Sharing isn’t always easy for brothers and sisters who grew up under the same roof. Divvying up the wealth of toys, bedrooms or vehicles may have been a challenge at your house, and sharing the daily household chores could have led to family conflict as well.

A research study conducted for the Home Instead Senior Care, sharing the care of elderly parents can be as much of an obstacle for adult siblings. In 43% of U.S. families and 41% of Canadian families, one sibling has the responsibility for providing most or all of the care for Mom or Dad, according to a survey of family caregivers. In only 2% of families in the U.S. and 3% in Canada did the siblings split the caregiving responsibility equally.

“Senior caregiving can either bring families together or cause brother and sister conflict,” says sibling relationships expert Ingrid Connidis, Ph.D., from the University of Western Ontario. “In some cases it can do both. These issues can be very emotional.” Connidis has partnered with Home Instead Senior Care to develop the 50-50 RuleSM public education program to help siblings deal with the many issues of caring for a parent. Following are tips on how siblings can better share the care.

1. Talk and listen. Parents care a lot about maintaining independence, often to the point that they also forfeit getting more support. That’s why it’s important to communicate, preferably before your family is in the throes of caregiving.

2. Research options. When you and your siblings have identified the types of services, interventions or care options that your aging parent needs, look for organizations and resources that can help. Discuss with your siblings who in the family will handle this job.

3. Plan ahead. If your mother wants to stay at home and “age in place” consider whether someone in the family will be supplementing that care or if you will divide those duties among siblings.

4. Be flexible. Rather than insisting that all of the caregiving tasks be divided equally, consider a division of labor that takes into account each family member’s interests and skills, as well as their availability.

5. Be honest. If you have become the primary caregiver and it’s getting to be too much, make sure your siblings know that you need help. Discuss specific tasks that your brother or sister can help you with such as grocery shopping or placing online orders. If you are a long-distance sibling, check in often with the primary caregiver to see how it’s going.

Get the complete Guide – Sharing the Care.

Home Care Mississauga helping older adults and elderly live independently and safely at home. Home Instead Senior Care in Mississauga knows the stress that our public home care system is under and we can provide the professional care that our aging seniors need. Please call 905- 276-2273.

Please join Greg Bechard on March 26 at The Palisades, On the Glen, at 2pm to hear Home Instead Senior Care educational program called “The 50-50 Rule”. To save a seat, please RSVP by calling 905- 276-2273.

At the core of the 50-50 Rule public education program is a family relationship and communication guide of real-life situations that features practical advice from sibling relationships expert Dr. Ingrid Arnet Connidis from the University of Western Ontario. The issues in this guide will help RPNs relate to the many challenges that family caregivers face and will help them to provide families resources that can make a difference.

To maintain harmony among siblings, it’s ideal if they all have the same information about their parents’ situation and needs. An awareness of their parents’ financial arrangements is also critical. Be sensitive to the fact that parents may feel that they are giving up their independence and privacy when they divulge such information. Extensive health care has significant financial ramifications for families. Are these and other issues addressed in a will? A plan needs to be in place to be prepared for important life events.

The program is for family caregivers dealing with sibling rivalry when caring for aging relatives and addresses their inability to effectively work together. This sibling rivalry often leads to one sibling becoming responsible for the bulk of caregiving (true in 41% of families) which can contribute to a deterioration of sibling relationships.

RSVP to save your seat and join Greg Bechard on March 26 at The Palisades, On the Glen, at 2pm to hear Home Instead Senior Care educational program called “The 50-50 Rule”, helping siblings overcome family conflict while caring for aging parents. RSVP by calling 905- 276-2273.

Home Care Mississauga helping older adults and elderly live independently and safely at home. Home Instead Senior Care in Mississauga knows the stress that our public home care system is under and we can provide the professional care that our aging seniors need. Please call 905- 276-2273.

Please join Greg Bechard on March 26 at The Palisades, On the Glen, at 2pm to hear Home Instead Senior Care educational program called “The 50-50 Rule”. To learn more, please call 905- 276-2273.

Primary caregivers spend 14 hours a week providing care, compared with five hours a week each for their other siblings. This puts sibling relationships and the quality of their parents’ care at risk. But with new approaches and a focus on building better family relationships, caregiving can make families stronger.

In Canada, in contrast to the United States, birth order is not a factor when it comes to being the primary caregiver: 55% of oldest siblings, 50% of middle siblings and 58% of youngest siblings say they are the primary caregiver, statistically similar figures. In the U.S., nearly two-thirds of youngest siblings (64%) say they are the primary family caregiver, while only 57% of oldest siblings and 49% of middle siblings say this is their role. The youngest siblings surveyed are more likely than the oldest to describe themselves as the ones with the closest relationship with their parents.

