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ASDO Caregiver Conference - Unleash the Power of Age

Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Older Americans Month.

ASDO, the Aging Services Directors Organization, is hosting their annual Caregivers Conference in Las Vegas, NV on Wednesday, October23, 2013.

Michael DiAsio, President of Visiting Angels in Las Vegas, will be the Master of Ceremonies at this year's event and his company will again be a proud sponsor at the event.

Event Details

Caregiver Conference

"Unleash The Power Of Age"

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

8:30am - 4:00pm

UnitedHealthcare Building 2716

2716 N. Tenaya, Las Vegas, NV 89128

Keynote Speaker:

Congresswoman Shelley Berkley

Presenters:

• Donna Munic-Miller, PhD, Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health
• Esther Jones Langston, PhD, UNLV Professor / Director Emeritus School of Social Work
• Upinder Singh, MD - Geriatrics, Touro University
• Elder Law Presenter, Office of Jeffrey Burr, Ltd.
• Brynetta Morrow, PA Southwest Medical Associates

5 CEU's are approved for Nurses and Social Workers.

Call 702-363-7566 for more information on this years event.

Advances in Neurological Therapeutics

Continuing Medical Education Conference

Click To Download Brochure

The mission of Advances in Neurological Therapeutics 2013 is to update regional practitioners on the therapeutic effects of current and emerging therapies for Parkinson’s disease (PD), multiple sclerosis (MS), Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other dementias.

The importance of early diagnosis for these diseases will be stressed, and the risks and benefits of current and emerging therapies will be covered. We will also discuss the use of physical therapy and biomedical devices as a means to manage these diseases and improve patient function and quality of life.

Finally we will explore the psychiatric issues faced by individuals with neurological disease, as well as discuss the bioethical implications of PET imaging of the brain. We intend to provide an engaging forum, which will motivate practitioners to think holistically when treating patients with PD, MS, and AD.

This conference is intended for clinicians who treat patients with neurological disorders. We especially want to encourage neurologists, psychiatrists, family practice and primary care physicians, geriatricians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, physical therapists and other allied health care professionals to attend.

Full details available here - http://www.clevelandclinicmeded.com/live/courses/2013/ant13/

10 Ways to Deal With Caregiver Stress

Care-giving for a loved one can simultaneously be one of the most rewarding and most stressful periods of a person's life. All too often, caregivers neglect their own needs, and this leads to burnout and an inability to continue effective care giving. Below are ten vital tips for caregivers to continue looking after both themselves and their loved ones.

1. Get enough sleep. Fatigue leads to depression and poor decision making; a good night's sleep can make an enormous difference in the body's ability to cope with stress.

2. Eat regular, nutritious meals. Like sleep, the role of eating right cannot be underestimated. Cooking bulk meals and buying healthy snacks makes this easier.

3. Get some exercise. This doesn't have to mean leaving for long runs or gym sessions; DVDs or home exercise equipment can give caregivers the opportunity to be active without going far from their charges.

4. Talk to others. Too many caregivers keep their stress bottled up. Trusted friends outside of the family can be good listeners.

5. Avoid negative self-talk and guilt. Caregivers have a tendency to feel that nothing they do is enough. Most likely, though, caregivers are doing the best they can.

6. Acknowledge frustration and other negative feelings. It's possible to avoid negativity as suggested above without bottling up negative feelings. The key is to avoid wallowing in or acting on those feelings.

7. Explore meditation and prayer. Mental health can be greatly improved by spending just a few minutes per day in either of these activities, and they can be tailored to fit the caregiver's belief system.

8. Ask for help. Too often, caregiving within a family falls mainly to one person. Caregivers should not hesitate to ask others for assistance.

9. Take breaks. Many caregivers feel they cannot take even short breaks to themselves, but it's important to have a few hours off here and there from constant caregiving.

10. Look into outside services. There are both community and private resources that provide activities and other services for elderly and others in need of care.

Visiting Angels is a home care agency that can provide many services from shopping assistance and meal preparation to weekend, live-in and longterm care. Caregivers who call on Visiting Angels will find a number of options that allow their loved ones to continue receiving the best care possible while taking steps to look after themselves as well.

How to Pick an Agency for In-Home Senior Care

When a loved one needs healthcare due to old age or disability, home care is often preferred over nursing homes or other facilities. The right home care agency can provide 24-hour monitoring, feeding, drug administration, flexibility and more. Here's a guide to choosing a dependable agency for in-home care.

Speak with Management

Look into agencies to see how they hire and manage their caregivers. How do they screen job applicants? Do they insure all workers and offer worker's compensation in case their caregivers are injured on your property? Also find out whether an agency's caregivers are permanent employees or contract workers. In many cases, employees offer more support and a higher level of care to patients.

Analyze Services

Caregivers perform different types of services, so it's important to choose an agency that offers the services you need. In addition to managers, speak with employees to find out what skills they have. Make sure that they are compatible with yourself and the patient for the comfort of everyone.

