportunities
• free consumer protection information

You can check out this book from the Pasco County Library System.

How to Find Caregiver Support Programs by State

The Family Caregiver Alliance (FCA) has recently created a database for publicly-funded caregiver support programs. This database is called "Caregiving across the States" and it can be accessed by clicking one's state on a map or by choosing the state from a drop down menu. The information includes details about specific caregiving programs, including eligibility requirements, the geographic regions served by the programs, and the services provided by each program. For example, program services may include assistive technology, caregiver training, supplies, counseling, homemaker assistance, and respite care.

Links for Florida services:

• General Information
  
• Services for Family Caregivers
  
• Services for Care Recipients Living at Home
  
• Government Health and Disability Programs
  
• Disease-Specific Organizations
  
• other types of services
  

In addition, there is a wealth of statistical information about caregivers and the cost of caregiving in each state. The Florida statistical information is here.

The Family Caregiver Alliance is a community-based nonprofit organization. The FCA website is a great resource for older adults and for caregivers. There are useful fact sheets in English, Spanish, and Chinese; research reports; caregiving advice; and links to online support groups.

Aging in Place

Many people wish to stay in their own homes as they age. However, their homes may need to be remodeled to make them more accessible and safe. For example, grab bars can be added to showers and baths, nonskid flooring can be installed, and round door handles can be replaced with lever-style door handles.

The National Association of Home Builders has a Certified Aging In Place Specialist Program (CAPS) to provide trained specialists to help people to remodel their homes, so that they can remain in their home as they age. For more information about remodeling your home, see the National Association of Home Builders information page on Aging in Place.

State Health Statistics

The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation provides health data on all 50 states on their site: Statehealthfacts.org. This site provides data on more than 500 health topics, including Medicare spending. The data is from an analysis of the Census Bureau’s March 2006 and 2007 Current Population Surveys (CPS; Annual Social and Economic Supplements).