Here are the facts of Sibling Caregiving Dynamics:

• Among a group of siblings, on average, the primary caregiver is a 50-year-old sister caring for an 81-year-old mother or a 50-year-old brother caring for an 81-year-old father, and has been providing care for 3.3 years.
• Care is not equally shared. In 41% of families, one sibling has the responsibility for providing most or all of the care for Mom or Dad. In only 3% of families, the siblings split the caregiving responsibilities equally between them. In all other families, caregiving is shared based upon skill sets or some other criteria.
• The sibling who is the primary family caregiver reports putting in nearly triple the hours of care than their brothers and sisters (on average primary family caregivers provide 14 hours of care per week versus five hours of care for their other siblings).

Please join Greg Bechard on March 26 at The Palisades, On the Glen, at 2pm to hear Home Instead Senior Care educational program called “The 50-50 Rule”, helping siblings overcome family conflict while caring for aging parents. The program is for family caregivers dealing with sibling rivalry when caring for aging relatives and addresses their inability to effectively work together. This sibling rivalry often leads to one sibling becoming responsible for the bulk of caregiving (true in 41% of families) which can contribute to a deterioration of sibling relationships.

Home Care Mississauga helping older adults and elderly live independently and safely at home. Home Instead Senior Care in Mississauga knows the stress that our public home care system is under and we can provide the professional care that our aging seniors need. Please call 905- 276-2273.

Mississauga Aging Care helps seniors stay safe, active and healthy in their own homes.

Families often have the misconception that home care services are only for those seniors who require nursing care because they’re sick, recovering from an injury, or suffering with diseases like Alzheimer’s that affect their cognitive processes. In Canada, there are home care agencies that specialize strictly in non-medical care. While they can provide services to people who suffer from more serious issues and require a greater level of non-medical assistance; this is not their exclusive clientele.

Home Instead Senior Care in Canada can offer Canadian seniors the help that they need to fill in the gaps. Seniors who are feeling isolated or lonely may benefit from companionship. Those that don’t drive may require an escort out on errands. Seniors who find that some household tasks are just becoming too much can also have a little bit of help from home care agencies. Families may feel like these are areas that they can help with; but with their own families and careers, it can be a lot to balance when it becomes part of a regular routine and turns into an obligation. It’s great to help loved ones; but no one has to do it alone or feel guilty about needing the help. Canadian seniors and families can benefit with home care help regardless of their background, condition or age!

Via: homeinstead.com

Home Care Mississauga helping older adults and elderly live independently and safely at home. Please call 905- 276-2273.

Mississauga Senior Care helps aging adults stay safe, active and healthy in their own homes.

If you’re a family caregiver, do you know others who are? Do you feel alone in your experiences and wish that you had more support? If so, you’re not alone; because statistics show that there are plenty of others out there like you.

1. Family caregivers in Canada number into the millions – the last census was completed in 1997 and numbers showed that approximately 3 million family caregivers were caring for a loved one. It’s been estimated that today there are about 4-5 million

2. One growing demographic – most family caregivers in Canada are women aged 45-64. Most of these women are also balancing careers, families and other responsibilities

3. Costs to families for caregiving are extensive – caregiving duties cause family members to take on additional costs, and its estimated to total approximately $8 million annually

4. Caregiving causes stress – since approximately 65% of female caregivers who work feel the weight of stress, support and assistance is necessary for their efforts!

Via: Canadian Caregiver Coalition

Home Care Mississauga helping older adults and elderly live independently and safely at home. Please call 905- 276-2273.

Home Care Mississauga helps seniors remain active and independent in their own homes.

We’ve all been warned about what’s in store for the future as the number of seniors increase, but that doesn’t mean that care professionals, seniors and family members really recognize what that means for the trends of the future. Canada’s care structure really will see some changes in the upcoming years.

1.    Yes, Canadians are living longer – seniors are living so long that there are now two categories of older adults – the younger ones and the older ones! This is not something seen previously, because fewer actually lived long enough into older adulthood to make up a large population of older seniors. Young seniors are aged 65 to 74 and older seniors are over 85

2.    Long lives don’t mean good health – Canadian seniors might be living longer, but that doesn’t mean they’re necessarily healthier. Seniors need to start focusing on their physical and mental health as well, and this can be done through lifestyle changes and professional services

3.    Seniors shouldn’t rely on the government – while many Canadian seniors have access to programs that help them financially with their Long Term Care needs, the increase of seniors needing such service should change this. Seniors should be in a position emotionally and financially to seek their own care when they need it

4.    Family caregivers will always play a major role – Canadian families are still caring for their older loved ones and this trend isn’t going anywhere. Women are still the primary family caregivers

Via: Long Term Care Canada

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Home Care Mississauga helping older adults and elderly live independently and safely at home. Please call 905- 276-2273.