Verify Licenses and Reputation

Home care often involves professional medical procedures that should only be performed by professionals. Before hiring an agency, verify that their caregivers are licensed and accredited according to the laws in your area. In addition, look at online reviews and speak with others in your area to confirm that the agency is reputable.

Look for Training

Although educational programs teach caregivers many important skills, agencies often train their caregivers to perform tasks to their own specifications. Combined with regular testing, this may ensure that the agency's caregivers offer a consistently high level of service.

Discuss Emergency Procedures

Emergencies may arise during home care, making contingency training essential for caregivers. If your regular caregiver is ever unable to work for any reason, will the agency be able to provide a replacement? By looking into this before you hire an agency, you'll be less likely to be faced with finding another agency on a moment's notice.

Ask About Background Checks

You should be able to trust any caregiver in your home. If you stick to agencies that require references and background checks for their personnel, you'll be more likely to end up with a caregiver you can count on.

Looking into home care agencies with the above considerations in mind will better ensure that you are satisfied with the caregiver who works in your home.

The Top Elderly Careger Challenges

Although it can be rewarding caring for elderly parents, the challenges can easily become overwhelming for adult children who may be concerned about whether they're providing enough physical and emotional support for their loved ones on a consistent basis. Without professional help, the tasks can become difficult to perform with proper efficiency and care, especially for caregivers who have a career outside of the environment. For many caregivers, there are common challenges that can make it difficult to impossible for both the elder and provider to thrive.

Managing Emotional Stress

It can be extremely tasking caring for a loved one as their well-being is often in the hands of a loved one who may not be equipped both physically and financially to provide enough care. This can bring on guilt towards oneself and even bitterness toward the elder for the time and energy it takes, often affecting the financial and emotional stability of the caregiver.

This can be difficult to balance as caregivers who are often related to the individual can have more emotions involved and are trying to manage other responsibilities, which include a family of their own and a full-time career.

Without properly balancing both the personal life and time caring for the elder, it can cause anxiety, depression, and emotional burn-out that can create an uncomfortable and even unhealthy environment for both individuals.

Finances

Although it may be enjoyable to care for a loved one, it is not cheap. Those who care for relatives often pay an average of $5,500 annually of their own money, putting a financial strain on their own wallet and making it difficult to stay afloat, aside from the transportation, time, and medication often paid for, which often increases with time as the elder's health deteriorates and requires more attention.

Lack of Experiences

For caregivers who are inexperienced, it can be difficult having enough skill and knowledge in a number of fields that include medical, legal, and social education, making it difficult for the elder to thrive and even improve in their condition. Those with inexperience with caregiving can also have a lack of experience, making it difficult to provide time management and properly evaluate the individual on a daily basis without other distractions.

Proper elder care requires a collaborative effort to ensure the proper well-being and stability for each individual. For professional care and assistance, we recommend Visiting Angels.

Tips for Caring for a Elderly Parent

Caring for an elderly parent can be one of the most taxing experiences you'll ever go through in life. This type of work requires patience, understanding, money, and your own time, and it is going to become clear to you rather quickly whether or not you are cut out for it.

If you've found yourself in the position to need to care for your loved one, knowing what to do might come so easily.

These are several tips that should help when it comes to caring for your elderly parent.

Make a Care Giving Budget

Because caring for your aging parent is essentially the equivalent of making a lifestyle decision that will directly affect your or their finances, you'll need to keep the budget sensible and under control. Be sure to factor everything you can possibly think of in such as medications, food, home supplies, bills, etc.

Familiarize Yourself with Medicare and Public Benefits

There are many resources available that can make your job incredibly easier. For example, the National Council on Aging offers a checklist style resource that helps you narrow down which benefits your parent is eligible for. Additionally, Medicare/Medicaid should be checked into if your parent is not already enrolled.

Safeguard the House

You should constantly make sure that the home your elderly parent is staying in is "fall-proof." This means you should stabilize loose carpets that can easily slide around, clear hallways, consider hand rails, and more. You'll want to be sure that the house is well-lit, and don't forget to invest in a few night lights for distributing throughout the home.

Don't Expect Praise

Especially in cases with parents who have dementia or any similar conditions, it's important that you do not expect some sort of praise or recognition for what you've done. In these situations, your parent's brain is not functioning normally, and therefore, they are unable to appreciate your efforts for the time being. Always be patient and understanding with your parent.

Remember to Take Breaks

Care giving is a strenuous and emotionally taxing process. Don't forget to reserve time for yourself to get away and get your mind off of everything every once in awhile. Enlist the help of other family members to help when you need a break.

Consult Visiting Angels

Overall, the best solution for caring for an elderly parent is to leave it in the hands of a professional agency. Visiting Angels is a network of agencies that provide quality in-home care and peace of mind. Contact Visiting Angels today to see how your family can be helped!