Family Caregiver Challenges

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Family Caregiver Challenges

There are more than 43.5 million adults in the United States who have provided unpaid care to an adult or child within the last year. 34.2 million of these Americans provide care to an adult age 50 or older. On average, a family caregiver will spend over 24 hours each week providing care to a loved one, although many report spending well over 40 hours per week on caregiving duties.

The burden on caregivers is reportedly highest among those providing care to a spouse or partner. Family caregiving usually involves tasks above and beyond assisting with activities of daily living, like bathing, dressing, and eating, but also medical or nursing tasks that are typically performed by a nurse, and the emotional support function as well.

Emotional Roller Coaster

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Emotional Roller Coaster

Those suffering from some form of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s, will go through a series of extremely challenging phases, and those phases bring on various emotions in the extreme. In fact, these phases will send them back and forth through the various five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance), and to some degree, more than once. This situation is further complicated and compounded by the fact that their ability to intellectually and rationally think through their grief and their ability to have reasonable control over their emotions are both becoming diminished as the disease progresses.

Mexican Health Care is Quite Good and Very Affordable

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Mexican Healthcare

Most likely, one of your primary concerns when considering a move outside the US will be healthcare – how to get it, how much will it cost, and how good will it be. 

Surprisingly Good

The good news is that you will find that healthcare in Mexico is very good, and in many places, it is even excellent. Many doctors and dentists in Mexico have received at least part of their training in the US (Conversely, many US doctors have trained in Mexico, notably in Guadalajara and Mexico City.) Many of the Mexican doctors continue to go to the US or Europe for ongoing training.

Pandemic Sanctuary

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Pandemic Sanctuary

Long term care facilities (LTCFs) are supposed to be an oasis perfectly suited to our elders with medical and care professionals, facilities, diets, and activities, all tuned to their unique needs and desires. But as we have come to realize most recently, these LTCFs can also represent a significant risk.  

This is because the residents are elderly and infirmed, all of which leads to considerably lower immunity and much less resilience once infected. We have read about such sad cases as the facilities in New York and Washington, where countless residents have needlessly died after a widespread infection within facilities in those states.

Tips for In-Home Caregiving

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Tips for caregiving in the home

The lifetime probability of becoming disabled in at least two activities of daily living or of being cognitively impaired is 68% for people age 65 and older. What this implies is that a very large number of seniors will need some degree of caregiving support. A portion of these people are receiving this care via informal caregivers in the home. In fact, over 70 million informal and family caregivers provide care to someone who is ill, disabled, or aged in the US.

Taking VR to the Next Level for Our Elderly

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VR for our Elderly

Virtual Reality (VR) is not a new concept in elder care facilities. It provides a fun and stimulating activity that promotes socialization and allows seniors to partake in activities that they have not done in years (like downhill skiing).

An Alternate View 

But in this new world of social distancing and sheltering in place, our elders are particularly impacted. Not only are the especially vulnerable to COVID-19, but the side effect of isolating them further affects greater loneliness. And as we now know, isolation can have profound health implications over time.

Signs That It Might Be Time for Senior Care

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Signs that senior care is needed

The decision to move into senior housing is a significant decision for both seniors and their caregivers alike. As the older adult in your life begins to struggle more with the tasks of daily living, it’s natural to start asking the question, is it time for senior housing?

The Toughest Decision One Can Make

One of the most challenging parts of making the decision is bringing it up with your loved one. Understandably, most older adults don’t want to leave their homes, and gently approaching the subject is essential.

Coping as a Caregiver

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Coping as a Caregiver

The question often arises; how can caregivers better endure and work through the barrage of emotional, spiritual and physical challenges they face during an after a loved one’s illness?

For many people, the role of the caregiver becomes all-consuming, so when it finally comes to an end, life can feel as though it’s lost its meaning and purpose. But even before that, it is rarely a good idea to allow yourself to become so consumed with one thing, at the expense of everything else, including your identity, health, and overall well-being.

Is Mexico Safe?

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Is Mexico Safe

When people are considering what we (Cielito Lindo and Rancho Los Labradores) have to offer, each person has their unique concerns. But the question that comes up more frequently is, “Is Mexico actually safe, we here so much in the news?” The short answer is yes, but let’s go a little further with that.

Despite the media headlines painting Mexico as a place of crime and drug violence in the past few years, travelers shouldn’t allow that to stop them from experiencing one of the most colorful and amazing cultures in the world, and the cities have plenty of that.