THERE ARE ALTERNATIVES FOR SENIORS WHO CAN'T SAFELY DRIVE

Massachusetts has recently seen a surge in driving accidents involving seniors, prompting a debate on driver re-testing laws and stricter requirements for elderly drivers. Within the past month there have been eight serious car accidents involving drivers aged 73 to 93. The Massachusetts legislature is deliberating on a bill that would impose driving tests on people over 85 years of age. Currently, Massachusetts only requires a vision test (for all drivers) every ten years.

I recently wrote to area legislators to weigh in on the subject. I explained that there are alternatives for seniors that can assure independence ever after a senior can no longer safely drive. Driving and independence do not need to be inextricably linked. Our caregivers at Right at Home Boston Metro West, can drive a senior to appointments, shopping, and even to visit with friends. It removes the dependence on public transportation, or expensive private transportation, and can be the difference between a senior staying home alone and going out.
As our policymakers deliberate on this issue, they should consider that home care can be a vital resource for those seniors who, in reality, can no longer operate a vehicle. Home care can ensure safety on our roads as well as continued independence for seniors. This issue is not all or nothing. There are alternatives.

Caregivers from our agency are carefully screened to ensure a safe and appropriate fit with the senior in need of the service. The screening process involves extensive background checks that include a review of national criminal record databases, as well as, driving records.
At Right at Home, we believe that at a time when we are seeing an alarming incidence of serious crashes involving seniors, this information may be helpful to families across the Commonwealth.

To learn more about how home care can help seniors whose driving skills have declined, consumers can contact Right at Home at 617-597-1500 or go to the agency’s website at http://www.bostonmetrowest.rightathome.net

High Tech + High Touch = Independence

Modern medicine has extended the average life expectancy in the United States to 80 years for females and 74 years for males. The focus for seniors is on maintaining an active lifestyle and remaining independent for as long as is possible. Staying at home has always been the desired goal for people aging well into their eighth and nine decade, but this desire has taken on new significance in recent years, as technology and new care resources are enabling more elders to do just that.

Adult children often seek to take on the caregiver role for their aging, and often ailing, parents. Logistics, however, often get in the way. First of all, there is the need for the adult child to maintain their economic independence, which is accomplished by working. And then there are the immediate needs of the adult child’s own family. This often does not leave enough time to care for mom and dad. What do you do when you have to work full time, care for your children, and your 90 year old mother needs full time care?

Live-in home care services are one solution. Even with the global recession, the demand for live-in home care services is continuing to rise.

Many adult children of fragile, aging parents often ask themselves, when is it the right time to consider live-in home services? Live-in home care entails having a home health aide to actually live in the senior’s home around the clock and provide all types of assistance, rather than the traditional home care services where a home health aide visits for a fixed shift, such as eight hours per day or two days per week.

Right at Home – Boston Metro West has expanded its live-in services to give elders every tool they need to maintain their independence and stay in their own homes.

Two new options for live-in care include Live-In Essential and Live-In Enhanced.

Live-In Essential is for a senior that needs someone in the home for 24-hour supervision and safety and includes services such as assistance with walking and getting in and out of bed; bathroom, grooming, and hygiene assistance; medication reminders; housekeeping and laundry; planning and preparing meals; accompanying seniors to appointments and grocery shopping; and up to five hours a month of driving/transportation.

Live-In Enhanced is geared to seniors who need someone in the home 24 hours a day and who may not sleep through the night and/or may need additional help for transfers, such as with a lift device. Live-In Enhanced includes all Live-In Essential services plus additional home care to provide more complex and, potentially, more skilled care.

Right at Home – Boston Metro West services give an adult child the comfort of knowing that mom or dad is safe and secure and has support around the clock, enabling the son or daughter to meet the needs of their own family.

Procedures that used to keep patients in the hospital for weeks are now done in one day. Medication does today what years ago could only be accomplished with the scalpel, or not at all. And care that could once only be provided in a skilled nursing facility, can in many cases be delivered safely and effectively right at home.

The Sandwich Generation Feels Squeezed

Life has a way of throwing a lot at us. And at no stage of life is this more true than in the "sandwich" years": that period of time when we must care for our parents as well as our children. With so many demands, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and even guilty as we cannot be in two places at the same time and must make choices about where to spend our time.

At Right At Home, we frequently hear from members of the sandwich generation who are concerned about a parent who is becoming increasingly frail. In some cases, they can't be with the parent as much as they would like to because they live in another city or state. Other times, the demands of work and their own family overwhelm.

Our caregivers can mean the difference between the connectedness one feels when they are part of a community and the isolation that one feels when they are not. Sometimes, we provide help with daily routines, such as dressing and eating, and at other times we provide companionship and emotional support.

Caring for an elder and children at the same time is hard. I know, because I do it myself. I want other people in my age group to know they don't have to go it alone. Good, safe, and reliable help is available.

I welcome your posts about the experiences and challenges of caring for an aging parent.

Vladimir Zarkhin and Helen Valko, Co-Owners, Right at Home - Boston Metro West

617-597-1500

www.bostonmetrowest.rightathome.net