According to a recent Fidelity Investments study, one-quarter of Baby Boomers are caring for an aging adult, and nearly two-thirds of those individuals are women. They are wives, but more often daughters, and are responsible for making major health decisions for their loved ones.
In an opinion piece for TIME, Jennifer Brokaw, a physician and daughter of the journalist Tom Brokaw, discussed how the burden of caring for an older parent alone could result in further health problems for the older individual. One of the most difficult issues that caregivers deal with is a lack of support not only from other family members, but also health care providers once a parent comes home from the hospital.
"It's time for doctors to get formal training about how to discuss decisions that need to be made with the surrogate decision-maker in a way that focuses on the overall goals of care and not just the immediate crisis," Brokaw wrote. "Doctors also need to circle back to taking more responsibility for decisions, keeping the patient's and surrogate's goals into account."
Lack of guidance about care could result in an aging parent needing to be readmitted to the hospital. Effective and continuous communication with caregivers is key to preventing such situations from occurring.
Being a full-time caregiver is a financially and emotionally involved job. Adult children who are the primary advocates for an aging mother or father are often looking for an affordable, but effective solution to helping their parents stay healthy.
Innovations including Independa's telecare suite can help care providers facilitate independent living through remote monitoring and video chat. Contact us today through our online form to request a demo.