Home Care Mississauga helps aging seniors maintain strength to stay at home.

The Grey Bruce Heart Health Program in Ontario is one designed to help prevent heart disease in older Canadians and promote a healthy lifestyle that specifically benefits the heart. For those who don’t know how to get started on their own, this program has a number of focus areas and events and works in partnership with the community in the Owen
Sound area and provides resources to all
Ontarians such as:

• Walking programs that get seniors walking in ways that are enjoyable and incorporate socialization

• Awareness about the effects and risks of heart disease in women

• Information about healthy heart foods with an emphasis upon lean, low-fat diets rich in nutrients

• Affordable, nutritious food programs that help give low-income seniors access to healthy heart foods

• Community gardening programs which promote physical activity allow seniors to grow their own produce and socialize

• Recognition of those seniors in the local community who have adopted healthy heart lifestyles

• Campaigns to prevent the initiation of more smoke-free public places, plus resources to help seniors quit smoking!

Via: Grey Bruce Heart Health

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Home Care Mississauga helping older adults and elderly live independently and safely at home. Please call 905- 276-2273.

During the holiday months, the last thing you want to think about is the uncertain future of your elderly relative, like a parent or grandparent. But one of the best gifts that you can give them this season is to start thinking about what you can do to make their lives better, and open the lines of communication to start making that future just a little bit more certain. The holidays aren’t a time to make any major decisions or create stress or pressure, but they are a time to reflect, talk and give the gift of caring.

1. Get an understanding of what your loved one wants in their future – find out what your older family member envisions for themselves in the future in terms of living arrangements and prospective healthcare. Discussing plans for holidays next year, or about arranging a visit to see them can introduce the topic without adding pressure

2. Talk to other family members – you don’t want to create stress or tension over the holidays, but you can engage your siblings or other family members even by asking them for feedback on how they think your older relative is doing

3. Take a hard look at your senior’s health – over the holidays, during a visit, you can take a look at their overall health and begin to assess if they seem to be struggling in any areas. This will help you determine what other conversations need to happen in the future

Via: stagesofseniorcare.com

Home Care Mississauga helping older adults and elderly live independently and safely at home. Please call 905- 276-2273.

When families get together for the holidays it can be both stressful and enjoyable. In families where the holiday season is what draws them together, keeping the peace can be a necessity to ensure that the focus remains on the joy of the season. To bring your family together over the holidays this year, try these tips:

1. Go somewhere new – often family members begin to argue over the hosting of holiday events. Go somewhere with no family history; travel together, or rent a house to make new traditions

2. Adapt to family changes – families grow and change; new members come into families and some end up leaving. No matter what the structure of your family, adapt to the change and incorporate new traditions that are important to new family members

3. Determine how to handle gifts – as a grandparent; it’s crucial that you treat all of your grandchildren equally. Spend the same amount on gifts for each of them, or ask their parents about doing a group gift for the whole family rather than individual ones. For example, contributing to a holiday they’re planning to take or another luxury they’re planning for their household

Via: Sympatico

Home Care Mississauga helping older adults and elderly live independently and safely at home. Please call 905- 276-2273.

In every country around the world, there is a senior population, which means that questions of senior care are ones that families across the globe find themselves having to address. So, the question is not if family caregiving itself is universal, but if the approach to family care is the same across cultures and countries.

In North America alone, there are some notable differences in the care structure that US and Canadian families face. The issues are the same, the concerns are the same, and the love and desire to make elders have the best lives possible do not vary. But, in some ways, caregivers in Canada do deal with some different elements that caregivers in the US do not, and the most noticeable differences are presented by the healthcare systems.

In Canada, we have universal health care, giving our seniors added security because they don’t need to worry as much about having extensive funding available to pay for a long-term hospital stay, when the bulk of medical services are covered by provincial health plans, like OHIP in Ontario. What this means for the care structure is that Canadian seniors have more options when it comes to their care decisions. Instead of devoting their savings exclusively for medical emergencies like American seniors, Canadian seniors can better look at the options available to them should they require home care. Senior care services, don’t come with the same financial burden in Canada, because the health care costs are removed.

Via: WorkingCaregiver

Home Care Mississauga helping older adults and elderly live independently and safely at home. Please call 905- 276-2273.